Highly Conductive Paths in Diamond and their Application in High Pressure Measurements.

Diamonds possess exceptional properties such as high mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, and electrical resistance, making them suitable for various applications, including high-power electronics and optoelectronics. However, fabricating conductive structures in diamond remains a significant technological challenge. In this publication, we present a controlled process for fabricating precise amorphous conductive paths in a monocrystalline diamond using a focused ion beam (FIB) technique.

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy-Ultralow-Current Measurement Systems for Nanoscale Imaging of a Surface's Electrical Properties.

One of the most advanced and versatile nanoscale diagnostic tools is atomic force microscopy. By enabling advanced imaging techniques, it allows us to determine various assets of a surface, including morphological, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, and thermal properties. Measuring local current flow is one of the very important methods of evaluation for, for instance, photovoltaic materials or semiconductor structures and other nanodevices.

Synergistic Effect of Precursor and Interface Engineering Enables High Efficiencies in FAPbI Perovskite Solar Cells.

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI)-based perovskite solar cells have gained immense popularity over the last few years within the perovskite research community due to their incredible opto-electronic properties and the record power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) achieved by the solar cells. However, FAPbI is vulnerable to phase transitions even at room temperature, which cause structural instability and eventual device failure during operation. We performed post-treatment of the FAPbI surface with octyl ammonium iodide (OAI) in order to stabilize the active phase and preserve the crystal structure of FAPbI.

The application of the hierarchical approach for the construction of foldameric peptide self-assembled nanostructures.

In this paper, we show that a hierarchical approach for the construction of nanofibrils based on α,β-peptide foldamers is a rational method for the design of novel self-assembled nanomaterials based on peptides. Incorporation of a -(1,2)-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid residue into the outer positions of the model coiled-coil peptide led to the formation of helical foldamers, which was determined by circular dichroism (CD) and vibrational spectroscopy. The oligomerization state of the obtained peptides in water was established by analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC).

Electrospun Silica-Polyacrylonitrile Nanohybrids for Water Treatments.

In this work, the removal of NOM (natural organic matter) as represented by humic acid by means of electrospun nanofiber adsorptive membranes (ENAMs) is described. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was used for the preparation of ENAMs incorporating silica nanoparticles as adsorbents. The addition of silica to the polymer left visible changes on the structural morphology and fibers' properties of the membrane.

Nanoelectropulse delivery for cell membrane perturbation and oxidation in human colon adenocarcinoma cells with drug resistance.

Ultrashort electric pulses in the nanosecond range (nsPEF) can affect extra- and intracellular lipid structures and can also alternate cell functioning reversibly and irreversibly. Several of the nsPEF effects are due to the abrupt rise in intracellular free calcium levels and calcium ions influx from the outside. Calcium is one of the most important factors in cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell death (apoptosis or necrosis).

Lightweight On-Device Detection of Android Malware Based on the Koodous Platform and Machine Learning.

Currently, Android is the most popular operating system among mobile devices. However, as the number of devices with the Android operating system increases, so does the danger of using them. This is especially important as smartphones increasingly authenticate critical activities(e-banking, e-identity).

Minimization of Energy Losses in the BLDC Motor for Improved Control and Power Supply of the System under Static Load.

In this article we present the optimal method of controlling and supplying a BLDC motor under static load, proposed and implemented as a result of the research. A research infrastructure was developed to measure and analyze variants of the motor control. In the research we determine possible losses of electric energy released in the form of heat in the tested engine elements.

Corrigendum to "Spectroscopic and structural properties of CeO2 nanocrystals doped with La3+, Nd3+ and modified on their surface with Ag nanoparticles" [Heliyon 7 (5) (May 2021) e06958].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Spectroscopic and structural properties of CeO nanocrystals doped with La, Nd and modified on their surface with Ag nanoparticles.

The purpose of this work is to present our efforts focused on applications of chemical synthesis of nanocrystalline cerium dioxide (CeO) powders doped with La ions and CeO:Nd modified, on their surface, with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). The synthesized powders were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), absorption, emission spectroscopy, scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The relations between crystallographic properties and stability of CeO compounds doped by La ions and surface-modified by Ag were studied.

Surface modification of PMMA polymer and its composites with PCBM fullerene derivative using an atmospheric pressure microwave argon plasma sheet.

This paper presents the results of experimental investigations of the plasma surface modification of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer and PMMA composites with a [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester fullerene derivative (PCBM). An atmospheric pressure microwave (2.45 GHz) argon plasma sheet was used.

Impact of Current Pulsation on BLDC Motor Parameters.

BrushLess Direct-Current (BLDC) motors are characterized by high efficiency and reliability due to the fact that the BLDC motor does not require power to the rotor. The rotor of the BLDC motor consists of permanent magnets. When examining the waveform of the current supplied to the motor windings, significant current ripple was observed within one power cycle, where the optimum value would be the constant value of this current during one power cycle.

Comparison of the Physicochemical Properties of Carboxylic and Phosphonic Acid Self-Assembled Monolayers Created on a Ti-6Al-4V Substrate.

This study compared the tribological properties in nano- and millinewton load ranges of Ti‑6Al-4V surfaces that were modified using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of carboxylic and phosphonic acids. The effectiveness of the creation of SAMs with the use of the liquid phase deposition (LPD) technique was monitored by the contact angle measurement, the surface free energy (SFE) calculation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. The obtained results indicated that more stable and well-ordered layers, which were characterized by the lowest values of the coefficient of friction, adhesion, and wear rate, were obtained using phosphonic acid as a surface modifier.

Surface Modification of Polycarbonate by an Atmospheric Pressure Argon Microwave Plasma Sheet.

The specific properties of an atmospheric pressure plasma make it an attractive tool for the surface treatment of various materials. With this in mind, this paper presents the results of experimental investigations of a polycarbonate (PC) material surface modification using this new type of argon microwave (2.45 GHz) plasma source.

The development of the spatially correlated adjustment wavelet filter for atomic force microscopy data.

In this paper a novel approach for the practical utilization of the 2D wavelet filter in terms of the artifacts removal from atomic force microscopy measurements results is presented. The utilization of additional data such as summary photodiode signal map is implemented in terms of the identification of the areas requiring the data processing, filtering settings optimization and the verification of the process performance. Such an approach allows to perform the filtering parameters adjustment by average user, while the straightforward method requires an expertise in this field.

A Movement-Assisted Deployment of Collaborating Autonomous Sensors for Indoor and Outdoor Environment Monitoring.

Using mobile robots or unmanned vehicles to assist optimal wireless sensors deployment in a working space can significantly enhance the capability to investigate unknown environments. This paper addresses the issues of the application of numerical optimization and computer simulation techniques to on-line calculation of a wireless sensor network topology for monitoring and tracking purposes. We focus on the design of a self-organizing and collaborative mobile network that enables a continuous data transmission to the data sink (base station) and automatically adapts its behavior to changes in the environment to achieve a common goal.

A quantitative comparison of dura mater tissue structures measured with atomic force microscopy.

Background: The growth of a human embryo is a very sophisticated process. Understanding the way it proceeds is a key factor in pathology preventing and treating diseases. Therefore one needs to use advanced to tools and methods to investigate various aspects of the anatomy and physiology of humans during the first months of growth.

Synthesis, materials characterization and opto(electrical) properties of unsymmetrical azomethines with benzothiazole core.

Optical (UV-vis and photoluminescence) properties of two soluble organic molecules based on azomethines with benzothiazole core (BTA1 and BTA2) were reported. The structures of both compounds are characterized by means FTIR, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis; the results show an agreement with the proposed structure. The investigated compounds emitted blue light.

AFM diagnostics of graphene-based quantum Hall devices.

In this paper we present the results of morphological, mechanical and electrical investigation of the properties of prepared graphene flakes and graphene-based quantum Hall devices. AFM imaging allowed us to identify the local imperfections and unintentional modifications of the graphene sheets which had caused severe deterioration of the device electrical performance. Utilizing the NanoSwing imaging method, based on the time-resolved tapping mode, we could observe non-homogeneities of the structural and mechanical properties.