Electrical Conductance (electrical + conductance)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Electrical Conductance in Biological Molecules

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 12 2010
M. Waleed Shinwari
Abstract Nucleic acids and proteins are not only biologically important polymers. They have recently been recognized as novel functional materials surpassing conventional materials in many aspects. Although Herculean efforts have been undertaken to unravel fine functioning mechanisms of the biopolymers in question, there is still much more to be done. Here the topic of biomolecular charge transport is presented with a particular focus on charge transfer/transport in DNA and protein molecules. The experimentally revealed details, as well as the presently available theories, of charge transfer/transport along these biopolymers are critically reviewed and analyzed. A summary of the active research in this field is also given, along with a number of practical recommendations. [source]


Observation of a 2D Electron Gas and the Tuning of the Electrical Conductance of ZnO Nanowires by Controllable Surface Band-Bending

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 15 2009
Youfan Hu
Abstract Direct experimental evidence for the existence of a 2D electron gas in devices based on ZnO nanowires (NWs) is presented. A two-channel core/shell model is proposed for the interpretation of the temperature-dependent current,voltage (I,V) characteristics of the ZnO NW, where a mixed metallic,semiconducting behavior is observed. The experimental results are quantitatively analyzed using a weak-localization theory, and suggest that the NW is composed of a "bulk" semiconducting core with a metallic surface accumulation layer, which is basically a 2D electron gas in which the electron,phonon inelastic scattering is much weaker than the electron,electron inelastic scattering. A series of I,V measurements on a single NW device are carried out by alternating the atmosphere (vacuum, H2, vacuum, O2), and a reversible change in the conductance from metallic to semiconducting is achieved, indicating the surface accumulation layer is likely hydroxide-induced. Such results strongly support the two-channel model and demonstrate the controllable tuning of the ZnO NW electrical behavior via surface band-bending. [source]


Efficient Reduction of Graphite Oxide by Sodium Borohydride and Its Effect on Electrical Conductance

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009
Hyeon-Jin Shin
Abstract The conductivity of graphite oxide films is modulated using reducing agents. It is found that the sheet resistance of graphite oxide film reduced using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is much lower than that of films reduced using hydrazine (N2H4). This is attributed to the formation of CN groups in the N2H4 case, which may act as donors compensating the hole carriers in reduced graphite oxide. In the case of NaBH4 reduction, the interlayer distance is first slightly expanded by the formation of intermediate boron oxide complexes and then contracted by the gradual removal of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups along with the boron oxide complexes. The fabricated conducting film comprising a NaBH4 -reduced graphite oxide reveals a sheet resistance comparable to that of dispersed graphene. [source]


Part 1: Kinetics and mechanism of the crystallization process

CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
Oleg D. Linnikov
Abstract The kinetics of spontaneous crystallization of sodium chloride from aqueous-ethanol solutions were studied. During the crystallization the electrical conductance and optical transmission of the supersaturated solutions were measured automatically. For monitoring of the total surface of growing potassium chloride crystals at the crystallization the turbidimetric method was used. The growth rate and activation energy were determined. The crystal growth rate was proportional to supersaturation. When the volume fraction of ethanol in solution increased from 14.85 to 29.72%, the activation energy of the growth process did not change and was about 50 kJ· mol -1. Aggregation of the crystals was found. The aggregation kinetics of the crystals may be described approximately by the famous Smoluchowski equation for coagulation of colloidal particles. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


High Mechanical Performance Composite Conductor: Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Sheet/Bismaleimide Nanocomposites

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 20 2009
Qunfeng Cheng
Abstract Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-sheet-reinforced bismaleimide (BMI) resin nanocomposites with high concentrations (,60,wt%) of aligned MWNTs are successfully fabricated. Applying simple mechanical stretching and prepregging (pre-resin impregnation) processes on initially randomly dispersed, commercially available sheets of millimeter-long MWNTs leads to substantial alignment enhancement, good dispersion, and high packing density of nanotubes in the resultant nanocomposites. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposites reaches 2,088,MPa and 169,GPa, respectively, which are very high experimental results and comparable to the state-of-the-art unidirectional IM7 carbon-fiber-reinforced composites for high-performance structural applications. The nanocomposites demonstrate unprecedentedly high electrical conductivity of 5,500,S cm,1 along the alignment direction. Such unique integration of high mechanical properties and electrical conductance opens the door for developing polymeric composite conductors and eventually structural composites with multifunctionalities. New fracture morphology and failure modes due to self-assembly and spreading of MWNT bundles are also observed. [source]


Development and Evaluation of an Ultrasonic Ground Water Seepage Meter

GROUND WATER, Issue 6 2001
Ronald J. Paulsen
Submarine ground water discharge can influence significantly the near-shore transport and flux of chemicals into the oceans. Quantification of the sources and rates of such discharge requires a ground water seepage meter that provides continuous measurements at high resolution over an extended period of time. An ultrasonic flowmeter has been adapted for such measurements in the submarine environment. Connected to a steel collection funnel, the meter houses two piezoelectric transducers mounted at opposite ends of a cylindrical flow tube. By monitoring the perturbations of fluid flow on the propagation of sound waves inside the flow tube, the ultrasonic meter can measure both forward and reverse fluid flows in real time. Laboratory and field calibrations show that the ultrasonic meter can resolve ground water discharges on the order of 0.1 ,m/sec, and it is sufficiently robust for deployment in the field for several days. Data from West Neck Bay, Shelter Island, New York, elucidate the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of submarine ground water discharge and its interplay with tidal loading. A negative correlation between the discharge and tidal elevation was generally observed. A methodology was also developed whereby data for the sound velocity as a function of temperature can be used to infer the salinity and source of the submarine discharge. Independent measurements of electrical conductance were performed to validate this methodology. [source]


Shaping Carbon Nanotubes and the Effects on Their Electrical and Mechanical Properties,

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 11 2006
S. Wang
Abstract A method is developed and shown to be able to shape a carbon nanotube (CNT) into a desired morphology while maintaining its excellent electrical and mechanical properties. Single, freestanding nanotubes are bent by a scanning tunneling microscopy probe, and their morphology is fixed by electron-beam-induced deposition (inside a transmission electron microscope) of amorphous carbon on the bent area. It is shown that the mechanical strength of the bent CNT may be greatly enhanced by increasing the amount of carbon glue or the deposition area, and the electrical conduction of the nanotube shows hardly any dependence on the bending deformation or on the deposition of amorphous carbon. Our findings suggest that CNTs might be manipulated and processed as interconnections between electronic devices without much degradation in their electrical conductance, and be used in areas requiring complex morphology, such as nanometer-scale transport carriers and nanoelectromechanical systems. [source]


Characteristics of preferential flow and groundwater discharge to Shingobee Lake, Minnesota, USA

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 10 2002
Hans F. Kishel
Abstract Small-scale heterogeneities and large changes in hydraulic gradient over short distances can create preferential groundwater flow paths that discharge to lakes. A 170 m2 grid within an area of springs and seeps along the shore of Shingobee Lake, Minnesota, was intensively instrumented to characterize groundwater-lake interaction within underlying organic-rich soil and sandy glacial sediments. Seepage meters in the lake and piezometer nests, installed at depths of 0·5 and 1·0 m below the ground surface and lakebed, were used to estimate groundwater flow. Statistical analysis of hydraulic conductivity estimated from slug tests indicated a range from 21 to 4·8 × 10,3 m day,1 and small spatial correlation. Although hydraulic gradients are overall upward and toward the lake, surface water that flows onto an area about 2 m onshore results in downward flow and localized recharge. Most flow occurred within 3 m of the shore through more permeable pathways. Seepage meter and Darcy law estimates of groundwater discharge agreed well within error limits. In the small area examined, discharge decreases irregularly with distance into the lake, indicating that sediment heterogeneity plays an important role in the distribution of groundwater discharge. Temperature gradients showed some relationship to discharge, but neither temperature profiles nor specific electrical conductance could provide a more convenient method to map groundwater,lake interaction. These results suggest that site-specific data may be needed to evaluate local water budget and to protect the water quality and quantity of discharge-dominated lakes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


A Systematic Review of the Performance of Methods for Identifying Carious Lesions

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2002
James D. Bader DDS
Abstract This systematic review evaluates evidence describing histologically validated performance of methods for identifying carious lesions. A search identified 1,407 articles, of which 39 were included that described 126 assessments of visual, visuaVtactile, radiographic (film and digital), fiber optic transillumination, electrical conductance, and laser fluorescence methods. A subsequent update added four studies contributing 10 assessments. The strength of the evidence was judged to be poor for all applications, signifying that the available information is insufficient to supporf generalizable estimates of the sensitivity and specificity of any given application of a diagnostic method. The literature is problematic with respect to complete reporting of methods, variations in histological validation methods, the small number of in vivo studies, selection of teeth, small numbers of examiners, and other factors threatening both internal and external validity. Future research must address these problems as well as expand the range of assessments to include primary teeth and root surfaces. [source]


Long-lasting changes in small intestinal transport following the recovery from Trichinella spiralis infection

NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 3 2006
K. Venkova
Abstract, Changes in intestinal motility and visceral sensitivity are found after resolution of acute enteric inflammation. The study investigates whether a transient nematode-induced intestinal inflammation may result in long-lasting remodelling of epithelial transport. Ferrets infected with Trichinella spiralis or sham-infected animals were euthanized on day 10, 30 or 60 postinfection (PI) and the jejunum was isolated. The net transport of electrolytes was measured electrophysiologically as transmucosal short-circuit current (Isc) and responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS: 1,32 Hz) or secretagogues were investigated. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, a marker of mucosal inflammation, was maximal during the enteric stage of T. spiralis infection (day 10 PI) and returned to normal on days 30 and 60 PI. Mucosal inflammation caused a reduction in basal Isc, increased electrical conductance (G) and decreased the maximal responses to EFS, carbachol or histamine. On days 30 and 60 PI the inflammation resolved and basal electrogenic transport appeared normal; however, the secretion induced by EFS, carbachol or histamine remained suppressed. Moreover, EFS-induced responses were shifted from predominantly cholinergic in controls to non-cholinergic in the infected animals. The results suggest that a transient small intestinal inflammation causes a long-term remodelling of epithelial function. [source]


Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the transport properties in magnetic semiconductors

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 12 2004
M. Csontos
Abstract The effect of pressure on the ferromagnetic phase transition has been studied in manganese doped III-V semiconductors by electrical conductance and Hall measurements. We found that the application of hydrostatic pressure shifts the transition temperature upwards both in (In,Mn)Sb and (Ga,Mn)As. The anomalous-Hall coefficient shows a dramatic increase in the hysteresis loops in the ferromagnetic phase and an enhanced magnetization both below and above the phase transition. As the normal-Hall results suggest that the pressure does not change the carrier density [in (In,Mn)Sb] or rather decreases it [in (Ga,Mn)As], all the above observations are indicative of a pressure-induced enhancement of magnetic coupling. [source]


Microwave-assisted synthesis, spectroscopy and biological aspects of binuclear titanocene chelates of isatin-2,3-bis(thiosemicarbazones)

APPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2009
Priyanka Banerjee
Abstract The reactions of bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV) chloride with a new class of bis(thiosemicarbazones) (H2L), derived by condensing isatin with different N(4)-substituted thiosemicarbazides, have been studied both by a conventional stirring method and also using microwave technology. Binuclear products of type [{(,5 -C5H5)2TiCl} 2(L)] have been isolated in both cases. Tentative structural conclusions are drawn for the reaction products based upon analysis, electrical conductance, magnetic moment and spectral (UV-visible, IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR) data. FAB mass spectra of these compounds were also recorded to confirm the binuclear structures. Studies were conducted to assess the growth inhibiting potential of the ligands and complexes against various fungal, viral and bacterial strains. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]