• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2019

The structural change of DLC coatings during long-term wear test and dicing test under the low loading condition was investigated. DLC coatings were applied for the precision injection molds of a modified SNCM steel for the extension of life and the micro-diamond blades for the high cutting efficiency and the increase in life. A ball-on-disc wear tests in the mold steel and a dicing tests in the micro-diamond blades were conducted to understand degradation of DLC coatings. The degradation of DLC coatings for the injection mold steel and the micro-diamond blades during the wear and dicing tests were studied with Raman Spectroscopy. Raman peaks were divided two bands(D band and G band) to study the degradation process of DLC structure. By the wear test, polished condition of wear marks were observed to be maintained until 10 hrs of wear test period is given, but small striation marks appeared in 20 hours wear test. It was observed that $I_D/I_G$ ratios changed as the degradation of DLC coatings is proceeded during the wear tests and the dicing tests. It is suggested that the change in $I_D/I_G$ value possibly reflected from the composition of $sp^2$ and $sp^3$ bondings in DLC layers relevant to the change in mechanical and physical property.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.137-145
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• 2021

Among the non-precious metal catalysts, iron-nitrogen doped carbon (Fe-N/C) catalysts have been recognized as the most promising candidates for an alternative to Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) under alkaline and acidic conditions. In this study, the nano replication method using mesoporous silica, which features tunable primary particle sizes and shape, is employed to prepare the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts with different shapes. Platelet SBA-15, irregular KIT-6, and spherical silica particle (SSP) were selected as a template to generate three different kinds of shapes of the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalyst. Physicochemical properties of mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts are characterized by using small-angle X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy images. According to the electrochemical evaluation, there is no morphological preference of mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts toward the ORR activity with half-cell configuration under alkaline electrolyte. By implementing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of Fe and N atoms in the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts, it is possible to verify that the activity towards ORR highly depends on the portions of "Fe-N" species in the catalysts regardless of the shape of catalysts. It was suggested that active site distribution in the Fe-N/C is one important factor towards ORR activity.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.381-387
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• 2021

As Head-Mounted Displays(HMDs), which are mainly used to maximize realism in games and videos, have experienced increased demand and expanded scope of use in education and training, there is growing interest in methods to enhance the performance of conventional HMDs. In this study, a methodology to utilize Carbon NanoTubes(CNTs) to improve the performance of gate drivers that send control signals to each pixel circuit of the HMD is discussed. This paper proposes a new circuit design method that replaces the transistors constituting the buffer part of the conventional gate driver with transistors incorporating CNTs and compare the performance of the suggested gate drive with that of a gate driver comprising only conventional transistors via simulations. According to the simulation results, by including CNTs in the gate driver, the output voltage can be increased by approximately 0.3V compared to the conventional gate driver high voltage(1.1V) at a speed of 12.5 GHz and the gate width also can be reduced by up to 20 times.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

The membrane-based CO2 capture is a fast-growing branch in gas separating field. Ionic liquid assisted mixed matrix membrane (MMM), which consists of organic fillers with dispersed ionic liquid, shows high potentiality as a candidate for CO2 separation medium. In MMM, various kinds of ionic liquid and inorganic filler are incorporated into polymer to enhance gas separating performance. Especially, the strong interaction between ionic liquid and organic filler gives huge influence on enhancing the separating performance by increasing affinity, selectivity and adsorption of CO2 into the framework. Also the mechanical properties of metal organic framework are positively tuned by input of ionic liquid to improve CO2 permeability and selectivity. In this review, study of various combinations of ionic liquid and metal organic framework (MOF) in the polymeric membrane for carbon dioxide separation is discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2022

In recent years, nanomaterials, such as nano-silica, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide (GO), have been suggested to improve the properties of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregates and cement pastes, which has most adversely affected the strength of quasi-brittle concrete. Among the nanomaterials, GO with superior dispersibility has been reported to be effective in improving the properties of ITZ of normal-strength concrete by forming interfacial chemical bonds with Ca²⁺ ions abundant in ITZ. In this study, the effect of GO on the properties of ITZ in the high-strength mortar was elucidated by calculating the change in hydration heat release, ITZ thickness, and the porosity around ISO sand, which was obtained with isothermal calorimetry tests and scanning electron microscope image analysis, respectively.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.173-187
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• 2021

In the present research, a simple electrochemical sensor based on a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with ZnO-Zn₂SnO₄-SnO₂ and graphene (ZnO-Zn₂SnO₄-SnO₂/Gr/CPE) was developed for the direct, simultaneous and individual electrochemical measurement of Acetaminophen (AC), Caffeine (Caf) and Ascorbic acid (AA). The synthesized nano-materials were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were applied for electrochemical investigation ZnO-Zn₂SnO₄-SnO₂/Gr/CPE, and the impact of scan rate and the concentration of H⁺ on the electrode's responses were investigated. The voltammograms showed a linear relationship between the response of the electrode for individual oxidation of AA, AC and, Caf in the range of 0.021-120, 0.018-85.3, and 0.02-97.51 μM with the detection limit of 8.94, 6.66 and 7.09 nM (S/N = 3), respectively. Also, the amperometric technique was applied for the measuring of the target molecules in the range of 0.013-16, 0.008-12 and, 0.01-14 μM for AA, AC and, Caf with the detection limit of 6.28, 3.64 and 3.85 nM, respectively. Besides, the ZnO-Zn₂SnO₄-SnO₂/Gr/CPE shows an excellent selectivity, stability, repeatability, and reproducibility for the determination of AA, AC and, Caf. Finally, the proposed sensor was successfully used to show the amount of AA, AC and, Caf in urine, blood serum samples with recoveries ranging between 95.8% and 104.06%.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.515-527
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• 2022

The application of fibers in concrete obviously enhances the properties of concrete, also the application of natural fibers in concrete is raising due to the availability, low cost and environmentally friendly. Besides, predicting the mechanical properties of concrete in general and shear strength in particular is highly significant in concrete mixture with fiber nanocomposite reinforced concrete (FRC) in construction projects. Despite numerous studies in shear strength, determining this strength still needs more investigations. In this research, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) have been employed to determine the strength of reinforced concrete with fiber. 180 empirical data were gathered from reliable literature to develop the methods. Models were developed, validated and their statistical results were compared through the root mean squared error (RMSE), determination coefficient (R²), mean absolute error (MAE) and Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Comparing the RMSE of PSO (0.8859) and ANFIS (0.6047) have emphasized the significant role of structural parameters on the shear strength of concrete, also effective depth, web width, and a clear depth rate are essential parameters in modeling the shear capacity of FRC. Considering the accuracy of our models in determining the shear strength of FRC, the outcomes have shown that the R² values of PSO (0.7487) was better than ANFIS (2.4048). Thus, in this research, PSO has demonstrated better performance than ANFIS in predicting the shear strength of FRC in case of accuracy and the least error ratio. Thus, PSO could be applied as a proper tool to maximum accuracy predict the shear strength of FRC.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2023

This study is a basic research for the development of high performance flexible electrode material. To enhance its electrochemical property, CuO nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were introduced and dispersed on surface of CNT fiber through electrochemical deposition method. The CNT fiber/CuO NPs electrode was fabricated and applied to electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensor. Surface morphology and elemental composition of the CNT fiber/CuO NPs electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). And its electrochemical characteristics were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronoamperometry. The CNT fiber/CuO NPs electrode exhibited the good sensing performance for glucose detection such as high sensitivity, wide linear range, low detection limit and good selectivity due to synergetic effect of CNT fiber and CuO NPs. Based on the unique property of CNT fiber, CuO NPs were provide large surface area, enhanced electrocatalytic activity, efficient electron transport property. Therefore, it is expected to develop high performance flexible electrode materials using various nanomaterials.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.87-93
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• 2023

Electrodialysis (ED) is essential in separating ions through an ion exchange membrane. The disposal of brine generated from seawater desalination is a primary environmental concern, and its recycling through membrane separation technology is highly efficient. Alkali is produced by several chemical industries such as leather, electroplating, dyeing, and smelting, etc. A high concentration of alkali in the waste needs treatment before releasing into the environment as it is highly corrosive and has a chemical oxygen demand (COD) value. The concentration of calcium and magnesium is almost double in brine and is the perfect candidate for carbon dioxide adsorption, a major environmental pollutant. Sodium hydroxide is essential for the metal carbonation process which, is easily produced by the bipolar membrane electrodialysis process. Various strategies are available for its recovery, like reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), and ED. This review discusses the ED process by ion exchange membrane for alkali recovery are discussed.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2023

In this paper, a powerful photocatalyst based on carbon nanocomposite is developed in order to obtain a new material applicable in water treatment and especially for the discoloration of effluents used in the textile industry. For that, TiO₂-graphene nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized by a mixture of Functionalized Graphene Sheet (FGS) and tetrachlorotitanium complexes to form FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. In the presence of an anionic surfactant, we used a new chemical process to functionalize graphene sheets in order to make them an excellent medium for blocking and preventing the aggregation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The components of these nanocomposites are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which confirms the successful formation of the FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. It was found that the TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene plane which possesses better charge separation capability than pure TiO₂. The FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO₂ for the removal of three dyes: such as Methylene Blue (MB), Bromophenol Blue (BB) and Alizarin Red-S (AR) in water. The removal process was fast and more efficient with FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite in daylight (in the absence of UV irradiation) compared to pure TiO₂ nanoparticles without and under UV in all pH range.