Tailoring self-organized nanostructured morphologies in kilometer-long polymer fiber

Cataloged from PDF version of article.While nanowires and nanospheres have been utilized in the design of a diverse array of nanoscale devices, recent schemes frequently require nanoscale architectures of higher complexity. However, conventional techniques are largely unsatisfactory for the production of more intricate nanoscale shapes and patterns, and even successful fabrication methods are incompatible with large-scale production efforts. Novel top-down, iterative size reduction (ISR)-mediated approaches have recently been shown to be promising for the production of high-throughput cylindrical and spherical nanostructures, though more complex architectures have yet to be created using this process. Here we report the presence of a hitherto-undescribed transitory region between nanowire and nanosphere transformation, where a diverse array of complex quasi one-dimensional nanostructures is produced by Rayleigh-Plateau instability-mediated deformation during the progress of a combined ISR/thermal instability technique. Temperature-based tailoring of architecturally diverse, indefinitely long, globally parallel, complex nanostructure arrays with high uniformity and low size variation facilitates the development of in-fiber or free-standing nanodevices with significant advantages over on-chip devices

Extension DGAs and topological Hochschild homology

We study differential graded algebras (DGAs) that arise from ring spectra through the extension of scalars functor. Namely, we study DGAs whose corresponding Eilenberg–Mac Lane ring spectrum is equivalent to HZ∧E for some ring spectrum E. We call these DGAs extension DGAs. We also define and study this notion for E∞ DGAs. The topological Hochschild homology (THH) spectrum of an extension DGA splits in a convenient way. We show that formal DGAs with nice homology rings are extension, and therefore their THH groups can be obtained from their Hochschild homology groups in many cases of interest. We also provide interesting examples of DGAs that are not extension. In the second part, we study properties of extension DGAs. We show that, in various cases, topological equivalences and quasi-isomorphisms agree for extension DGAs. From this, we obtain that dg Morita equivalences and Morita equivalences also agree in these cases

Highly Transparent, Flexible, and Thermally Stable Superhydrophobic ORMOSIL Aerogel Thin Films

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report preparation of highly transparent, flexible, and thermally stable superhydrophobic organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) aerogel thin films from colloidal dispersions at ambient conditions. The prepared dispersions are suitable for large area processing with ease of coating and be:ing directly applicable without requiring any pre- or post-treatment on a variety of surfaces including glass, wood, and plastics. ORMOSIL films exhibit and retain superhydrophobic behavior up to 500 degrees C and even on bent flexible substrates. The surface of the films can be converted from superhydrophobic (contact angle of 179.9 degrees) to superhydrophilic (contact angle of <5 degrees) by calcination at high temperatures. The wettability of the coatings can be changed by tuning the calcination temperature and duration. The prepared films also exhibit low refractive index and high porosity making them suitable as multifunctional coatings for many application fields including solar cells, flexible electronics, and lab on papers

Admissible replacements for simplicial monoidal model categories

Using Dugger’s construction of universal model categories, we produce replacements for simplicial and combinatorial symmetric monoidal model categories with better operadic properties. Namely, these replacements admit a model structure on algebras over any given colored operad. As an application, we show that in the stable case, such symmetric monoidal model categories are classified by commutative ring spectra when the monoidal unit is a compact generator. In other words, they are strong monoidally Quillen equivalent to modules over a uniquely determined commutative ring spectrum

Tapered nanoscale chalcogenide fibers directly drawn from bulk glasses as optical couplers for high-index resonators

We report production of air-clad tapered chalcogenide fibers by directly drawing bulk glasses between cleaved tips of tapered silica fibers. Exploiting these tapered fibers with nanoscale waists as evanescent optical couplers, we demonstrate phase-matched coupling of light into on-chip whispering gallery mode chalcogenide microresonators with coupling efficiencies as high as 95%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first-time demonstration of critical coupling into high-index microresonators by using high-index tapered fibers. The tapered chalcogenide fibers can also be utilized as optical couplers for microresonators made of various high-index materials, as well as for nonlinear optical applications. © 2017 Optical Society of America

Label-Free Biosensing with High Selectivity in Complex Media using Microtoroidal Optical Resonators

Although label-free biosensors comprised of optical microcavities inherently possess the capability of resolving molecular interactions at individual level, this extreme sensitivity restricts their convenience for large scale applications by inducing vulnerability towards non-specific interactions that readily occur within complex media. Therefore, the use of optical microresonators for biosensing is mostly limited within strictly defined laboratory conditions, instead of field applications as early detection of cancer markers in blood, or identification of contamination in food. Here, we propose a novel surface modification strategy suitable for but not limited to optical microresonator based biosensors, enabling highly selective biosensing with considerable sensitivity as well. Using a robust, silane-based surface coating which is simultaneously protein resistant and bioconjugable, we demonstrate that it becomes possible to perform biosensing within complex media, without compromising the sensitivity or reliability of the measurement. Functionalized microtoroids are successfully shown to resist nonspecific interactions, while simultaneously being used as sensitive biological sensors. This strategy could pave the way for important applications in terms of extending the use of state-of-the-art biosensors for solving problems similar to the aforementioned

Template free preparation of nanoporous organically modified silica thin films on flexible substrates

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report the preparation and characterization of nanoporous organically modified silica (ormosil) thin films at room temperature and neutral pH conditions from homogeneous methyl silsesquioxane (MSQ) gels. Universally applicable and stable colloidal ormosil suspensions are prepared from the gels by sonication and coated to the substrates including glass, paper and plastics. The nanoporosity and thickness of the films can be tuned, which makes them suitable for certain applications including sensing, functional coatings, and low-dielectric materials. We demonstrate the antireflection property of the films on glass, cellulose acetate (CA) and polyetherimide (PEI) substrates. The films on CA and PEI retain their antireflection property after multiple bending cycles. Furthermore, films are intrinsically hydrophobic, over a wide pH range, with static contact angles up to 143° on paper and 123° on glass and CA. Producing nanoporous ormosil thin films on flexible substrates may expand their use in low cost electronic, optical devices and sensors, and lab-on-paper applications

All-chalcogenide glass omnidirectional photonic band gap variable infrared filters

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of spatially variable infrared photonic band gap filter that consists of thermally evaporated, high refractive index contrast, amorphous chalcogenide glass multilayers. Due to graded thickness structure, the filter exhibits a position dependent stop band and a cavity mode ranging from 1.8 to 3.4 μm wavelengths. Reflection measurements on the variable filter agree well with theoretical calculations. These results pave the way to low-loss infrared mirrors, filters, spectral imaging, and miniaturized spectrometers at infrared region. © 2009 American Institute of Physics

Template-Directed Synthesis of Silica Nanotubes for Explosive Detection

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Fluorescent porous organic-inorganic thin films are of interest of explosive detection because of their vapor phase fluorescence quenching property. In this work, we synthesized fluorescent silica nanotubes using a biomineralization process through self-assembled peptidic nanostructures. We designed and synthesized an amyloid-like peptide self-assembling into nanofibers to be used as a template for silica nanotube formation. The amine groups on the peptide nanofibrous system were used for nucleation of silica nanostructures. Silica nanotubes were used to prepare highly porous surfaces, and they were doped with a fluorescent dye by physical adsorption for explosive sensing. These porous surfaces exhibited fast, sensitive, and highly selective fluorescence quenching against nitro-explosive vapors. The materials developed in this work have vast potential in sensing applications due to enhanced surface area. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Ultrasensitive label-free microcavity biosensors with high selectivity

High quality factor whispering gallery mode microresonators have been recently shown to exhibit detection sensitivity of single molecule; however, the selectivity of these sensors among different types of analytes remains as an important issue, obscuring the broad applicability of optical microcavities. We demonstrate a surface modification strategy for fabrication of high selectivity and sensitivity microcavity biosensors in this study. © 2011 IEEE