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An overview of the achievements of the German priority program “Functionally Graded Materials (FGM)” in the field of processing techniques is given. Established powder processes and techniques involving metal melts are described, and recent developments in the field of graded polymer processing are considered. The importance of modeling of gradient formation, sintering and drying for the produc...

We present a Finite Element (FE) approach to model the conductivity and strain-sensing capabilities of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer composites. A periodic Representative Volume Element (RVE) is constructed based on measurable statistical descriptors of the microstructure, and its response is simulated by concurrent electrical and mechanical FE analyses; the scatter of the prediction...

We demonstrate optimized viewing-angle characteristics from top-emitting organic light-emitting devices by integrating a periodic microstructure into the cavity. A holographic lithography technique combined with filling process of the groove by spin coating of a polymer film has been employed to enable its periodically and gradually changed cavity length and suppress the viewing-angle dependenc...

Dependent on the surface chemistry of gold nanocrystals of equal metal core size, two morphological types of self-organized block copolymer-particle blends are observed: (1) the segregation of the nanocrystals to the interfacial areas or (2) the preferential uniform distribution within one of the respective polymer domains. The confinement of the nanocrystals to the narrow interfacial regions o...

Carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer nanocomposites are one of the most promising materials due to their remarkable mechanical properties as well electrical conductivity, which offers capability monitoring deformation and damage composite structures by measuring related conductivity variations. However, quantifying distribution CNTs inside material remains a challenge with respects both experimental n...

the muscle-like technology would be of enormous advantages for biomedical applications such as medical implants and human assist devices. ionic polymer metal composites (ipmcs) are one kind of biomimetic actuators. an ionic polymer metal composite composed from an ionomer with high ion exchange capacity that packed between two thin metal layers. in the present study we focused on the preparatio...

The solution properties of water-soluble amphiphiles in nonaqueous polar solvents are important in the elucidation of the effects of solvent quality on self-assembly and also in practical applications where the use of water as a solvent is undesirable. We studied the self-assembly of a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) block copolymer (Pluronic P105: EO37PO58EO37) in formamid...

Rational creation of polymeric semiconductors from novel building blocks is critical to polymer solar cell (PSC) development. We report a new series of bithiopheneimide-based donor-acceptor copolymers for bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) PSCs. The bithiopheneimide electron-deficiency compresses polymer bandgaps and lowers the HOMOs--essential to maximize power conversion efficiency (PCE). While the di...

The monolithic materials of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can be used successfully in CO2 adsorption. Here, the incorporation CeO2 particles with and without polymer brushes grafted from showed that structural properties could changed, affecting adsorption CO2. Polymer (1) poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), (2) poly(vinyl caprolactam) (PVCL) (3) poly[(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl) trimethylammonium chloride]...