• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.342-348
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• 2023

There has been increasing demand for real-time monitoring of body and ambient temperatures using wearable devices. Graphene-based thermistors have been developed for high-performance flexible temperature sensors. In this study, the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of monolayer graphene was controlled by coating polyethylenimine (PEI) on graphene surfaces to enhance its temperature-sensing performances. Monolayer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was wet-transferred onto a target substrate. To facilitate the interfacial doping by PEI, the hydrophobic graphene surface was altered to be hydrophilic by oxygen plasma treatments while minimizing defect generation. The effect of PEI doping on graphene was confirmed using a back-gated field-effect transistor (FET). The CVD-grown monolayer graphene coated with PEI exhibited an improved TCR of -0.49(±0.03) %/K in a temperature range of 30~50℃.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.263-271
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• 2023

In this study, AA1060/Alumina composites were fabricated by combined stir casting and accumulative press bonding (APB). The APB process was repeated up to six press bonding steps at 300Ċ. As the novelty, potential dynamic polarization in 3.5Wt% NaCl solution was used to study the corrosion properties of these composites. The corrosion behavior of these samples was compared and studied with that of the annealed aluminum alloy 1060 and versus the number of APB steps. So, as a result of enhancing influence on the number of APB process, this experimental investigation showed a significant enhancement in the main electrochemical parameters and the inert character of the Alumina particles. Together with Reducing the active zones of the material surfaces could delay the corrosion process. Also, at higher number of steps, the corrosion resistance of composites improved. The sample produced after six number of steps had a low corrosion density in comparison with high corrosion density of annealed specimens. Also, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), was used to study the corrosion surface of samples.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2024

In this study, rare-earth orthoferrites LnFeO₃ were synthesized using a facile hydrothermal reaction and their visible-light-induced photo-Fenton degradation of organics was optimized through Ln variation (Ln = La, Pr, or Gd). The morphological, structural, and chemical characteristics of as-prepared samples were examined in detail by using different methods, including XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, etc. On the other side, under visible light illumination, the photo-Fenton-like catalytic activities of LnFeO₃ were assessed in terms of the removal of selected organic models, i.e., pharmaceuticals (ketoprofen and tetracycline) and dyes (rhodamine B and methyl orange). As compared with PrFeO₃ or GdFeO₃, the sample of LaFeO₃ displayed more structural distortion, larger specific surface area, and narrower band gap, resulting in its higher photo-Fenton-like catalytic activity toward the degradation of organics. In organic-containing solution, in which the initial solution pH = 5, catalyst dosage = 1 g/L and H₂O₂ concentration = 10 mM, 98.2% of rhodamine B, 31.1% of methyl orange, 67.7% of ketoprofen, or 96.4% of tetracycline was removed after 90-min exposure to simulated visible light. Our findings revealed that variation of Ln site on rare-earth orthoferrites was an effective strategy for optimizing their organic removal via visible-light-induced photo-Fenton reaction.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.473-487
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• 2024

The current study employs the nonlocal Timoshenko beam (NTB) theory and von-Kármán's geometric nonlinearity to develop a non-classic beam model for evaluating the nonlinear free vibration of bi-directional functionally-graded (BFG) nanobeams. In order to avoid the stretching-bending coupling in the equations of motion, the problem is formulated based on the physical middle surface. The governing equations of motion and the relevant boundary conditions have been determined using Hamilton's principle, followed by discretization using the differential quadrature method (DQM). To determine the frequencies of nonlinear vibrations in the BFG nanobeams, a direct iterative algorithm is used for solving the discretized underlying equations. The model verification is conducted by making a comparison between the obtained results and benchmark results reported in prior studies. In the present work, the effects of amplitude ratio, nanobeam length, material distribution, nonlocality, and boundary conditions are examined on the nonlinear frequency of BFG nanobeams through a parametric study. As a main result, it is observed that the nonlinear vibration frequencies are greater than the linear vibration frequencies for the same amplitude of the nonlinear oscillator. The study finds that the difference between the dimensionless linear frequency and the nonlinear frequency is smaller for CC nanobeams compared to SS nanobeams, particularly within the α range of 0 to 1.5, where the impact of geometric nonlinearity on CC nanobeams can be disregarded. Furthermore, the nonlinear frequency ratio exhibits an increasing trend as the parameter µ is incremented, with a diminishing dependency on nanobeam length (L). Additionally, it is established that as the nanobeam length increases, a critical point is reached at which a sharp rise in the nonlinear frequency ratio occurs, particularly within the nanobeam length range of 10 nm to 30 nm. These findings collectively contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear vibration behavior of BFG nanobeams in relation to various parameters.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.6
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• pp.557-570
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• 2024

Due to interfacial ageing, chemical action and interfacial damage, the interface debonding may appear in the interfaces of composite laminates. Particularly, the laminates display a side-dependent effect at small scale. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) and anisotropic thick nanoplate model is proposed to investigate the effects of imperfect interface and nonlocal parameter on the bending deformation, vibrational response and buckling stability of one-dimensional (1D) hexagonal quasicrystal (QC) layered nanoplates. By combining the linear spring model with the transferring matrix method, exact solutions of phonon and phason displacements, phonon and phason stresses of bending deformation, the natural frequencies of vibration and the critical buckling loads of 1D hexagonal QC layered nanoplates are derived with imperfect interfaces and nonlocal effects. Numerical examples are illustrated to demonstrate the effects of the imperfect interface parameter, aspect ratio, thickness, nonlocal parameter, and stacking sequence on the bending deformation, the vibrational response and the critical buckling load of 1D hexagonal QC layered nanoplate. The results indicate that both the interface debonding and nonlocal effect can reduce the stiffness and stability of layered nanoplates. Increasing thickness of QC coatings can enhance the stability of sandwich nanoplates with the perfect interfaces, while it can reduce first and then enhance the stability of sandwich nanoplates with the imperfect interfaces. The biaxial compression easily results in an instability of the QC layered nanoplates compared to uniaxial compression. QC material is suitable for surface layers in layered structures. The mechanical behavior of QC layered nanoplates can be optimized by imposing imperfect interfaces and controlling the stacking sequence artificially. The present solutions are helpful for the various numerical methods, thin nanoplate theories and the optimal design of QC nano-composites in engineering practice with interfacial debonding.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.221-232
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• 2024

Waste tire management and recycling have grown to be significant issues because they bring up a global environmental concern. Thus, turning recycled waste tires into useful products may help tackle the environmental issue. This research aims to study and compare the effect of recycled carbon black (rCB) and commercial carbon black (CB) at certain 15 vol. % of filler loading on the mechanical, thermal, morphology and electrical properties of epoxy/CB composites. For this project, epoxy resin, diethyltoluenediamine (DETDA), recovered carbon black (rCB) and commercial carbon black (CB) graded N330, N550, N660 and N774 were mixed and compared accordingly to the formulation determined. The CB content was dispersed in the epoxy matrix using the mechanical mixing technique. The distribution and dispersion of CB in the epoxy matrix affect the characteristics of the conductive composites. rCB content at 15 vol% was selected at fixed content for comparison purposes due to the optimum value in electrical conductivity results. The flexural strength results followed the sequence of rCB>N774>N660>N550>N330. As for electrical conductivity results, epoxy/N330 exhibited the highest conductivity value, while the others achieved a magnitude of X10^-3 due to the highest external surface area of N330. In terms of thermal stability, epoxy/N330 and epoxy/N774 were slightly more stable than epoxy/rCB.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.182-191
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• 2024

This review addresses the pressing need for effective wastewater treatment methodologies by exploring advanced thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) nanofiltration membranes aimed at efficient dye removal from industrial effluents. Utilizing insights from recent research, the review focuses on the fabrication of TFN membranes incorporating innovative materials such as nanocarbons, silica nanospheres, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and MoS₂. The primary goals are to enhance dye removal efficiency, improve antifouling properties, and maintain high selectivity for dye/salt separation. By leveraging the distinct advantages of these nanomaterials-including large surface areas, mechanical robustness, and specific pollutant interaction capabilities-this review aims to overcome the limitations of current nanofiltration technologies and provide sustainable solutions for water treatment challenges.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.24-35
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• 2016

To assess the relationship between environmental factors and seasonal phytoplankton community structure, we investigated abiotic and biotic factors in Ulsan Bay, Korea. We divided the bay into two areas based on geographical characteristics and compared the difference in each factor between inner and outer bay with t-test statistics. As a result, temperature in the outer bay was higher than that of the inner bay during winter (t = -5.833, p < 0.01) and autumn (p > 0.05). However, opposite trend was observed during spring (t = 4.247, p < 0.01) and summer (t = 2.876, p < 0.05). Salinity was significantly lower in the inner bay than in the outer bay in winter, spring, and summer (p < 0.01). However, the salinity was not significantly different between the inner and the outer bay in the autumn (p > 0.05). In particular, high nutrient concentration was observed in most stations during winter season due to vertical well mixing. The nutrient concentration was significantly higher in surface layers of inner bay after rainfall, particularly in the summer. The relative contribution (approximately 70%) of < $20{\mu}m$ (nano and pico) size phytoplankton was increased in all seasons with continuously low nutrients from the offshore water due to their adaption to low nutrient without other large competitors. Interestingly, high population of Eutreptiella gymnastica was kept in the inner bay during the spring and summer associated with high DIN (nitrate+nitrite, ammonium) after river discharge following rainfall, suggesting that DIN supply might have triggered the increase of Eutreptiella gymnastica population. In addition, high density of freshwater species Oscillatoria sp. and Microcystis sp. were found in several stations of the inner bay that were provided with large amounts of freshwater from the Tae-wha River. Diatom and cryptophyta species were found to be dominant species in the autumn and winter. Of these, centric diatom Chaetoceros genus was occupied in the outer bay in the autumn. Cryptophyta species known as opportunistic micro-algae were found to have high biomass without competitors in the inner bay. Our results demonstrated that Ulsan Bay was strongly affected by freshwater from Tae-wha River during the rainy season and by the surface warm water current from the offshore of the bay during dry season. These two external factors might play important roles in regulating the seasonal phytoplankton community structures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.222-222
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• 2012

Metal oxide gas sensors based on semiconductor type have attracted a great deal of attention due to their low cost, flexible production and simple usability. However, most works have been focused on n-type oxides, while the characteristics of p-type oxide gas sensors have been barely studied. An investigation on p-type oxides is very important in that the use of them makes possible the novel sensors such as p-n diode and tandem devices. Monoclinic cupric oxide (CuO) is p-type semiconductor with narrow band gap (~1.2 eV). This is composed of abundant, nontoxic elements on earth, and thus low-cost, environment-friendly devices can be realized. However, gas sensing properties of neat CuO were rarely explored and the mechanism still remains unclear. In this work, the neat CuO layers with highly ordered mesoporous structures were prepared by a template-free, one-pot solution-based method using novel ink solutions, formulated with copper formate tetrahydrate, hexylamine and ethyl cellulose. The shear viscosity of the formulated solutions was 5.79 Pa s at a shear rate of 1 s-1. The solutions were coated on SiO2/Si substrates by spin-coating (ink) and calcined for 1 h at the temperature of $200{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ in air. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the formed CuO layers were observed by a focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and porosity was determined by image analysis using simple computer-programming. XRD analysis showed phase evolutions of the layers, depending on the calcination temperature, and thermal decompositions of the neat precursor and the formulated ink were investigated by TGA and DSC. As a result, the formation of the porous structures was attributed to the vaporization of ethyl cellulose contained in the solutions. Mesoporous CuO, formed with the ink solution, consisted of grains and pores with nano-meter size. All of them were strongly dependent on calcination temperature. Sensing properties toward H2 and C2H5OH gases were examined as a function of operating temperature. High and fast responses toward H2 and C2H5OH gases were discussed in terms of crystallinity, nonstoichiometry and morphological factors such as porosity, grain size and surface-to-volume ratio. To our knowledge, the responses toward H2 and C2H5OH gases of these CuO gas sensors are comparable to previously reported values.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.94-102
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• 2014

Cation exchange membrane (Nafion) was modified to reduce the vanadium ion permeation through the membrane and to increase the vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) system performance by coating the graphene oxide (GO) which has nano-plate like morphology. Modified membrane properties were studied by measuring the ion exchange capacity (I.E.C), water uptake and proton conductivity. The thickness of the coated layer on the surface of the Nafion membrane was observed as $0.93{\mu}m$ by SEM. Proton conductivity and vanadium ion permeability of the modified membrane were decreased to 27% and 25% compared to that of the commercial Nafion membrane respectively. VRB single cell performance test was performed to compare the system performance of the VRB applied with commercial Nafion membrane and modified membrane. VRB system applied with modified membrane showed higher coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency than the VRB system applied with the commercial Nafion membrane due to the reduction of the vanadium ion permeation. From these result, we could suggest that the membrane modification by coating the GO on the surface of the Nafion membrane could be one of the promising strategies to reduce the vanadium ion permeation and to increase the VRB system performance effectively.