Grazing incidence reflection absorption Fourier transform infrared (GIRA-FTIR) spectroscopic studies on the ferroelectric behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene) ultrathin films

Grazing incidence reflection absorption Fourier transform infrared (GIRA-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize the ferroelectric behavior of a thin poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene) P(VDF–TrFE) copolymer. The lab-built GIRA-FTIR apparatus allowed the heating and corona poling process to be carried out whilst collecting the GIRA spectra of the thin polymer film. The Curie transition from the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase was confirmed from the abrupt change in intensity of the 849 cm⁻¹ band in the RA-FTIR spectrum. It was found that the Curie temperature dropped dramatically when the film thickness was lowered to below a certain critical value of approximately 100 nm. The switching of the CF₂ dipoles in the ferroelectric crystals after applying the external electric field could be determined by monitoring the change in the 849 cm⁻¹ band intensity. For the 600 nm thick P(VDF–TrFE) film, the switching of the dipoles appears to occur almost instantaneously, while the kinetics of dipole switching of the 75 nm thick film were significantly retarded. The repeated switchability of the CF₂ dipoles upon the application of a bipolar cyclic electric field was also confirmed. The bistability of the film due to remnant polarization was also confirmed from the absorbance of the 849 cm⁻¹ band after removing the applied voltage during corona poling.     

A simple mathematical analysis on the effect of sand in Cr(VI) reduction using zero valent iron

A simple mathematical model was proposed to analyze the enhancement of Cr(VI) reduction when sand materials are added to the zero valent iron (ZVI). Natural decay of Cr(VI) in a control experiment was analyzed by using a zero-order decay reaction. Adsorption kinetics of Cr(VI) to sand was modeled as a first-order reversible process, and the reduction rate by ZVI was treated as a first-order reaction. Natural decay of Cr(VI) was also included in other experiments, i.e., the adsorption to sand, the reduction by ZVI, and both adsorption and reduction when sand and ZVI are present together. The model parameters were estimated by fitting the solution of each model to the corresponding experimental data. To observe the effect of sand addition to ZVI, both adsorption and reduction rate models were considered simultaneously including the natural decay. The solution of the combined model was fitted to the experimental data to determine the first-order adsorption and reduction rate constants when sand as well as ZVI is present. The first-order reduction rate constant in the presence of sand was about 35 times higher than that with ZVI only.     

W-band divide-by-3 frequency divider using 0.1 /spl mu/m InAlAs/InGaAs metamorphic HEMT technology

A W-band divide-by-3 frequency divider with wide bandwidth and low power dissipation is presented using harmonic injection-locking technique. A cascode FET is employed for a self-oscillating second-harmonic mixer which is injection-locked by third-harmonic input to obtain the division order of three. The fabricated frequency divider using 0.1 /spl mu/m GaAs metamorphic HEMT technology shows superior performance such as large bandwidth of 6.1 GHz around 83.1 GHz (7.3%) under small DC power consumption of 12 mW.     

A 0.6–2.7 GHz Semidynamic Frequency Divide-by-3 Utilizing Wideband RC Polyphase Filter in 0.18 $mu$m CMOS

A wideband complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) semidynamic frequency divide-by-3 covering more than two octave bandwidths is presented. The wideband operation without requiring a quadrature signal source is realized by employing a three-stage RC polyphase filter. The transfer function analysis on Type-II two- and three-stage polyphase filters is performed to provide analytic solutions of the peak phase error and peak attenuation. Implemented in 0.18 mum CMOS, the divide-by-3 operates over the input frequency range between 0.6 and 2.7 GHz while dissipating 15 mA from a 1.8 V supply.     

Production and structural features of a water-soluble polysaccharide from a mutant strain of Agrobacterium sp.

We have developed a mutant strain derived from Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31750, which produces a water-soluble polysaccharide having potential utility to the food, feed, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. A high concentration of product (15 g/L) is obtained by 48 h cultivation of the mutant strain under optimized fermentation conditions. The water-soluble polysaccharide obtained from cultures of the mutant strain beta82 has Glc:Man:Gal in approximate molar ratios of 5.8:6.7:1.0. The molecular weight of the polysaccharide was determined to be approximately 1000 kDa by HPSEC analysis. Linkage analysis contained 3-Glcp, 3-Manp, terminal Glcp and terminal Manp, as well as a small proportion of 3- and 3,4-Galp, and 4,6-Manp residues. Based on analyses using FT-IR and ¹³C NMR spectrometers, most glycosidic bonds joining these sugar residues are of the α-type, and acetyl groups are apparently attached to the polymer chain at random.     

Dye adsorption characteristics of alginate/polyaspartate hydrogels

This study examined the removal of some basic dyes, such as Methylene Blue, Malachite Green and Methyl Orange, using alginate or alginate/polyaspartate composite gel beads. The adsorption of dyes from aqueous solutions at 25 °C was examined using a batch sorption technique. The effects of CaCl₂ and the dye concentration on the adsorption were examined. Type-S adsorption isotherms were obtained, which is characteristic of a weak solute–solid interaction. The ionic interaction between the dye molecule and gel matrix appears to be responsible for the efficient adsorption of cationic dyes in this system. These results suggest that an alginate/polyaspartate gel can be used as an effective sorbent for water pollutants such as dyes, and the immobilization of these organic contaminants in the hydrogels from wastewater can solve one of the most important environmental problems in the related industry.     

The relationship between photo-catalytic performance and optical property over Si-incorporated TiO2

This study focuses on the relationship between photo-catalytic performance and optical property over Si-incorporated TiO₂. The Si-incorporated TiO₂ particles exhibited a pure structure of anatase having a particle size of less than 20 nm and surface area of more than 190 m²/g. The absorbance did not shift to a higher wavelength in spite of the incorporation of the Si ions, but the intensity of the photoluminescence (PL) curve was the smallest in the case of the 2.0 mol% Si-TiO₂, which was related to the recombination between the excited electrons and holes. Based on these results, the photodecomposition of methyl orange in the liquid reaction was enhanced over the 2.0 mol% Si-incorporated TiO₂ compared with that over pure TiO₂: Methyl orange at 10.0 ppm was completely decomposed after 100 min when 1.0 g of the 2.0 mol% Si-incorporated TiO₂ was used.     

Noise–Power Optimization of Incremental Data Converters

Incremental data converters (IDCs) are useful in instrumentation and measurement applications, where low-frequency analog signals need to be converted into digital form with high accuracy and low power dissipation. They are particularly well suited for applications where a single analog-digital converter is multiplexed between many channels. This paper proposes an exact design methodology for IDCs, which optimizes the signal-to-noise ratio of the converter under practical design constraints. The process also allows the designer to apportion the noise budget in an arbitrary manner between thermal and quantization noise. The design process is illustrated by an example which describes the optimization of a third-order multiplexed IDC.