The effectiveness of the grafting process as a method for the mechanical reinforcement of cotton without any modification of its handle is discussed. In addition, SEM observations were carried out to check the morphological modification occurring on cotton after the grafting reaction. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 372-377, 2010″
“The surface-enhanced fluorescence of lanthanide ions (neodymium ions Nd3+, holmium ions Ho3+, and erbium ions Er3+) owing to resonant plasmons oscillation on the surface of Ag/Si nanostructure was described. In the presence of Ag/Si nanomaterials, the fluorescence

peaks were significantly SBC-115076 enhanced, which resulted in a typical 185-fold enhancement at 592 nm for Nd3+, 82-fold at 550 nm for Ho3+, and 80-fold at 533 nm for Er3+ at the concentration of 0.05 M. This Ag/Si nanostructure had larger enhancement factor than that caused by unsupported Ag nanoparticles, which might be attributed to the local field overlap originated from the closed and fixed Ag nanoparticles on silicon nanowires. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3457218]“
“A novel photodegradable Napabucasin manufacturer polyethylene-oxidized polyethylene wax-TiO2 (PE-OPW-TiO2) nanocomposite film was prepared by embedding the organically modified

TiO2 nanoparticles into commercial PE in the presence of OPW. The photocatalytic degradation behavior under ultraviolet light or solar light was investigated by examining the weight loss of the composite films, UV-vis transmittance spectrum, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and gel permeation chromatogram

(GPC). The results show that OPW, as a dispersant and a compatibiliser, markedly improves the dispersion and compatibility of TiO2 nanoparticles in PE resins. The PE-OPW-TiO2 composite film demonstrates much higher photodegradation efficiency and much better mechanical property than either the PE-TiO2 composite film or the AZD1152 mw pure PE film. The weight-average molecular weight (M,) of the PE-OPW-TiO2 composite film decreased 94.3% and the number-average molecular weight (M-n) decreased 84.5% after 38 days solar light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of the film is briefly discussed. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 378-384, 2010″
“Different imaging modes of low temperature laser scanning microscopy (LTLSM) have been applied to probe local optical and superconducting properties, as well as the spatial variations in thermoelectric and electronic (both dc and rf) transport, in a YBa2Cu3O6.95/LaAlO3 (YBCO/LAO) superconducting microstrip resonator with micron-range resolution. Additionally, the local sources of microwave nonlinearity (NL) were mapped in two-dimensions simultaneously by using the LTLSM in two-tone rf intermodulation distortion contrast mode as a function of (x, y) position of the laser beam perturbation on the sample. The influence of the direction of individual twin-domain YBCO blocks on its NL properties was analyzed in detail.