Strong metal-support bonding enhanced thermal stability in Au-AlO core-shell nanowires characterized by transmission electron microscopy.

In this study, the thermal stability of Au-AlO core-shell and Au nanowires was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy and other techniques. The nanowires were synthesized by the helium droplets method and deposited on various substrates. The characterization of Au-AlO thermal stability demonstrated a substantially enhanced stability as compared to that of pure Au nanowires, which can be a transformative approach to design more durable Au-based nanocatalysts.

Measuring Heat Production from Burning Al/Zr and Al/Mg/Zr Composite Particles in a Custom Micro-Bomb Calorimeter.

Al:Zr, Al-8Mg:Zr, and Al-38Mg:Zr nanocomposite particles fabricated by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and ball milling were reacted in 1 atm of pure O within a custom, highly-sensitive micro-bomb calorimeter. The heats of combustion were compared to examine the effect of particle size and composition on combustion efficiency under room temperature and in a fixed volume. All particles yielded ~60-70% of their theoretical maximum heat of combustion and exhibited an increase in heat over composite thin films of similar compositions, which is attributed to an increase in the surface area to volume ratio.

Effect of Humidity on Sporicidal Activity of Iodine Vapor on Bacillus thuringiensis.

The emergence of Bacillus anthracis as a potential bioterrorism and biological warfare agent points to the need for safe, effective, and economical sporicides for infection prevention and control. This work examined the efficacy of iodine vapor decontamination technologies to inactivate a surrogate for B. anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis spores on glass materials.

Incomplete reactions in nanothermite composites.

Exothermic reactions between oxophilic metals and transition/ post transition metal-oxides have been well documented owing to their fast reaction time scales (≈ 10 μs). This article examines the extent of reaction in nano-aluminum based thermite systems through a forensic inspection of the products formed during reaction. Three nanothermite systems (Al/CuO, Al/BiO and Al/WO) were selected owing to their diverse combustion characteristics thereby providing sufficient generality and breadth to the analysis.

Irradiation-enhanced reactivity of multilayer Al/Ni nanomaterials.

We have investigated the effect of accelerated ion beam irradiation on the structure and reactivity of multilayer sputter deposited Al/Ni nanomaterials. Carbon and aluminum ion beams with different charge states and intensities were used to irradiate the multilayer materials. The conditions for the irradiation-assisted self-ignition of the reactive materials and corresponding ignition thresholds for the beam intensities were determined.