Abstract: A nanoparticle and a method for fabricating the nanoparticle utilize a decomposable material yoke located within permeable organic polymer material shell and separated from the permeable organic polymer material shell by a void space. When the decomposable material yoke comprises a sulfur material and the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a material permeable to both a sulfur material vapor and a lithium ion within a battery electrolyte the nanoparticle may be used within an electrode for a Li/S battery absent the negative effects of battery electrode materials expansion.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving mass transfer in microfluidic laminar stirring structures. The structures include a pair of opposite planar surfaces each configured with a series of dual-chevron grooves. Each series of grooves may include a preselected number of individual grooves that can be substantially identical to each other within each series. One or more series of such dual-chevron grooves may be consecutively formed along a planar surface which constitutes one cycle. Each planar surface may be an electrode layer within a fuel cell structure whereby laminar flows fuel or oxidant are directed past the grooved surfaces to induce stirring. In a preferable embodiment of the invention, a symmetrical stirred structure is provided wherein each of a pair of top and bottom layers are formed with dual-chevron grooves which are symmetrical and mirror images of each other.

Abstract: A microfluidic membraneless flow cell formed with multiple acidic/alkaline electrolyte solutions. The flow cell can be adapted to provide a dual electrolyte H2/O2 fuel cell that generates thermodynamic potentials of up to 1.943 V or possibly greater. The selected fuel can be hydrogen dissolved in 0.1 M KOH, and the selected oxidant can be oxygen dissolved in 0.1 M H2SO4. Individual fuel cells can be combined to form fuel cell stacks to generate increased power output. Furthermore, microchannels of varying dimensions may be selected, including thickness variations, and different flow rates of acid/base electrolyte solutions can be applied to satisfy predetermined power generation needs. Some (micro-) fuel cell embodiments can be formed with silicon microchannels of fixed length and variable width and height, and can be used with hydrogen or formic acid as a fuel and oxygen as an oxidant, each dissolved in different acid/base electrolyte solutions.

Abstract: A cascaded light emitting device. The cascaded light emitting device includes: a base electrode formed of a base electrode material and electrically coupled to a base voltage lead; a top electrode layer formed of a top electrode material and electrically coupled to a top voltage lead; a number of electroluminescent layers arranged between and electrically coupled to the base electrode and top electrode layer; and at least one middle electrode layer formed of a middle electrode material. Each of the middle electrodes is coupled between two juxtaposed electroluminescent layers. The electroluminescent layers include a mixed conductor that luminesces with a peak wavelength.

Abstract: A planar microfluidic membraneless flow cell. The design eliminates the need for a mechanical membrane, such as a polyelectrolyte membrane (PEM) in a fuel cell, by providing a flow channel in which laminar flow regimes exist in two fluids flowing in mutual contact to form a “virtual interface” in the flow channel. In the flow cell, diffusion at the interface is the only mode of mass transport between the two fluids. In a fuel cell embodiment, a planar design provides to large contact areas between the two streams, which are fuel and oxidant streams, and between each stream and a respective electrode. In some embodiments, silicon microchannels, of fixed length and variable width and height, have been used to generate power using formic acid as fuel and oxygen as oxidant. Power densities on the order of 180 ?W/cm2 have been obtained using this planar design.