Abstract: Self-suspending proppants including proppant particles coated with a CO2-philic coating are provided. The CO2-philic coating may be lightly crosslinked and may have a physical structure that constrains CO2 molecules. Methods of making self-suspending proppants may include coating a proppant particle with a polymerizable precursor material of a CO2-philic material and polymerizing the polymerizable precursor material to form a self-suspending proppant are also provided. Additionally, hydraulic fracturing fluids that may include a CO2-based fluid and the self-suspending proppants and methods of treating subterranean formations by contacting a subterranean formation with hydraulic fracturing fluid and propagating at least one subterranean fracture are provided.

Abstract: An electrically tunable terahertz two-path plasmonic interferometer with an integrated detection element can down convert a terahertz field to a rectified DC signal. The integrated detector utilizes a resonant plasmonic homodyne mixing mechanism that measures the component of the plasma waves in-phase with an excitation field that functions as the local oscillator in the mixer. The plasmonic interferometer comprises two independently tuned electrical paths. The plasmonic interferometer enables a spectrometer-on-a-chip where the tuning of electrical path length plays an analogous role to that of physical path length in macroscopic Fourier transform interferometers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel antiviral compounds which are covalently attached to solid, macro surfaces. In another embodiment, the invention relates to novel antiviral compositions including a polymeric material and, embedded therein, an antiviral compound. In other embodiments, the invention relates to making a surface antiviral and making a polymeric material antiviral.

Abstract: A vehicle track including a soft porous material and a vehicle which rides on the track by skiing cm the soft porous material. The vehicle has a large ski surface that rides on the soft porous material, supporting the weight of the vehicle at high speeds. Air within the soft porous material supplies most of the lift needed to support the train, Qniy a small amount of the support is provided by the structure of the porous material itself when the vehicle is in motion. As a result, the friction between the soft porous material and the ski surface may also be exceedingly small. To increase the amount of lift provided by the soft porous material it can be contained within a channel having impermeable sides and bottom. If the ski surface is substantially the same width as the channel, the impermeable sides prevent the air from escaping on either side of die ski surface. Accordingly, the trapped air contributes to greatly enhanced lift force.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for non-destructively detecting material abnormalities beneath a coated surface, comprising a mid-infrared (MIR) illumination unit for illuminating an area of the coated surface, and an MIR 2-D imager, which includes an MIR CCD or CMOS camera, for capturing an image of a material abnormalities under the illuminated area of the coated surface. In addition, the system may further comprise a scanning unit for moving the system to a next area.