Efficient polymer solar cells fabricated on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)-etched old indium tin oxide substrates.

In organic electronic devices, indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are the most common transparent electrode and anodic buffer layer materials, respectively. A widespread concern is that PEDOT:PSS is acidic and etches ITO. We show that this issue is not serious: only a few nanometers of ITO are etched in typical device processing conditions and storage thereafter; conductivity losses are affordable; and optical transmission gains further offset these losses.

Corrosion resistance, chemistry, and mechanical aspects of Nitinol surfaces formed in hydrogen peroxide solutions.

Ti oxides formed naturally on Nitinol surfaces are only a few nanometers thick. To increase their thickness, heat treatments are explored. The resulting surfaces exhibit poor resistance to pitting corrosion.

Plastic-syringe induced silicone contamination in organic photovoltaic fabrication: implications for small-volume additives.

Herein, the implications of silicone contamination found in solution-processed conjugated polymer solar cells are explored. Similar to a previous work based on molecular cells, we find this contamination as a result of the use of plastic syringes during fabrication. However, in contrast to the molecular case, we find that glass-syringe fabricated devices give superior performance than plastic-syringe fabricated devices in poly(3-hexylthiophene)-based cells.

Protein adsorption on biodegradable polyanhydride microparticles.

The in vitro adsorption of plasma proteins on polyanhydride microparticles based on sebacic acid (SA), 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH), and 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) was studied. Three model proteins from bovine serum (albumin (BSA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and fibrinogen (Fg)) were used. The adsorption was studied using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis.

The electrochemical characteristics of native Nitinol surfaces.

The present study explored the avenues for the improvement of native Nitinol surfaces for implantation obtained using traditional procedures such as mechanical polishing, chemical etching, electropolishing and heat treatments for a better understanding of their electrochemical behavior and associated surface stability, conductivity, reactivity and biological responses. The corrosion resistance (cyclic potential polarization, open circuit potential and polarization resistance) of Nitinol disc and wire samples were evaluated for various surface states in strain-free and strained wire conditions. The surface response to tension strain was studied in situ.

The influence of surface oxides on the distribution and release of nickel from Nitinol wires.

The patterns of Ni release from Nitinol vary depending on the type of material (Ni-Ti alloys with low or no processing versus commercial wires or sheets). A thick TiO(2) layer generated on the wire surface during processing is often considered as a reliable barrier against Ni release. The present study of Nitinol wires with surface oxides resulting from production was conducted to identify the sources of Ni release and its distribution in the surface sublayers.

Complexes of 3.6 kDa maltodextrin with some metals.

Preparation of magnesium, lanthanum, and bismuth(III) complexes of 3.6 kDa maltodextrin and some properties of the resulting materials are presented. The metal derivatives contain metals bound to the oxygen atoms of the hydroxyl groups of maltodextrin.

Comparative corrosion performance of black oxide, sandblasted, and fine-drawn nitinol wires in potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests: effects of chemical etching and electropolishing.

The corrosion performance of sandblasted (SB) and smooth fine-drawn (FD) medical-use nitinol wires was compared with the performance of wires with black oxide (BO) formed in air during their manufacture. Potentiodynamic and ASTM F746 potentiostatic tests in a 0.9 % NaCl solution were conducted on wires in their as-received, chemically etched, aged in boiling water, and electropolished states.