Ut-battelle, Inc.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation

University of California

Tolga Aytug

Mariappan Parans Paranthaman

John T Simpson

David K Christen

Paul N Arendt

Stephen R Foltyn

Michael Z Hu

Diana Hun

Liliana Stan

Kai Li

Kaushik Biswas

Matthew R Sturgeon

M Parans Paranthaman

Ozgur Polat

Srivatsan Sathyamurthy

Meghan E Lamm

Amit Goyal

Ilia N Ivanov

Robert J Warmack

Beth Louise Armstrong

Soydan Ozcan

Roeland Feenstra

Daniel Hillesheim

Xiangtao Meng

Daniela Florentina Bogorin

Neil E Trammell

Özgur Polat

Christine Fisher

Mina Yoon

A low-cost and low-power polyaniline-based (PANI) gas sensor is provided. The PANI-based gas sensor is formed on a flexible polyimide (PI) substrate using additive manufacturing techniques. The gas sensor can include silver interdigitated electrode (IDE) arrays and conducting polymeric sensing films (i.e., PANI) that are printed onto the PI substrate using a direct-write technology of aerosol-jet printing. Aerosol-jet printing enables high-resolution, non-contact deposition of both the electrode and chemically sensitive materials. The gas sensor is optionally capable of 5 ppm sensitivity and a sub-ppm detection limit.

Gas sensor and method of manufacture

An article having a nanostructured surface and a method of making the same are described. The article can include a substrate and a nanostructured layer bonded to the substrate. The nanostructured layer can include a plurality of spaced apart nanostructured features comprising a contiguous, protrusive material and the nanostructured features can be sufficiently small that the nanostructured layer is optically transparent. A continuous layer can be adhered to a plurality of surfaces of the nanostructured features to render the plurality of surfaces of the nanostructured features both hydrophobic and oleophobic with respect to fingerprint oil comprising eccrine secretions and sebaceous secretions, thereby providing an anti-fingerprinting characteristic to the article.

Anti-fingerprint coatings

A fluid storage media includes a plurality of microspheres. Each microsphere includes a porous core with a porous core material and having an exterior surface. A stored fluid is within the porous core. A coating layer covers all of the exterior surface of the porous core. The coating layer includes a coating material which transitions from a first state to a second state, wherein in the first state the coating material is permeable to the stored fluid, and in the second state the material is impermeable to the stored fluid. The coating material in the second state is configured to encapsulate and maintain the stored fluid inside the porous core. A method of making a fluid storage media, a method of delivering a fluid and a method of delivering a biologically active fluid medication to a patient are also disclosed.

Fluid storage media and method of delivering a fluid

An insulation medium invention includes a plurality of microspheres. Each microsphere comprises a porous core comprising a porous core material and having an exterior surface, a gas within the porous core, and a coating layer coating all of the exterior surface of the porous core. The coating layer comprises a coating material which transitions from a first state to a second state. In the first state, the coating material is permeable to the gas. In the second state the material is impermeable to the gas. The coating material in the second state is configured to encapsulate and maintain partial vacuum of the gas inside the porous core. In one embodiment, in the second state the coating is impermeable to air. Insulated structures, a method of making an insulation medium, a fluid storage media, and a method of delivering a fluid are also disclosed.

Coated hollow and evacuated insulation spheres (CEIS)

A method for producing a carbon nanotube-metal composite in which carbon nanotubes are layered on a metal substrate, the method comprising: (i) depositing a liquid, in which carbon nanotubes are suspended, onto said metal substrate; (ii) during or after step (i), subjecting said liquid to a shearing force sufficient to spatially confine the liquid to induce at least partial alignment of said carbon nanotubes on said metal substrate; and (iii) removing said liquid to produce said carbon nanotube-metal composite; wherein, after step (iii), the lengthwise dimensions of said carbon nanotubes are adhered to and oriented parallel with said metal surface, and said carbon nanotubes are at least partially aligned with each other. In some embodiments, the liquid is deposited in the form of droplets, and the droplets are subjected to a shearing force to cause them to elongate, which induces at least partial alignment of the carbon nanotubes.

Metal-carbon composites and methods for their production

An article having a nanostructured surface and a method of making the same are described. The article can include a substrate and a nanostructured layer bonded to the substrate. The nanostructured layer can include a plurality of spaced apart nanostructured features comprising a contiguous, protrusive material and the nanostructured features can be sufficiently small that the nanostructured layer is optically transparent. A surface of the nanostructured features can be coated with a continuous hydrophobic coating. The method can include providing a substrate; depositing a film on the substrate; decomposing the film to form a decomposed film; and etching the decomposed film to form the nanostructured layer.

Superhydrophobic transparent glass (STG) thin film articles

Transparent omniphobic thin film articles

Superhydrophobic membrane structures having a beneficial combination of throughput and a selectivity. The membrane structure can include a porous support substrate; and a membrane layer adherently disposed on and in contact with the porous support substrate. The membrane layer can include a nanoporous material having a superhydrophobic surface. The superhydrophobic surface can include a textured surface, and a modifying material disposed on the textured surface. Methods of making and using the membrane structures.

Super-surface selective nanomembranes providing simultaneous high permeation flux and high selectivity

This disclosure relates to methods that include depositing a first component and a second component to form a film including a plurality of nanostructures, and coating the nanostructures with a hydrophobic layer to render the film superhydrophobic. The first component and the second component can be immiscible and phase-separated during the depositing step. The first component and the second component can be independently selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a metal, and combinations thereof. The films can have a thickness greater than or equal to 5 nm; an average surface roughness (Ra) of from 90 to 120 nm, as measured on a 5 &#x3bc;m&#xd7;5 &#x3bc;m area; a surface area of at least 20 m/g; a contact angle with a drop of water of at least 120 degrees; and can maintain the contact angle when exposed to harsh conditions.

Superhydrophobic films and methods for making superhydrophobic films

An optically transparent, hydrophobic coating, exhibiting an average contact angle of at least 100 degrees with a drop of water. The coating can be produced using low-cost, environmentally friendly components. Methods of preparing and using the optically transparent, hydrophobic coating.

Optically transparent, superhydrophobic, biocompatible thin film coatings and methods for producing same

A hetero-junction device and fabrication method in which phase-separated n-type and p-type semiconductor pillars define vertically-oriented p-n junctions extending above a substrate. Semiconductor materials are selected for the p-type and n-type pillars that are thermodynamically stable and substantially insoluble in one another. An epitaxial deposition process is employed to form the pillars on a nucleation layer and the mutual insolubility drives phase separation of the materials. During the epitaxial deposition process, the orientation is such that the nucleation layer initiates propagation of vertical columns resulting in a substantially ordered, three-dimensional structure throughout the deposited material. An oxidation state of at least a portion of one of the p-type or the n-type semiconductor materials is altered relative to the other, such that the band-gap energy of the semiconductor materials differ with respect to stoichiometric compositions and the device preferentially absorbs particular selected bands of radiation.

Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device

The present invention relates to a method for producing a phase-separated layer useful as a flux pinning substrate for a superconducting film, wherein the method includes subjecting at least a first and a second target material to a sputtering deposition technique in order that a phase-separated layer is deposited epitaxially on a primary substrate containing an ordered surface layer. The invention is also directed to a method for producing a superconducting tape containing pinning defects therein by depositing a superconducting film on a phase-separated layer produced by the method described above.

Method for producing microstructured templates and their use in providing pinning enhancements in superconducting films deposited thereon

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Tolga Aytug