Abstract: A composite fuel cell polymer electrolyte membrane. The composite membrane includes a polymer electrolyte membrane base material including first and second inorganic particles. The first and second inorganic particles are interspersed within the polymer electrolyte membrane base material and each other. The first and second inorganic particles have first and second surface properties and the first surface property is different than the second surface property.

Abstract: A system for stretching a polynucleotide structure includes a first electrode configured to generate an electrostatic force perpendicular to a surface of the first electrode and to apply the electrostatic force to the polynucleotide structure to pin an end region of the polynucleotide structure near the surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode configured to generate an electric force along an axial direction of the polynucleotide structure to stretch the polynucleotide structure along the axial direction of the polynucleotide structure into a fully extended form.

Abstract: A cathode catalyst layer includes a substrate and an ionomer structured as a biphasic lamellar film in contact with the substrate, the lamellar film including a plurality of alternating layers of hydrophobic backbones and hydrophilic sidechains, the film having an outermost layer formed by the hydrophobic backbone affixed in place, the outermost layer being free of hydrophilic groups and forming a hydrophobic surface throughout the cathode catalyst layer.

Abstract: An electrocatalyst includes a conglomerate of platinum atoms forming an amorphous nanoparticle structure having at least about 40% of highly undercoordinated surface atoms with fewer than 6 adjacent atoms on its surface; and a passivating crust including catalytically active monoatomic adsorbed oxygen atoms such that at least 50% of the amorphous nanoparticle structure has oxygen coverage, the amorphous nanoparticle structure having a diameter of up to 3 nm.

Abstract: A computational method simulating the motion of elements within a multi-element system using a graph neural network (GNN). The method includes converting a molecular dynamics snapshot of the elements into a directed graph comprised of nodes and edges. The method further includes the step of initially embedding the nodes and the edges to obtain initially embedded nodes and edges. The method also includes updating the initially embedded nodes and edges by passing a first message from a first edge to a first node using a first message function and passing a second message from the first node to the first edge using a second message function to obtain updated embedded nodes and edges, and predicting a force vector for one or more elements based on the updated embedded edges and a unit vector pointing from the first node to a second node or the second node to the first node.

Abstract: A computational method for characterizing a biopolymer property of a biopolymer. The computational method includes receiving a dimensional representation of a molecule concentration over time within a fluid flow of a fluid medium flowing through a fluid channel including the biopolymer; predicting a fluid flow velocity and/or a fluid flow pressure of the fluid medium in response to the dimensional representation of the molecule concentration over time within the fluid medium using a machine learning model; and characterizing the biopolymer property of the biopolymer in response to the fluid flow velocity and/or the fluid flow pressure.

Abstract: An electrochemical system includes a hydrogen diffusion barrier physically separating the system into a hydrogen rich zone and a hydrogen poor zone, an electronic component located in the hydrogen poor zone and exposed to hydrogen diffusing from the hydrogen rich zone, a hydrogen pump, located in the hydrogen rich zone and the hydrogen poor zone, including: a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte separating the cathode and the anode, an anode encapsulation contacting the anode and a portion of the electrolyte, and an external electrical circuit biased to drive H+ current from the anode to the cathode to pump hydrogen diffusing from the hydrogen rich zone into the hydrogen poor zone back into the hydrogen rich zone.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell active hydrogen capture and release system including a first zone having a target predetermined concentration of hydrogen c1 and housing: an electrical component, an adsorbing electrode including a hydrogen adsorbing material, a counter electrode separated from the adsorbing electrode, and an electric circuit connecting the adsorbing and counter electrodes to apply electrical bias configured to facilitate capture and release of hydrogen gas from the adsorbing electrode; and a second zone having a target predetermined concentration of hydrogen c2, c2 being greater than c1.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a first hydrogen-rich zone including a cathode, a second hydrogen-poor zone including an anode, an electrical component, and a sorbent configured to capture hydrogen in the second zone and release hydrogen protons into the first zone, an electrolyte located between the cathode and the sorbent, and an electrical circuit arranged to apply voltage bias to remove the captured hydrogen from the sorbent.

Abstract: A dimensional fluid mapping system. An internal fluid device having one or more internal cavities configured to contain a fluid is disclosed. The one or more internal cavities have one or more internal features. The internal fluid device has a first side and a second side opposing the first side. A heating device is configured to apply heat to the first side when driven with a multifrequency excitation signal including first and second frequencies. A thermal measuring device is configured to record thermal signals emitted from the second side. A controller is configured to receive the thermal signals from the thermal measuring device and to generate a dimensional thermal map of one or more internal features of one or more internal cavities and/or an internal fluid distribution of the fluid contained in the one or more internal cavities in response to the thermal signals.

Abstract: A computational method for determining a location and an amount of a transition metal M in surface facets of a Pt—M alloy using a density functional theory includes receiving a particle size and a surface facet distribution of the Pt—M alloy and a total concentration of M in the Pt—M alloy; calculating a total number of M atoms in the Pt—M alloy based on the particle size and the surface facet distribution of the Pt—M alloy and the total concentration of M in the Pt—M alloy; and predicting a mixing energy between Pt and at least one of the total number of M atoms in a subsurface layer of each of the surface facets of the Pt—M alloy when Pt is mixed with the at least one of the total number of M atoms.

Abstract: A computational method for training a neural network force field (NNFF) configured to simulate molecular and/or atomic motion within a material system. The method includes the step of receiving molecular structure data of a molecule in the material system. The method also includes optimizing a geometry of the molecule using the molecular structure data and a density functional theory (DFT) simulation to obtain DFT optimized geometry data. The method further includes optimizing the geometry of the molecule using the molecular structure data and a classical force field (FF) simulation to obtain FF optimized geometry data. The method also includes outputting NNFF training data comprised of the DFT optimized geometry data and the FF optimized geometry data. The NNFF training data is configured to train an NNFF for simulating molecular and/or atomic molecular and/or atomic motion within the material system.

Abstract: A soil sampler attachable to a vehicle for agricultural uses includes a collector configured to collect a soil sample from a field as the vehicle advances across the field. The soil sampler further includes a preprocessor connected to the collector and configured to receive the soil sample from the collector and to preprocess the soil sample to dilute the soil sample. The soil sampler also includes a sensor connected to the preprocessor and configured to determine a concentration of at least one analyte in the soil sample. The soil sampler further includes a disposer connected to the sensor and configured to dispose the soil sample after the sensor determines the concentration of the at least one analyte in the soil sample.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting a crack in an automotive windshield and alerting a user of the same. This can allow the user to repair the crack before the user might otherwise detect the crack by his/her own visual inspection. The windshield can be provided with emitters configured to emit signals (e.g., sound, light, etc.) and corresponding detectors configured to detect the emitted signals. Signal profiles or signatures can be stored that represent normal measurements when there is no crack. Upon detecting a signal signature that deviates from the stored normal signal signatures, the system can notify the user of a potential crack in the windshield. The system can also determine the location of the crack based upon which of the detectors detect a change in the detected signal.

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane fuel cell includes an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, a proton exchange membrane separating the anode catalyst layer from the cathode catalyst layer, an oxygen inlet configured to supply oxygen to the cathode catalyst layer, and a hydrogen inlet separate from the oxygen inlet and configured to supply hydrogen to the anode catalyst layer. The fuel cell is operable to convert the hydrogen from the hydrogen inlet to hydrogen ions at the anode catalyst layer and to produce an H2O byproduct at the cathode catalyst layer where the oxygen reacts with the hydrogen ions. The fuel cell includes a water outlet for the H2O byproduct that is separate from the oxygen inlet.

Abstract: A sensor refresh system. The sensor refresh system includes a sensor assembly including a sensing surface. The sensor refresh system includes a sensor attached to the sensing surface of the sensing assembly. The sensor includes a receptor binding a chemical species in a binding state. The sensor refresh system further includes an optical source irradiating the sensor when the chemical species is in the binding state to dissociate the chemical species from the receptor of the sensor in a dissociation state.

Abstract: A system for stretching a polynucleotide structure includes a first electrode configured to generate an electrostatic force perpendicular to a surface of the first electrode and to apply the electrostatic force to the polynucleotide structure to pin an end region of the polynucleotide structure near the surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode configured to generate an electric force along an axial direction of the polynucleotide structure to stretch the polynucleotide structure along the axial direction of the polynucleotide structure into a fully extended form.

Abstract: A fuel cell catalyst material includes metal catalyst particles formed of a metal material and a carbon-based coating composition at least partially coating at least some of the metal catalyst particles. The carbon-based coating composition includes a carbon network. The carbon-based coating composition is doped with a dopant. The carbon-based coating composition includes a number of defects formed by one or more vacated carbon atoms in the carbon network. The carbon-based coating composition is made from a non-aromatic carbon molecule.

Abstract: A sensor system includes a sensor and an optical source. The sensor has a receptor configured to bind to a chemical species. A spacer is bound to the receptor, and a fluorophore is bound to the spacer. The optical source is configured to irradiate the sensor to dissociate the chemical species from the receptor. The optical source can be infrared light, microwave or radio wave. The sensor system optionally includes a photodetector configured to determine an amount of the chemical species by measuring fluorescence when the optical source irradiates the sensor.

Abstract: A composite fuel cell polymer electrolyte membrane. The composite membrane includes a polymer electrolyte membrane base material including first and second inorganic particles. The first and second inorganic particles are interspersed within the polymer electrolyte membrane base material and each other. The first and second inorganic particles have first and second surface properties and the first surface property is different than the second surface property.