Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) sensor includes an anode and a cathode with a polymer electrolyte disposed therebetween. The anode and cathode are configured with asymmetric catalyst loadings, such that the catalyst loading on the cathode is lower than that of the anode. Accordingly, due to the reduction of the amount of catalyst utilized, the cost of fabricating the sensor is substantially reduced.

Abstract: A method of preparing a plant oil based polymer comprising heating a plant oil in the presence of a bismaleimide crosslinker in the substantial absence of a solvent at a temperature at or above the melting temperature of the bismaleimide crosslinker, where the bismaleimide crosslinker is defined by the formula where R1 is a divalent organic group.

Abstract: A method for charging batteries that have at least one metal electrode or at least one metal-based compound electrode includes applying a DC signal to the batteries and applying an AC signal to the batteries. The DC signal and AC signal may be combined as a composite signal, which is applied to the batteries, or may be applied to the batteries as separate, independent signals, during a charging cycle. As such, the DC signal serves to charge the batteries, while the AC signal operates to suppress, avoids or reverse the growth of dendrites in the batteries. As a result, the operating life of the batteries is extended, and the electrical storage capacity of the batteries is preserved.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a novel composition for gene delivery are directed to a group of polysaccharide polymers, having one or more nucleic acid delivery side chains comprising cationic peptides. In some embodiments, these cationic peptides condense and physically bond to one or more nucleic acids to form a polysaccharide-nucleic acid complex that permits delivery to and transfection of the nucleic acid(s) into cells. In some embodiments, the polysaccharide polymers of the present invention may also have one or more zwitterionic side chains and/or reactive side chains.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for testing and analyzing the molecular structure of a sample material in an NMR device are described. A sample is held in a pre-determined stretched state in an apparatus that includes the sample arranged between two body components that are secured together with one or more retaining members that fit around the bodies or portions thereof. The apparatus is inserted into an NMR device to obtain NMR spectrums for analyzing the molecular structure of the samples, for instance, identifying strain-induced crystallinity and quantifying the same at pre-determined stretch ratios of a sample material.

Abstract: Rubber formulations include a rubber and a norbornylized seed oil. The norbornylized seed oil is a seed oil that is modified with norbornylene groups. The norbornylized seed oil can replace petroleum oils currently often used in rubber formulations. A process for creating a rubber formulation includes the steps of adding a norbornylized seed oil to a rubber, wherein the norbornylized seed oil is a seed oil modified with norbornylene groups.

Abstract: A broad-band photodetector utilizes perovskite hybrid material and quantum dots as light harvesters. In particular, the photodetector is configured so that the structural defects on the surface of a quantum dot layer are passivated with perovskite hybrid material. As a result, the trap states on the surface of the quantum dot material is reduced, allowing leakage currents in the quantum dot material to be significantly reduced. As such, the photodetector is able to achieve broad-band operation, with enhanced photoresponsitivity and detectivity.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a novel method and apparatus for facilitating and improving efficient application of nanofibers to the surface of poorly conductive three-dimensional objects using electrospinning. The apparatus and associated methods of the present invention provide a much more direct connection between the object and the grounded plate collector while allowing the object to be supported above the collector in a manner which promotes nanofiber deposition over the top, bottom and side surfaces of the object, closely covering all of its surfaces with nanofibers. Moreover, the deposition of electrospun nanofibers according to various embodiments of the present invention expands electrospinning technology to greater numbers of applications in which three-dimensional coatings of a wide nature are advantageous.

Abstract: Biodegradable polyesters are made by synthesizing copolymers derived from biodegradable hydroxyacid monomers as well as from hydroxyacid monomers containing a functional group such as an azide group, a halogen group, a thioacetate group, and the like. Preferably, the functionalized biodegradable polyester copolymers are derived from a functionalized hydroxyacid such as a homolog of lactic acid and/or glycolic acid with the copolyester thus containing functional groups on the backbone thereof. These biodegradable polyesters can be utilized wherever biodegradable polyesters are currently used, and also serve as a polymer to which various medical and drug delivery systems can be attached.

Abstract: A system and method for fast, automatic balancing of an AC bridge utilizes a two-stage process. During the first stage, the phase of the bridge voltage is matched, while during the second stage, the amplitude is minimized. The voltage matching process is based on halving the range of measured voltage amplitudes at each step, using two samples to identify the next half-range, resulting in an n-step recursive algorithm with “n” defining the resolution of the process. As such, the phase-matching process requires only three samples per step, and only four steps for 1° resolution. Consequently, the computational power needed to carry out the two-stage process is minimal, requiring only comparison of the three sampled voltages, thereby resulting in a balancing process that is performed fast and efficiently.

Abstract: A film-processing apparatus for manufacturing a film in a continuous process includes a continuous carrier belt; a film-casting zone depositing a cast film on the carrier belt; a shearing zone; an electric-field zone; a magnetic-field zone; an ultraviolet-radiation zone; an annealing zone; and a solvent-evaporation zone, wherein the continuous carrier belt is operable to move a cast film deposited thereon from the film-casting zone through the shearing zone, the electric-field zone, the magnetic-field zone, the ultraviolet-radiation zone, the annealing zone, and the solvent-evaporation zone such that the cast film is selectively treated in one or more of the zones in a continuous process. A pick up roll receives the cast film after the continuous carrier belt moves the cast film through the zones and is selectively treated.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to alcohol-terminated polyisobutylene (PIB) compounds, and to a process for making such compounds. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to primary alcohol-terminated polyisobutylene compounds, and to a process for making such compounds. In still another embodiment, the present invention relates to polyisobutylene compounds that can be used to synthesize polyurethanes, to polyurethane compounds made via the use of such polyisobutylene compounds, and to processes for making such compounds. In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to primary alcohol-terminated polyisobutylene compounds having two or more primary alcohol termini and to a process for making such compounds. In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to primary terminated polyisobutylene compounds having two or more primary termini selected from amine groups or methacrylate group.

Abstract: A method for treating solid organic materials includes providing phagotrophic algae, providing solid organic material, combining the algae and the solid organic material, allowing the algae to grow by engulfing or uptaking the solid organic material, forming an algal product, and collecting the algal product. The method can also include a pretreatment step. The solid organic material can be waste activated sludge. A system for treating and disposing solid organic material is also provided.

Abstract: A biopesticide composition includes a solvent and a plurality of rhamnolipid complexes, each rhamnolipid complex including a rhamnolipid complexed with a cation. The biopesticide composition may include a slower-releasing rhamnolipid-based material and a faster-releasing rhamnolipid-based material. The biopesticide composition may be in the form of a coating or a pellet.

Abstract: Amino acid-based poly(ester urea)s (PEU) are emerging as a class of polymers that have shown promise in regenerative medicine applications. Embodiments of the invention relate to the synthesis of PEUs carrying pendent “clickable” groups on modified tyrosine amino acids. The pendent species include alkyne, azide, alkene, tyrosine-phenol, and ketone groups. PEUs with Mw exceeding 100k Da were obtained via interfacial polycondensation methods and the concentration of pendent groups was varied by copolymerization. The incorporation of derivatizable functionalities is demonstrated using 1H NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopy methods. Electrospinning was used to fabricate PEU nanofibers with a diameters ranging from 350 nm to 500 nm. The nanofiber matricies possess mechanical strengths suitable for tissue engineering (Young's modulus: 300±45 MPa; tensile stress: 8.5±1.2 MPa).

Abstract: A thermoset rubber composition includes a thermoset rubber having crystallized domains dispersed therein, the crystallized domains being formed of supramolecule building blocks forming a plurality of sheet-like structures through hydrogen bonding, the sheet-like structures interacting through non-covalent interactions to form the crystallized domains within the thermoset rubber. The supramolecular building blocks may be peptides, ?-peptides, aramid oligomers, and bis-ureas.

Abstract: A PIB-based polymer network includes at least one sulfur containing segment and at least two PIB polymer segments. The at least two PIB polymer segments each include a core and at least two polyisobutylene polymer chains extending therefrom. The at least one sulfur containing segment includes at least one sulfur atom that is located between any two polyisobutylene polymer chains from two different PIB polymer segments, so that the sulfur containing segment connects those two different PIB polymer segments together. The PIB-based polymer network is produced by the thiol-ene reaction in the presence of light or heat. The reaction products include at least two polyisobutylene polymer precursor moieties, each polyisobutylene polymer precursor moiety having at least two end group selected from the end groups —CH2—CH(CH3)?CH2, —CH2?C(CH3)2, and —CH2—CH?CH2; and at least one multi-functional thiol.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, the present invention provides a method for forming allyl telechelic polyisobutylene polymers having well defined molecular weights and molecular weight distributions using living cationic polymerization under ideal temperature control using a mixture of polar and nonpolar refluxing solvents. The methods according to various embodiments of the present invention provide temperature control that approaches the ideal, i.e., the heat of polymerization is instantaneously absorbed by the medium and the temperature of the system remains unchanged. The heat generated during the exothermic polymerization of isobutylene is released as an increase in the rate of reflux, rather than the temperature, since the temperature is set by the boiling point of the system and does not change.

Abstract: A method of preparing a polymer is provided comprising preparing a Baylis-Hillman adduct by reacting an activated alkene with a carbon electrophile; and polymerizing the Baylis-Hillman adduct. The Baylis-Hillman reaction provides an efficient platform for the synthesis of densely functionalized monomers, from which polymers with multiple functional groups can be readily synthesized. It has been discovered that that Baylis-Hillman adducts are versatile monomers for both controlled radical and step-growth polymerizations.

Abstract: A method of using a paint sensor to observe stress distributions of a stressed substrate includes the steps of applying a composition including a paintable medium and a mechanoluminescence material to a substrate, allowing the composition to form a solid film on the substrate, allowing the substrate to be stressed following the formation of the solid film, and measuring the stress the substrate has undergone by determining the mechanoluminescence of the solid film. A composition for visualizing stress or crack distributions includes a paintable medium and a mechanoluminescence material dispersed therein.