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Theoretical modeling of fog modification by seeding with hygroscopic nuclei, climatic survey of fog frequency in Buffalo, New York, large scale laboratory experiments, and field tests
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Ground and aerial applications of hygroscopic particles in fog dispersal experiments
Mechanical properties of polyethylene terephthalate under selected conditions and methods of preparation
Incipient melting is a phenomenon that can occur in aluminum alloys where solute rich areas, such as grain boundaries, can melt before the rest of the material; incipient melting can degrade mechanical and corrosion properties and is irreversible, resulting in material scrapping. After detecting indications of incipient melting as the cause of failure in 7075 aluminum alloy parts (AA7075), a study was launched to determine threshold temperature for incipient melting. Samples of AA7075 were solution annealed using temperatures ranging from 870-1090F. A hardness profile was developed to demonstrate the loss of mechanical properties through the progression of incipient melting. Additionally, Zeiss software Zen Core Intellesis was utilized to more accurately quantify the changes in microstructural properties as AA7075 surpassed the onset of incipient melting. The results from this study were compared with previous AA7075 material that demonstrated incipient melting.
Progress can be reported in two areas related to characterizing the properties of cusp diamagnetic cavities. Laboratory terrella experiments have been conducted for the purpose of using neutral gas excitation as a tracer of trapped electron populations in the presence of two dipoles that are used to develop a magnetic cusp topology. Figure 1 and 2 show top and side views of two configurations. Dipole trapped electron populations appear as the two luminous annular rings. Other populations are the most intense regions are shown. Interspersed between these regions are narrow regions that represent the topological cusps in these configurations. That they contain luminous gas is evidence for cusp trapping similar to what we believe exists in the terrestrial magnetosphere. The asymmetry of these cusp regions as seen in Figure 1 is the result of a relative tilt between the two dipoles suggestive of what would be expected in space. It is in these regions that particle observations were sought, so as to validate the realization of proposed and laboratory achieved trapping in a diamagnetic cusp. Figure 3 shows particle trajectories in a modeled cusp magnetic topology for three particle energies. Blue, green, and red traces correspond to increasing energies. Due to factors discussed outside of this final report, a thorough exploration of relevant satellite observations have not been achieved.
Recent progress in surface-initiated polymerization enables the deliberate polymer modification of nanoscopic surfaces with high levels of precision. This has given rise to the development of brush particle-based materials (sometimes referred to as ‘hairy nanoparticles’) that are formed by tethering of polymer chains to the surface of nanoparticle-like objects. Brush particles have attracted interest as model systems to understand the effect of surface modification on the structure and interactions in polymer modified colloidal systems (which play a role across fields as diverse as functional coatings, cosmetics, foods or pharmaceuticals) but also as building blocks for the assembly of ‘one-component hybrid materials’ that exhibit unprecedented property combinations, not realizable in classical composite materials. This review presents a summary and analysis of the developments in the field of ‘particle brush materials’. The evolution of synthetic methodologies from the original pioneering work to emerging trends and opportunities in the field of brush synthesis is presented first. Subsequently, the effect of brush architecture on the structure, interaction and assembly of brush particles both with and without a matrix is discussed. Lastly, recent advances in the development of functional hybrid materials with applications in energy, catalysis, sensing and other areas is presented.
In this work, a series of pyrazolopyrimidine inhibitors of IRAK4 were developed from a high-throughput screen (HTS). Modification of an HTS hit led to a series of bicyclic heterocycles with improved potency and kinase selectivity but lacking sufficient solubility to progress in vivo. Structure-based drug design, informed by cocrystal structures with the protein and small-molecule crystal structures, yielded a series of dihydrobenzofurans. This semisaturated bicycle provided superior druglike properties while maintaining excellent potency and selectivity. Improved physicochemical properties allowed for progression into in vivo experiments, where lead molecules exhibited low clearance and showed target-based inhibition of IRAK4 signaling in an inflammation-mediated PK/PD mouse model.
Current progress in the application of ultrasonic techniques to nondestructive measurement of mechanical strength properties of engineering materials is reviewed. Even where conventional NDE techniques have shown that a part is free of overt defects, advanced NDE techniques should be available to confirm the material properties assumed in the part's design. There are many instances where metallic, composite, or ceramic parts may be free of critical defects while still being susceptible to failure under design loads due to inadequate or degraded mechanical strength. This must be considered in any failure prevention scheme that relies on fracture analysis. This review will discuss the availability of ultrasonic methods that can be applied to actual parts to assess their potential susceptibility to failure under design conditions.
Through progressive reduction of the three-dimensional (3D) covalent network of Cu 4 TiS 4 , we isolate seven new members of the A n Cu 4–n TiS 4 family (A = alkali metal; n = 0–4), spanning 3D, 2D, 1D, and 0D structural fragments. The dimensional reduction is rational, as it preserves the edge-sharing connectivity between [CuS 4 ] 7– and [TiS 4 ] 4– tetrahedra across the series. This structural evolution is driven by the stepwise substitution of Cu with alkali metals, guiding the formation of fragments with reduced dimensionality. The effects of “n” and “A” on the crystal structures, stabilities, electronic structures, and optoelectronic properties are profound, demonstrating that the manipulation of alkali metal size and A n Cu 4–n TiS 4 stoichiometry enables predictable variations in structure and properties. For example, the n = 0 and n = 4 end members of the A n Cu 4–n TiS 4 family set the range of achievable band gaps with 2.00 eV for Cu 4 TiS 4 , 2.60 eV for Na 4 TiS 4 , and intermediate values for the n = 1–3 members. Notably, CsCu 3 TiS 4 exhibits exceptional air stability and congruent melting, with density functional theory (DFT) calculating moderate hole and electron effective masses in specific crystallographic directions (mh = 1.24m 0 , me = 0.87m 0 ). Additionally, A 3 CuTiS 4 (A = Na, K, Rb) displays direct band gap behavior and long photoluminescence lifetimes of 2.3–8.6 μs, and K 3 CuTiS 4 has a PLQY of 5.19%. These findings underscore the potential of the A n Cu 4–n TiS 4 family for applications in optoelectronics and demonstrate widely applicable design concepts that unveil rational stoichiometries within a given composition space to generate a series of crystal structures related through an evolving covalent dimensionality that corresponds to a predictable electronic structure and property progression.
Calibration of magnetic susceptibility measuring apparatus for polycrystalline samples of coronene
Chemical reactions, catalytic activity, and electrode behavior in fuel cells
Research on warm fog properties, and dispersal concepts
Progress in the application of ultrasonic techniques to nondestructive measurement of mechanical strength of engineering materials is reviewed. A dormant concept in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is invoked. The availability of ultrasonic methods that can be applied to actual parts to assess their potential susceptibility to failure under design conditions is discussed. It was shown that ultrasonic methods yield measurements of elastic moduli, microstructure, hardness, fracture toughness, tensile strength, yield strength, and shear strength for a wide range of materials (including many types of metals, ceramics, and fiber composites). It was also indicated that although most of these methods were shown feasible in laboratory studies, more work is needed before they can be used on actual parts in processing, assembly, inspection, and maintenance lines.
Identification of primary mechanisms in solar radiation induced damage to optical properties of zinc oxide-type semiconductor pigments
Mechanical properties of chromium-rhenium alloy wires
Understanding the local chemical ordering propensity in random solid solutions, and tailoring its strength, can guide the design and discovery of complex, paradigm-shifting multicomponent alloys. First, we present a simple thermodynamic framework, based solely on binary enthalpies of mixing, to select optimal alloying elements to control the nature and extent of chemical ordering in high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Next, we couple high-resolution electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, hybrid Monte-Carlo, special quasirandom structures, and density functional theory calculations to demonstrate how controlled additions of Al and Ti and subsequent annealing drive chemical ordering in nearly random equiatomic face-centered cubic CoFeNi solid solution. We establish that short-range ordered domains, the precursors of long-range ordered precipitates, inform mechanical properties. Specifically, a progressively increasing local order boosts the tensile yield strengths of the parent CoFeNi alloy by a factor of four while also substantially improving ductility, which breaks the so-called strength–ductility paradox. Finally, we validate the generality of our approach by predicting and demonstrating that controlled additions of Al, which has large negative enthalpies of mixing with the constituent elements of another nearly random body-centered cubic refractory NbTaTi HEA, also introduces chemical ordering and enhances mechanical properties.