4 research outputs found

    Size and composition of airborne particles from pavement wear, tires, and traction sanding

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    Mineral matter is an important component of airborne particles in urban areas. In northern cities of the world, mineral matter dominates PM10 during spring because of enhanced road abrasion caused by the use of antiskid methods, including studded tires and traction sanding. In this study, factors that affect formation of abrasion components of springtime road dust were assessed. Effects of traction sanding and tires on concentrations, mass size distribution, and composition of the particles were studied in a test facility. Lowest particle concentrations were observed in tests without traction sanding. The concentrations increased when traction sand was introduced and continued to increase as a function of the amount of aggregate dispersed. Emissions were additionally affected by type of tire, properties of traction sand aggregate, and driving speed. Aggregates with high fragmentation resistance and coarse grain size distribution had the lowest emissions. Over 90% of PM10 was mineral particles. Mineralogy of the dust and source apportionment showed that they originated from both traction sand and pavement aggregates. The remaining portion was mostly carbonaceous and originated from tires and road bitumen. Mass size distributions were dominated by coarse particles. Contribution of fine and submicron size ranges were approximately 15 and 10% in PM10, respectively

    Functionalized Fullerenes in Self-Assembled Monolayers

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    Anisotropy of intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions holds the key to controlling the arrangement of fullerenes into 2D self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The chemical reactivity of fullerenes allows functionalization of the carbon cages with sulfur-containing groups, thiols and thioethers, which facilitates the reliable adsorption of these molecules on gold substrates. A series of structurally related molecules, eight of which are new fullerene compounds, allows systematic investigation of the structural and functional parameters defining the geometry of fullerene SAMs. Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) measurements reveal that the chemical nature of the anchoring group appears to be crucial for the long-range order in fullerenes: the assembly of thiol-functionalized fullerenes is governed by strong molecule-surface interactions, which prohibit formation of ordered molecular arrays, while thioether-functionalized fullerenes, which have a weaker interaction with the surface than the thiols, form a variety of ordered 2D molecular arrays owing to noncovalent intermolecular interactions. A linear row of fullerene molecules is a recurring structural feature of the ordered SAMs, but the relative alignment and the spacing between the fullerene rows is strongly dependent on the size and shape of the spacer group linking the fullerene cage and the anchoring group. Careful control of the chemical functionality on the carbon cages enables positioning of fullerenes into at least four different packing arrangements, none of which have been observed before. Our new strategy for the controlled arrangement of fullerenes on surfaces at the molecular level will advance the development of practical applications for these nanomaterials.</p

    Dielectric Rod Waveguide Antenna as THz Emitter for Photomixing Devices

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    We propose a dielectric rod waveguide antenna (DRW) integrated with a photomixer as a THz emitter. This represents a different approach as opposed to the classical solution of a substrate lens. Main goals are an inexpensive alternative to substrate lenses, reduction of both reflections on the semiconductor-air interface and scattering of terahertz-generated power into the substrate. A radiation pattern measured at 137 GHz is shown as a proof-of-concept. In order to increase radiated power, the improvement of the rod antenna is discussed. Finally, as an application example, evanescent coupling of the DRW into a high index whispering gallery mode resonator is shown

    Nonhydrolytic Processing of Oxide-Based Materials: Simple Routes to Control Homogeneity, Morphology, and Nanostructure

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