Experimental and simulation study of the high-pressure behavior of squalane and poly-α-olefins.

The equation of state, dynamical properties, and molecular-scale structure of squalane and mixtures of poly-α-olefins at room temperature are studied with a combination of state-of-the-art, high-pressure experiments and molecular-dynamics simulations. Diamond-anvil cell experiments indicate that both materials are non-hydrostatic media at pressures above ∼1 GPa. The equation of state does not exhibit any sign of a first-order phase transition.

Determination of the bending rigidity of graphene via electrostatic actuation of buckled membranes.

Classical continuum mechanics is used extensively to predict the properties of nanoscale materials such as graphene. The bending rigidity, κ, is an important parameter that is used, for example, to predict the performance of graphene nanoelectromechanical devices and also ripple formation. Despite its importance, there is a large spread in the theoretical predictions of κ for few-layer graphene.

Dielectrophoresis-induced separation of metallic and semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes in a continuous flow microfluidic system.

The AC dielectrophoresis-induced separation of metallic and semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes has been carried out in a continuous flow microfluidic system with isolated electrodes. The separation has been studied for single-wall carbon nanotube aqueous suspensions with ionic (sodium dodecylsulphate) and non-ionic (TritonX-100) surfactants. The efficiency of separation has been determined with the help of resonant Raman spectroscopy using various excitation energies.