Abstract: Disclosed is a method of: providing a solution having a solvent, a polybutadiene, and an acrylate; and functionalizing the polybutadiene with the diacrylate to produce an ionic polymer. The polymer may be useful as an additive manufacturing binder.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of: providing a fiber having propylene oxide adsorbed thereon; exposing the fiber to a gaseous sample; allowing the propylene oxide to react with any chlorine in the sample to form chloro-2-propanol. The method can be used to detect potassium chlorate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber having a solid sheath and a liquid core. The liquid core has shear-thickening viscosity. Also disclosed is a method of electrospinning the fiber. The fiber may be useful for mechanical and sound damping.

Abstract: Devices and methods for the detection of magnetic fields, strain, and temperature using the spin states of a VSi? monovacancy defect in silicon carbide, as well as quantum memory devices and methods for creation of quantum memory using the spin states of a VSi? monovacancy defect in silicon carbide.

Abstract: A process of: providing a polyfunctional compound selected from polyisocyanate, polyacrylate, and polyepoxy; and reacting the polyfunctional compound with a hydroxyl- or amine-terminated silyl-containing compound. The polyfunctional compound and the silyl-containing compound are at least difunctional. A thermoset made by this process.

Abstract: Disclosed is an article having: a porous thermally insulating material, an electrically conductive coating on the thermally insulating material, and a thermoelectric coating on the electrically conductive coating. Also disclosed is a method of forming an article by: providing a porous thermally insulating material, coating an electrically conductive coating on the thermally insulating material, and coating a thermoelectric coating on the electrically conductive coating. The articles may be useful in thermoelectric devices.

Abstract: A system for transmitting power to a remote equipment, the system including a first laser source that generates a first laser beam; a first tracking device operatively connected to the first laser source, wherein the first tracking device controls a direction of the first laser beam; and a first photovoltaic device operatively connected to the remote equipment located remotely from the first laser source and the first tracking device, wherein the first photovoltaic device includes a semiconductor material that generates an electric current in response to absorbing the first laser beam, and wherein a first wavelength of the first laser beam is within an eye-safer range.

Abstract: A method for recognizing an action captured on an event-based camera includes the steps of receiving asynchronously transmitted pixel locations which have changed intensity via an address-event bus; stacking a plurality of frames of received pixel location to form a surrogate RGB image where the channels represent individual frames; inputting the surrogate RGB image into a first convolutional neural network; and extracting feature f1 from a last fully connected layer of the convolutional neural network to obtain an action classification of the action, thereby recognizing the action.

Abstract: The combined value of integrating optical forces and electrokinetics allows for the pooled separation vectors of each to be applied, providing for separation based on combinations of features such as size, shape, refractive index, charge, charge distribution, charge mobility, permittivity, and deformability. The interplay of these separation vectors allow for the selective manipulation of analytes with a finer degree of variation. Embodiments include methods of method of separating particles in a microfluidic channel using a device comprising a microfluidic channel, a source of laser light focused by an optic into the microfluidic channel, and a source of electrical field operationally connected to the microfluidic channel via electrodes so that the laser light and the electrical field to act jointly on the particles in the microfluidic channel. Other devices and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; annealing and/or sintering the sponge to form an annealed and/or sintered sponge; heating the annealed and/or sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

Abstract: Electromechanical device structures are provided, as well as methods for forming them. The device structures incorporate at least a first and second substrate separated by an interface material layer, where the first substrate comprises an anchor material structure and at least one suspended material structure, optionally a spring material structure, and optionally an electrostatic sense electrode. The device structures may be formed by methods that include providing an interface material layer on one or both of the first and second substrates, bonding the interface materials to the opposing first or second substrate or to the other interface material layer, followed by forming the suspended material structure by etching.

Abstract: The combined value of integrating optical forces and electrokinetics allows for the pooled separation vectors of each to be applied, providing for separation based on combinations of features such as size, shape, refractive index, charge, charge distribution, charge mobility, permittivity, and deformability. The interplay of these separation vectors allow for the selective manipulation of analytes with a finer degree of variation. Embodiments include methods of method of separating particles in a microfluidic channel using a device comprising a microfluidic channel, a source of laser light focused by an optic into the microfluidic channel, and a source of electrical field operationally connected to the microfluidic channel via electrodes so that the laser light and the electrical field to act jointly on the particles in the microfluidic channel. Other devices and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method to generate dioxolanes from renewable feedstocks, and more specifically, these oxygenated hydrocarbons can be used as gasoline-range fuels and diesel additives.

Abstract: A two-phase heat transfer system including at least one two-phase evaporator, at least one condenser, a vapor conduit joining a vapor outlet of the two-phase evaporator to an inlet of the condenser, a liquid conduit joining an outlet of the condenser to a liquid inlet of the two-phase evaporator, and a thermally-actuated capillary flow valve. The thermally-actuated capillary flow valve having a valve inlet, a valve outlet, a thermal connection to a heat sink for cold biasing the capillary flow valve, a porous wick extending across the flow passageway of the capillary flow valve, and a heater thermally connected to the capillary flow valve, where actuation of the heater evaporates liquid in the porous wick to allow passage of vapor through the capillary flow valve.

Abstract: A speckle reduction instrument having a parabolic reflector and flat mirror to form a cavity-based unit. Laser light is collected and bounced around the cavity hitting a diffuser surface multiple times. The laser light that is highly coherent is converted into less-coherent but still bright light suitable for illumination in microscopes and other devices. Also disclosed is the related method for reducing speckle.

Abstract: A method for making a chalcogenide glass waveguide in a liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. A mask is used to produce a tapered subcladding. Also disclosed is the related non-mechanical beam steering device that includes a chalcogenide waveguide.

Abstract: Described herein is the use of large phase transformational strain in relaxor ferroelectric single crystals for broadband sound generation. The technique exploits the thermo-optical triggering and thus an opto-acoustic effect of ferroelectric phase transformation piezocrystals under mechanical bias conditions.

Abstract: A 3C—SiC buffer layer on Si(001) comprising a porous buffer layer of 3C—SiC on a Si(001) substrate, wherein the porous buffer layer is produced through a solid state reaction, and wherein an amorphous carbon layer on the Si(001) substrate is deposited by magnetron sputtering of a C target at room temperature at a rate of 0.8 nm/min.

Abstract: A transparent composite armor is made of tens to hundreds or even thousands of thin layers of material each with a thickness of 10-500 ?m. An appropriate amount of impedance mismatch between the layers causes some reflection at each interface but limit the amplitude of the resulting tensile wave below the tensile strength of the constituent materials. The result is an improvement in ballistic performance and that will result is a significant impact in reducing size, weight, and volume of the armor.

Abstract: A thin diamond film bonded to a diamond substrate made by the process of heating a diamond substrate inside a vacuum chamber to about 500° C., cooling the diamond substrate, coating a first surface of the diamond substrate with chromium, depositing an initial layer of palladium, heating the diamond substrate, allowing the chromium and the diamond substrate to form a chemical bond, inter-diffusing the adhesion layer of chromium and the initial layer of palladium, cooling, depositing palladium, placing a shadow mask, degassing the vacuum, depositing a tin layer, assembling the tin layer, heating the tin layer, melting the tin layer, and bonding the thin diamond film to the diamond substrate. A thin diamond film bonded to a diamond substrate comprising a thin diamond film, a layer of chromium, palladium, tin, and a diamond substrate.