Abstract: This invention provides a composite material for bipolar plates for fuel cells including cemented by a MPC binder and electrically conductive fillers, and a method of manufacturing the same. The resulting bipolar plate achieves low gas permeability, high electrical conductivity, high flexural strength and good corrosion resistance. The flexural strength and corrosion resistance can further be enhanced by the incorporation of macro-reinforcement and a polymer based surface treatment, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a filter element for disinfecting, cleaning and purifying household water, by removing pollutants such as heavy metals, bacteria, VOCs, and even radioactive substance. The present filter element comprises activated carbon, ion exchange resins (cationic and anionic), biopolymer and transitional metal oxide. Said biopolymer and transitional metal oxide are both in particle form and said transitional metal oxide particle can be either incorporated into the biopolymer particle or directly incorporated into the present filter element as individual particle. Maximum capacity of the present filter element can reach up to 150 L of household water. Some of the pollutants can be removed by up to 99% by the present filter element. A method of preparing the present filter element is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: The present application provides a self-healing material which comprises silica sol as self-healing agent encapsulated by a polymeric shell. The self-healing material may be further embedded in a concrete mixture to heal micro-cracks in concrete. A method for preparing the self-healing material is also provided.

Abstract: The present application provides a lithium ion battery including a thermal sensitive layer comprising polymer particles. The thermal sensitive layer may be disposed between the electrodes and the separator. When the lithium ion battery is under thermal runaway condition and the internal temperature rises to a critical temperature, the polymer particles undergo a thermal transition process (melting) to form an insulating barrier on the electrodes, which blocks lithium ion transfer between the electrodes and shuts down the internal current of the battery.

Abstract: The present application discloses a high voltage electrolyte including an electrolyte solvent which includes a mixture of a dinitrile solvent and a nitrile solvent and is stable at voltage of about 5 V or above. The dinitrile solvent may include at least one selected from the group consisting of malononitrile, succinonitrile, glutaronitrile, adiponitrile, pimelonitrile, suberonitrile, azelanitrile and sebaconitrile. The nitrile solvent may include at least one selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile, propionitrile, butyronitrile, pivalonitrile and capronitrile. The present application also discloses a lithium ion battery including the above high voltage electrolyte. The lithium ion battery exhibits a cyclic performance of greater than about 300 cycles and with a capacity retention of greater than about 80%.

Abstract: The presently claimed invention provides a photocatalytic air purification unit, comprising a fin structure and an UV lamp. The fin structure comprises a plurality of fins coated with a layer of photocatalyst, and said fin structure is able to increase the surface area for photocatalyst coating, ultimately increasing air pollutant removal efficiency with minimum air resistance. The air purification unit of the present invention is preferably installed in a HVAC system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new fullerene derivatives of formulae 1a-d, 2 and 3: method of synthesizing said derivatives, and applications thereof in organic photovoltaics, e.g., organic solar cells. In particular, the fullerene derivatives of the present invention are soluble in non-halogenated solvents such that an environmental-friendly and low-cost fabrication method for industrialization of solar cell based on the new fullerene derivatives is provided. An ink formulation for forming a thin film on a substrate of organic photovoltaics comprising at least one of the fullerene derivatives of the present invention is also provided. Greater than 3% power conversion efficiency of the organic solar cells (area=0.16 cm2) formed based on the fullerene derivatives of the present invention with less pollution and lower cost in fabrication can be achieved in the present invention.

Abstract: The present application provides a self-healing material which comprises silica sol as self-healing agent encapsulated by a polymeric shell. The self-healing material may be further embedded in a concrete mixture to heal micro-cracks in concrete. A method for preparing the self-healing material is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a lithium titanate (LTO) material for a lithium ion battery. The LTO material has hierarchical micro/nano architecture, and comprises a plurality of micron-sized secondary LTO spheres, and a plurality of pores incorporated with metal formed by a metal dopant. Each of the micron-sized secondary LTO spheres comprises a plurality of nano-sized primary LTO particles. A plurality of the nano-sized primary LTO particles is encapsulated by a non-metal layer formed by a non-metal dopant. The LTO material of the present invention has high electrical conductivity for increasing the capacity at high charging/discharging rates, and energy storage capacity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to newly functionalized polythiophenes and the syntheses thereof. The present invention also demonstrates that the new polythiophenes and their derivatives are suitable for fabricating organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), light emitting diodes (PLEDs), organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) and conducting polymers for printed electronic devices.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method of applying surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) with a plurality of balls for treating surfaces of metallic alloys under a set of specific conditions in order to obtain a metal substrate with high yield strength and hardness, low cytotoxicity, high cytocompability and hemocompatibility suitable for medical implant. The plurality of balls used in the present invention comprises 316L stainless steel balls or zirconium oxide (ZrO2) balls.

Abstract: A time-temperature indicator (TTI) uses polymer hardening properties to “set” or retain indications of temperature history. The TTI includes a mesh layer affixed to a thermo-conductive adhesive layer and a photonic crystal patterned film affixed to the mesh layer. The photonic crystal shows a property of bandgap shift vs temperature and responds to a predetermined range of temperatures to provide a visible indication of the range of temperatures. A hardener pouch is affixed to one end of the mesh layer and releases hardener in response to an initiating event, so that the photonic crystal material responds to the hardener by presenting a fixed state.

Abstract: The present invention is about the design and manufacturing method of constructing nano-structured lattices. The design of the four periodic two-dimensional lattices (hexagonal, triangulated, square and Kagome) is described; and the process of making nano-structured lattices is outlined in the present invention.

Abstract: Si/SiO2 core/shell nanostructures with sizes below 30 nm as trapping points in UV curable hybrid organic-inorganic gate dielectrics are presented in order to investigate printable nano floating gate transistors. Not only does the novelty of this invention comes from fabricating high-quality hybrid organic/inorganic gate dielectric layer by Sol-Gel process at low temperature but also incorporating the monolayer of high-density of Si nanoparticles (NPs) without obvious interface defects and keeping the quality of dielectric layers. Fixed-charge trapping defects are successfully removed from hybrid dielectrics by UV curing together with low temperature thermal curing and mobile charges solely related to Si/SiO2 core/shell nanostructures on charge trapping layer clearly demonstrate memory effects on printable device. Thin/uniform SiO2 shell on each Si NP functions as tunneling layer of flash memory devices, significantly simplifying the fabrication of printable nano floating gate memory device.

Abstract: The present invention provides an enhanced light out-coupling device for extraction of light radiation from a light source. The enhanced light out-coupling device comprises a grid having a plurality of channels, a reflective material layer coated on the grid, and a high refractive index fluid layer. In addition, the grid can be filled with phosphor particles for light converting. The device of the presently claimed invention is able to effectively avoid the scattering problem generated from the sapphire substrate and phosphor particles, as well as reduce light adsorption by the array of grid during the light extraction, leading to better image quality.

Abstract: A high-resolution, Active Matrix (AM) programmed monolithic Light Emitting Diode (LED) micro-array is fabricated using flip-chip technology. The fabrication process includes fabrications of an LED micro-array and an AM panel, and combining the resulting LED micro-array and AM panel using the flip-chip technology. The LED micro-array is grown and fabricated on a sapphire substrate and the AM panel can be fabricated using CMOS process. LED pixels in a same row share a common N-bus line that is connected to the ground of AM panel while p-electrodes of the LED pixels are electrically separated such that each p-electrode is independently connected to an output of drive circuits mounted on the AM panel. The LED micro-array is flip-chip bonded to the AM panel so that the AM panel controls the LED pixels individually and the LED pixels exhibit excellent emission uniformity. According to this constitution, incompatibility between the LED process and the CMOS process can be eliminated.

Abstract: This invention provides a composition for thermal insulation, comprising magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) and air-filled glass or ceramic beads, and a method of preparing said composition. The composition may further comprise one or more additives selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, fly ash, pigment, potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) and sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4).

Abstract: A method of fabricating a temperature sensing device based on printed silicon-carbon nanocomposite film is disclosed. This method includes high-crystal-quality Si nanoparticles (NPs) homogeneously mixed with carbon NPs and Si—C nanocomposites printed as negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. These mixtures of Si and C NPs are formulated into screen printing paste with acrylic polymer binder and ethylene glycol (EG) as solvent. This composite paste can be successfully printed on flexible substrates, such as paper or plastics, eventually making printable NTC thermistors quite low-cost. Si and carbon powders have size range of 10 nanometers to 100 micrometers and are mixed together with weight ratios of 100:1 to 10:1. More carbon content, higher conductivity of printed Si—C nanocomposite films keeping similar sensitivity of high-quality Si NPs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bipolar compound represented by formula (I) and the derivatives thereof as a host material having excellent bipolar transporting properties for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The present invention also relates to a device including at least a layer of the bipolar compound and/or the derivatives thereof as a host material and a method of making the same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing a solid form of soy isoflavone (e.g. genistein). In particular, the present invention relates to a method of preparing a solid form of soy isoflavone by precipitation with compressed antisolvent using a supercritical fluid to produce nano-sized particles of soy isoflavone with an improved dissolution rate and bioavailability. An oral composition or aerosolized formulation comprising the nanoparticles of the soy isoflavone prepared by the method of the present invention is also disclosed herein. The dissolution rate and bioavailability of the nanoparticles of the soy isoflavone prepared by the method of the present invention have a 2-fold increase and a 2.6-fold increase respectively as compared to those of the raw soy isoflavone.