Ford Motor Company Limited

Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines

Mark Thomas Lusk

Allen Roche

Samir Samir

Chijoke Mgbokwere

J Douglas Way

Alan Sellinger

Paul Thoen

Tianlei Zhou

G Louis Hornyak

Huashan Li

Michael Thomas Burke

The present invention relates to semiconductor materials that include a silicon-based quantum dot; and a conjugated organic ligand connected to the silicon-based quantum dot to obtain a functionalized quantum dot. An additional aspect of the present invention is to provide methods that include providing a silicon-based quantum dot; and connecting a conjugated organic ligand connected to the silicon-based quantum dot to obtain a functionalized quantum dot.

Tailoring the optical gap and absorption strength of silicon quantum dots by surface modification with conjugated organic moieties

The invention provides thin, hydrogen-permeable, sulfur-resistant membranes formed from palladium or palladium-alloy coatings on porous, ceramic or metal supports. Also disclosed are methods of making these membranes via sequential electroless plating techniques, wherein the method of making the membrane includes decomposing any organic ligands present on the substrate, reducing the palladium crystallites on the substrate to reduced palladium crystallites, depositing a film of palladium metal on the substrate and then depositing a second, gold film on the palladium film. These two metal films are then annealed at a temperature between about 200&#xb0; C. and about 1200&#xb0; C. to form a sulfur-resistant, composite PdAu alloy membrane.

Method of making sulfur-resistant composite metal membranes

The invention provides CVD-based methods for growing single-walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes. In the methods of the invention, the nanotube growth environment is separated from the carbon-containing gas feed environment using a membrane which is substantially impermeable to gas flow but permits diffusion of carbon through the membrane. A catalyst for carbon nanotube growth is located on the growth side of the membrane while a catalyst for decomposition of carbon-containing gas is located on the feed side of the membrane. A path for diffusion of carbon through the membrane is provided between the growth and decomposition catalysts. Control of the size and shape of the carbon nanotube growth catalyst enables control over the nanotube structure formed.

Membrane separation of feed and growth environments in carbon nanostructure growth

Method and apparatus for controlling stresses in a spray form process makes use of one dimensional modeling in which characteristics of a geometrical point are quantified by iterative detection, such as taking a surface temperature reading using a pyrometer. This temperature information is used in a one dimensional simulation to predict characteristics for a column from the point down through a spray-formed article to an interface with a substrate. The modeling technique can used with a plurality of geometrical points to model the whole article, and the one dimensional simulation can be integrated with robotic spray-forming controls to minimize residual stress in the spray-formed article.

Method and arrangement for controlling stresses based on one-dimensional modeling in sprayform techniques

Method and apparatus for controlling a spray-forming process incorporating time, temperature, and transformation dependent stress relief techniques involves the manipulation of both temperature and time for strategic phase changes that result in a specific and planned volumetric increase. This manipulation is made based on controlling ongoing spray parameters to spray-form an article having a mixed-phase and interspersed makeup of metallic phases that minimizes residual stress in the article.

Method and arrangement for affecting time, temperature and transformation dependent stress relief in sprayform techniques

A method for implementing post-heat treatment during spray forming to achieve stress control in the manufacture of a spray formed metallic tool involves applying a metallic spray-forming material onto a mold substrate and causing substantially homogenous metallic phase transformations from the austenite phase, for example, via manipulation of either or both of the substrate temperature and the spray forming cell environment temperature.

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Highlands Ranch, CO, United States of America

Mark Thomas Lusk