In this study liquid-phase nanolithography
(LPN) techniques using conductive atomic
force microscopy are investigated in order
to study properties of nano-patterned
organic molecules covalently bound to a
silicon substrate. Previous work has shown
that LPN in the inert organic solvent hexadecane
forms patterned features on
hydrogen-passivated Si(111). Due to hexadecane’s...
The purpose of this study was to select an
alloy with a low driving force for nucleation
for a more in-depth study of the nucleation
of γ’-precipitates. To do this, three Ni-Cr-Al
alloys were chosen close to the solvus line
of a Ni-Cr-Al phase diagram, ensuring low
supersaturation and therefore...
In this study attention was focused on a
templated fabrication of Au nanotubular
structures that could carry a highly magnetic
entity such as cobalt. In brief, experimentation
was performed to create Co@Au
core-shell nanorods of different lengths. The
preliminary core-shell structures were first
characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD),
scanning electron...
This project focused on the growth of Cu2O
nanocubes in microwells from nanoparticle
“seeds.” The seeds were first formed by the
reduction of copper sulfate with ascorbic
acid in the presence of the surfactant
poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Upon reaction
within the microwell, the seed solution
formed a larger single crystal....
The performance of mixed-phase TiO2 was observed in an effort to test its practical use as
a semiconductor photocatalyst. Synthesis of mixed-phase TiO2, characterization using xray
diffraction analysis, monitoring testing using the gas chromatography-FID, and
testing gas phase reactor were four techniques used in this research to evaluate mixedphase
TiO2....
Chemical vapor deposition was used to
synthesize CdS nanowires via the vaporliquid-solid
growth mechanism. After Ti/Au
contacts were patterned to the nanowires
using electron beam lithography, photoresponse
studies were conducted. A significant
response was observed when the
wires were exposed to visible light; this
occurred as electrons in the nanowires...
This paper explores the various approaches
to time-resolved single nanoparticle spectroscopy.
Due to the novelty of these types
of experiments, several difficulties arise in
creating a feasible physical setup capable
of imaging single nanoparticles less than
100 nm in size. The various difficulties in
setup and their attempted resolutions will...
The optical properties of spherical gold
nanoparticles are calculated using classical
electrodynamics. The wavelength corresponding
to maximum extinction shifts to
longer wavelengths as the size of the
nanoparticle is increased. The influence of
higher-order multipoles is evident for large
nanoparticles, making the spectra more
complex. When the shell thickness of...
Every year millions of Americans go to the
emergency room with symptoms of a heart
attack. More than half a million Americans
die each year of myocardial infarctions (MI)
caused by coronary heart disease (CHD).
CHD detection is currently limited to EKG
analyses of electrical signals generated by
the heart...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive
mental disorder that affects 23 million people
worldwide. It is pathologically characterized
by amyloid plaques and tau tangles that
form in the brain. The hard, insoluble amyloid
plaques develop from the naturally
secreted amyloid beta peptide, which can
also assemble into toxic oligomeric forms...
Electron transfer theory predicts reorganization energy to be one factor that determines the electrochemical potential of a metal ion. This paper describes part of a study that aims to increase understanding of solvent reorganization energy in noncovalent systems by systematically varying the environment around a metal ion, specifically ruthenium. The...
This study investigated the precipitation
strengthening of the binary Al-0.14wt% Sc,
0.16% Ti alloy system. Ingots of Al-2.1wt% Sc
and Al-4.68wt% Ti were melted together, and
the nucleation, growth, and coarsening of
precipitates were analyzed. The microstructural
evolution of the nanoscale L12 precipitates
phase was examined with Vickers
microhardness testing,...
The effects of Ru, W, and Re on the temporal
evolution of the gamma prime precipitates in
a Ni-Cr-Al alloy were investigated by threedimensional
atom probe (3DAP) microscopy.
The spatial distribution of the gamma prime
precipitates in a model Ni-8.5Cr-10Al alloy
was investigated using atomic force
microscopy (AFM). We reported...
Fullerene and inorganic fullerene-like nanotubes
are molecules with the unique geometry
of a single layer or multiple layers of a bulk
material oriented in a tube. These molecules
have novel mechanical properties and great
potential in experimental systems for nanotechnology
and nanodevices. The threedimensional
atom-probe (3DAP) microscope
is an atomic...
While nanoscale device prototypes using
carbon nanotubes abound, no mass
production-scale technique exists for examining
properties of a batch of nanotubes.
Dielectrophoresis, on the other hand, has
received much attention in the press as a
method of separating and trapping particles.
In this research, a method of developing
mass production-scale...
Chemists and physicists have been interested
in the optical properties of metal nanoparticles
since the time of Michael Faraday.1
New approximation techniques for different
sizes and geometries have created renewed
interest in and investigation of these particles.
Many different arrays of particle extinctions
of various shapes and sizes have been...
In modern medicine, physicians destroy
otherwise healthy tissues in patients’ bodies
because of the lack of site-target specificity
and sensitivity in detecting and attacking
cancerous cells. Many cancer patients are
left with the difficult task of weighing the
benefits against the harm of undergoing
current cancer treatments. Members of the...
The effects of 13 nm Au colloid and 10 nm Ag
colloid on the growth of the yeast species
Saccharomyces cerevisiae were compared
to control samples cultured in a growth
media of yeast extract, bacto peptone, and
dextrose (YPD) to determine the toxicity of
nanoparticles. Growth curves were generated
for...
Transmission and reflection diffraction
gratings were fabricated by micropatterning
polymers on transparent substrates and
drop-coating polymers onto etched silicon
wafers. Exposure of these gratings to three
nerve toxin mimics at very low concentrations
resulted in mimic sorption by the polymers,
changing the polymer’s refractive
index. As a result, the grating’s...
Feedback-controlled lithography (FCL)
enables atomically precise patterning of
individual molecules on the technologically
significant Si(100)-2 x 1:H surface. However,
because it is performed in an ultrahigh vacuum
(UHV) environment, FCL has thus far
been restricted to surface chemistries that
can be delivered in the gas phase. The present
research attempts...