Straight Si nanowires (Si NWs) with tens to hundreds of micrometers in length and 40-200 nm in diameter are achieved by annealing a Si substrate coated with metallic Fe. The influences of annealing gas and temperature on the formation of Si NWs are investigated. It is found that the annealing gas has significant impacts on the microstructure of the NWs. By increasing the hydrogen ratio in the f...

During their synthesis, multi-walled carbon nanotubes can be aligned and impregnated in a polymer matrix to form an electrically conductive and flexible nanocomposite with high backing density. The material exhibits the highest reported electrical conductivity of CNT-epoxy composites (350 S/m). Here, we show how conductive atomic force microscopy can be used to study the electrical transport me...

Nanocomposites based on poly (phenylene sulfide) (PPS) and expanded graphite (EG) or ultrasonicated EG (S-EG) were prepared by melt blending. Morphologies of the nanocomposites were examined using both SEM and TEM. Electrical conductivity and thermal stability of PPS were notably enhanced by the introduction of EG. The percolation threshold values are 1 wt% (S-EG) and 2 wt% (EG) for PPS/S-EG an...

Conductive silicone rubber has great advantages for tactile sensing applications. The electrical behavior of the elastomeric material is rate-dependent and exhibit hysteresis upon cyclic loading. Several constitutive models were developed for mechanical simulation of this material upon loading and unloading. One of the successful approaches to model the time-dependent behavior of elastomers is ...

The electrical properties of the proximal tubule of the in vivo Necturus kidney were investigated by injecting current (as rectangular waves) into the lumen or into the epithelium of single tubules and by studying the resulting changes of transepithelial (VL) and/or cell membrane potential (VC) at various distances from the source. In some experiments paired measurements of VL and VC were perfo...