Phototriggered Complex Motion by Programmable Construction of Light-Driven Molecular Motors in Liquid Crystal Networks

Recent developments in artificial molecular machines have enabled precisely controlled molecular motion, which allows several distinct mechanical operations at the nanoscale. However, harnessing and amplifying molecular motion along multiple length scales to induce macroscopic motion are still major challenges and comprise an important next step toward future actuators and soft robotics. The key to addressing this challenge relies on effective integration of synthetic molecular machines in a hierarchically aligned structure so numerous individual molecular motions can be collected in a cooperative way and amplified to higher length scales and eventually lead to macroscopic motion. Here, we report the complex motion of liquid crystal networks embedded with molecular motors triggered by single-wavelength illumination. By design, both racemic and enantiomerically pure molecular motors are programmably integrated into liquid crystal networks with a defined orientation. The motors have multiple functions acting as cross-linkers, actuators, and chiral dopants inside the network. The collective rotary motion of motors resulted in multiple types of motion of the polymeric film, including bending, wavy motion, fast unidirectional movement on surfaces, and synchronized helical motion with different handedness, paving the way for the future design of responsive materials with enhanced complex functions

Brillouin Corrosion Expansion Sensors for Steel Reinforced Concrete Structures Using a Fiber Optic Coil Winding Method

In this paper, a novel kind of method to monitor corrosion expansion of steel rebars in steel reinforced concrete structures named fiber optic coil winding method is proposed, discussed and tested. It is based on the fiber optical Brillouin sensing technique. Firstly, a strain calibration experiment is designed and conducted to obtain the strain coefficient of single mode fiber optics. Results have shown that there is a good linear relationship between Brillouin frequency and applied strain. Then, three kinds of novel fiber optical Brillouin corrosion expansion sensors with different fiber optic coil winding packaging schemes are designed. Sensors were embedded into concrete specimens to monitor expansion strain caused by steel rebar corrosion, and their performance was studied in a designed electrochemical corrosion acceleration experiment. Experimental results have shown that expansion strain along the fiber optic coil winding area can be detected and measured by the three kinds of sensors with different measurement range during development the corrosion. With the assumption of uniform corrosion, diameters of corrosion steel rebars were obtained using calculated average strains. A maximum expansion strain of 6,738 με was monitored. Furthermore, the uniform corrosion analysis model was established and the evaluation formula to evaluate mass loss rate of steel rebar under a given corrosion rust expansion rate was derived. The research has shown that three kinds of Brillouin sensors can be used to monitor the steel rebar corrosion expansion of reinforced concrete structures with good sensitivity, accuracy and monitoring range, and can be applied to monitor different levels of corrosion. By means of this kind of monitoring technique, quantitative corrosion expansion monitoring can be carried out, with the virtues of long durability, real-time monitoring and quasi-distribution monitoring

Humic acid production from the degradation of Yima coal by Cunninghamella elegans combined with Bacillus sp.

Biodegradation is one of the important ways for the clean and efficient utilization of coal. However, the effectiveness of degradation by the combination of fungi and bacteria has not been well understood. In the present study, the combined degradation of the Yima coal was tested. The coal samples were firstly oxidized with nitric acid, followed by cultured in the media of Cunninghamella elegans and Bacillus sp.. The absorbance of A450, pH and metallic element (Cr, As, Mn, Pb, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo) contents of the degradation solution were determined by UV-visible spectrophotometry, pH meter and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. The humic acid was analyzed by element analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatog-raphy-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the humic acid yields of C. elegans, Bacillus sp. and their mixture were 58.17%, 61.00% and 67.17%, respectively. The pH of the degradation solution of mixed strains was similar to that of the bacteria. The characteristic products of the bacteria degradation were detected in the humic acid samples derived from mixed strains, while the opposite was true for the fungi. It was suggested that the combination of the two strains enhanced the alkaline environment and improved the degradation rate of nitric acid-treated coal. The bacteria played a leading role in the degradation process. Metallic elements (Cr, As, Mn, Pb, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo) were transferred from coal to the degradation solution during the degradation process, and the contents of Cr, As, Pb, Ni, Cu and Mo were fitted with A450, the coefficient of determination (R2) were greater than 0.6. It indicated that the contents of these six metal elements in the degradation solution could represent the degradation rate. Chemically extracted humic acid and biologically extracted humic acid were rich in the active functional groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, long-chain fatty acids (C16, C18) and four pyrrole derivatives. The biologically extracted humic acid also contained fatty acids (C3, C4, C5, C13, C14, C15), of smaller molecular weight, as well as nitrogen-containing compounds such as two pyrrole derivatives and a furan. The contents of C and H elements in the biologically extracted humic acid were higher than that in the chemically extracted humic acid

Public-Private Partnership in Infrastructure Development - Case Studies from Asia and Europe

Development of infrastructure projects with private engagement through PPP has become one of the commonly adopted procurement strategies in developed and developing countries. All over the world where PPP procurement has been used in one form or another, the way in which it is carried out has become an important issue. Yet, there is no standard method of PPP implementation as each country adapts the process as appropriate for its own culture, economy, political climate and legal system. It is therefore essential that all parties likely to be involved have a common understanding of the principles underlying PPP structures and an appreciation of the key issues from the standpoints of the private as well as the public sectors. PPP projects with substantial private investments involve participation of stakeholders with diverse perspectives, which can lead to different perceptions on the viability of the project. The introduction chapter covers the general issues of PPP implementation and presents an overview of the use of PPP in the delivery of public infrastructure and services across the world. Following, in five case studies PPP projects from Asia and Europe are presented and reveal differences in the respective approaches of each country. The case studies analyze project objectives, scope and site as well as legal, contractual and financial framework under which the projects were realized. Each case study closes with a chapter discussing the different approaches and summarizing lessons learned

Fe3O4–Au and Fe2O3–Au Hybrid Nanorods: Layer-by-Layer Assembly Synthesis and Their Magnetic and Optical Properties

A layer-by-layer technique has been developed to synthesize FeOOH–Au hybrid nanorods that can be transformed into Fe2O3–Au and Fe3O4–Au hybrid nanorods via controllable annealing process. The homogenous deposition of Au nanoparticles onto the surface of FeOOH nanorods can be attributed to the strong electrostatic attraction between metal ions and polyelectrolyte-modified FeOOH nanorods. The annealing atmosphere controls the phase transformation from FeOOH–Au to Fe3O4–Au and α-Fe2O3–Au. Moreover, the magnetic and optical properties of as-synthesized Fe2O3–Au and Fe3O4–Au hybrid nanorods have been investigated

Neutrino Physics with JUNO

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purposeunderground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determinationof the neutrino mass hierarchy as a primary physics goal. It is also capable ofobserving neutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, includingsupernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos,atmospheric neutrinos, solar neutrinos, as well as exotic searches such asnucleon decays, dark matter, sterile neutrinos, etc. We present the physicsmotivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for variousproposed measurements. By detecting reactor antineutrinos from two power plantsat 53-km distance, JUNO will determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at a 3-4sigma significance with six years of running. The measurement of antineutrinospectrum will also lead to the precise determination of three out of the sixoscillation parameters to an accuracy of better than 1\%. Neutrino burst from atypical core-collapse supernova at 10 kpc would lead to ~5000inverse-beta-decay events and ~2000 all-flavor neutrino-proton elasticscattering events in JUNO. Detection of DSNB would provide valuable informationon the cosmic star-formation rate and the average core-collapsed neutrinoenergy spectrum. Geo-neutrinos can be detected in JUNO with a rate of ~400events per year, significantly improving the statistics of existing geoneutrinosamples. The JUNO detector is sensitive to several exotic searches, e.g. protondecay via the $p\to K^++\bar\nu$ decay channel. The JUNO detector will providea unique facility to address many outstanding crucial questions in particle andastrophysics. It holds the great potential for further advancing our quest tounderstanding the fundamental properties of neutrinos, one of the buildingblocks of our Universe