Abstract: Oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells are provided. The catalyst can be based on platinum-coated palladium nanotubes, or multiple twinned, crystalline silver nanowires. Also provided is a method of removing carbon dioxide using a membrane having basic functional groups, and a method of water electrolysis using a membrane having basic functional groups.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for processing a digital signal. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving time-aligned input samples of an input signal; computing at least one moment using the time-aligned input samples; determining at least one of signal energy per symbol and noise power spectral density based on the at least one moment; and adjusting an input signal level based on the at least one of the signal energy per symbol and the noise power spectral density.

Abstract: A method of silylating porous silica films comprises: preparing a porous silica film; and grafting the film with a hydrophobic functional group while annealing the film. The porous silica film is a sol-gel silica film, a mesoporous silica film, in situ crystallized polycrystalline pure-silica zeolite (PSZ), spin-on PSZ, and spin-on PSZ MEL (or PSZ MEL-structural type) films. The hydrophobic functional group is trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS); dimethyldichlorosilane; methyltrichlorosilane; alkylchlorosilanes, such as (CH3(CH2)n)xSiCl4-x, where x is 1, 2, or 3; alkoxychlorosilanes; hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), and/or aminosilanes. In addition, the steps of grafting and annealing the film are performed simultaneously, which imparts hydrofluoric acid resistance and reduces moisture adsorption to the film.