Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a method, which can comprise fabricating a system. The system can comprise a light amplification element and a charge transport element. Each of the light amplification element and a charge transport element can comprise one or more of a graphene layer, graphene oxide, graphene nano platelets, functionalized graphene, graphene/superconductor composite, tubular shaped nano carbon, semiconductor powder, thin film, nano wire, and nano rod.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments provide a system adapted to generate hydrogen, which can comprise a water supply source, hydrogen producing agent, hydrogen collector, hydrogen purifier, a hydrogen outlet, a fuel cell, a storage device for electricity, and an inverter. The inverter can be adapted to convert direct current (“DC”) electrical energy into alternating current (“AC”) electrical energy.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system comprising a hybrid composite. The hybrid composite can comprise tubular carbon and graphene produced via pyrolysis of a milled solid carbon source under an unoxidizing environment. When analyzed via X-ray diffraction, the hybrid composite can generate peaks at two theta values of approximately 26.5 degrees, approximately 42.5 degrees, and/or approximately 54.5 degrees.

Abstract: A carbon nano tube characterized by Bragg diffraction pattern peaks appearing at 2 theta (2?)=26.5°, 44.5°, 51.8°. A carbon nano fiber is disclosed and characterized by Bragg diffraction pattern peaks appearing 2 theta (2?)=44.5°, 51.8°. These carbon nano materials can be prepared in a solid phase by combustion and heating of the solid raw materials both with and without a tube control agent. The carbon nano tube growth process can include controlling the length of the tubes.

Abstract: Lightfast additives for inkjet inks are provided. These additives exhibit excellent lightfastness of many dyestuffs (both water-soluble and water-insoluble). The lightfast additives exhibit good water solubility and significant effect on dye and pigment molecules which fade most when exposed to UV, ambient light, etc., and are suitable for improving permanence of inkjet inks, including thermal inkjet ink, piezo inkjet ink, and the like. The lightfast additive comprises a molecule which is composed of three parts or moieties: A-X—B, where (a) moiety A is an aryl sulfonic acid or aryl carboxylic acid, either in acid form or salt form, with or without substituents (e.g.

Abstract: Lightfast additives for inkjet inks are provided. These additives exhibit excellent lightfastness of many dyestuffs (both water-soluble and water-insoluble). The lightfast additives exhibit good water solubility and significant effect on dye and pigment molecules which fade most when exposed to UV, ambient light, etc., and are suitable for improving permanence of inkjet inks, including thermal inkjet ink, piezo inkjet ink, and the like. The lightfast additive comprises a molecule which is composed of three parts or moieties: A—X—B, where (a) moiety A is an aryl sulfonic acid or aryl carboxylic acid, either in acid form or salt form, with or without substituents (e.g.

Abstract: Lightfast additives for inkjet inks are provided. These additives exhibit excellent lightfastness of many dyestuffs (both water-soluble and water-insoluble). The lightfast additives exhibit good water solubility and significant effect on dye and pigment molecules which fade most when exposed to UV, ambient light, etc., and are suitable for improving permanence of inkjet inks, including thermal inkjet ink, piezo inkjet ink, and the like. The lightfast additive comprises a molecule which is composed of three parts or moieties: A-X-B, where (a) moiety A is an aryl sulfonic acid or aryl carboxylic acid, either in acid form or salt form, with or without substituents (e.g.

Abstract: Poly(vinyl butyral) compounds of Formula 1 where R1 is alkyl, dialkyl ether, alkyl carbonyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkyl alkyl, aryl, aryl carbonyl, alkaryl carbonyl, aralkyl, or alkyl aralkyl; Z is —OH or —NHR2, where R2 is independently alkyl, dialkyl ether, alkyl carbonyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkyl alkyl, aryl, aryl carbonyl, alkaryl carbonyl, aralkyl, alkyl, aralkyl or R2 is H. x is 60 to 95 mol %, y is 3 to 40 mol %, z is 0 to 20 mol %; and x+y+z is 100 mol %, a process for preparing compounds of Formula I, an intermediate in the synthesis of compounds of Formula I, and a photoconductor for electrophotography containing a compound of Formula I as a binder in the charge generation layer are described.

Abstract: Specific core-shell binders and additives for use in ink-jet printing ink compositions are provided. One class of specific core/shell binders has the general formula [AmBnC′p]x, where A and B are hydrophobic components in which A exhibits a glass transition temperature Tg between about −150° and +25° C. and B exhibits a glass transition temperature greater than 25° C., C′ is a component that forms a hydrophilic or water-soluble component in the polymer chain, and has an ionic or non-ionic structure, m<30 wt %, n>40 wt %, and p<30 wt %, with the total of m+n+p=100 wt %, and x=1 to 100,000. The molecular weight (weight average) of the polymer is between about 1,000 and 2,000,000. The polymers useful in the practice of the invention are prepared by emulsifying the monomers and then conducting a free-radical polymerization in water.

Abstract: Specific core-shell binders and magnetic additives for use in ink-jet printing ink compositions are provided. One class of specific core/shell binders has the general formula [AmBnC′p]x, where A and B are hydrophobic components in which A exhibits a glass transition temperature Tg between about −150° and +25° C. and B exhibits a glass transition temperature greater than 25° C., C′ is a component that forms hydrophilic or water-soluble component in the polymer chain, and has an ionic or non-ionic structure, m<30 wt %, n>40 wt %, and p<30 wt %, with the total of m+n+p=100 wt %, and x=1 to 100,000. The molecular weight (weight average) of the polymer is between about 1,000 and 2,000,000. The polymers useful in the practice of the invention are prepared by emulsifying the monomers and then conducting a free-radical polymerization in water.

Abstract: Water-fastness in aqueous ink-jet inks containing water-soluble dyes is achieved by using a specific ionic species having a charge opposite to that on the dye molecule. Anionic dyes typically contain sulfonate (or carboxylate) anionic groups. Using at least one specific ionic species of opposite charge, specifically, phosphonium salts, causes the colorant components to “crash” or precipitate out of the water-based ink onto the print medium due to the formation of a suitable charge complex between the ionic parts of the dye and the opposite charge of the counter-ion species. Other positively charged salts, such as quaternary ammonium salts, carbonium salts, iodonium salts, sulfonium salts, and pyrillium salts may be used to improve aqueous dispersion stability and thus printability. Such additional cationic salt partially replaces the phosphonium salt(s).

Abstract: Ink-jet inks for ink-jet printing are provided which include a vehicle and a colorant, the colorant associated with a primer core/shell polymer to form a primer/colorant combination, and the primer/colorant combination, upon printing on a print medium, encapsulated by a durable core/shell polymer. The primer core/shell polymer serves to promote adhesion of the durable core/shell polymer to the colorant and to disperse the colorant in the ink and the durable core/shell polymer serves to provide a smear-fast film upon drying of the ink on a print medium. The primer core/shell polymer comprises a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell comprising a polar component, while the durable core/shell polymer comprises a hydrophobic core comprising a first T.sub.g component, which, when homopolymerized, has a glass trnnsition temperature, T.sub.g, between -150.degree. C. to +25.degree. C. and a second T.sub.g component, which, when homopolymerized, has a glass transition temperature above +25.degree. C.

Abstract: Composites comprising polymeric binders and phthalocyanine pigments to form a single layer positive organic photoconductor are provided for use in electrophotography. The polymeric binders comprise an aliphatic polymer or copolymer having a saturated ring for each repeat unit either included in the polymer chain or pendant therefrom and about 4 to 35% of functional groups such as --OH, --SH, --N<, >NH, and --NH.sub.2 per repeat unit. The saturated ring portion, being essentially non-polar, or at least less polar than an unsaturated ring, maintains the specific morphology of the phthalo-cyanine pigments commonly employed in positive charge organic photoconductors (OPCs) and results in a stable dispersion required for the stable performance of the OPC. Keeping the functional groups listed above to less than about 35% ensures that the photoresponse is not reduced to an unacceptable level. Heating of the composite is used to control the concentration of the functional groups.

Abstract: Ink-jet inks for ink-jet printing are provided which include a vehicle and a colorant, the colorant encapsulated by or associated with a primer core/shell polymer to form a primer/colorant combination, and the primer/colorant combination, upon printing on a print medium, encapsulated by a durable core/shell polymer. The primer core/shell polymer serves to provide adhesion of the durable core/shell polymer to the colorant and the durable core/shell polymer serves to provide a smear-fast film upon drying of the ink on a print medium. The primer core/shell polymer comprises a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell comprising a polar component, while the durable core/shell polymer comprises a hydrophobic core comprising a low T.sub.g component, which, when homopolymerized, has a glass transition temperature, T.sub.g, below 25.degree. C. and a high T.sub.g component, which, when homopolymerized, has a glass transition temperature above 25.degree. C.

Abstract: Embodiments of photoconductors and methods of making photoconductors for electrophotography are described, each embodiment comprising a complex between metal oxide phthalocyanine compound(s) and hydroxy compound(s) or amine compound(s). A metal oxide phthalocyanine pigment exhibits extended photoresponse between 850 nm and 1000 nm when it is milled with hydroxy binders or amine binders. The preferred hydroxy or amine binders include a modified poly-vinyl butyral binder unit containing a --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH unit, a cyclohexanol unit, a --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 unit, a --CH.sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.10 --NH.sub.2 unit, a --CH.sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.10 --CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 unit, a --CH.sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.4 --NH.sub.2 unit, or other hydroxy or amine units. Optionally, hydroxy solvents or other hydroxy additives may also be included. Preferably, the pigment is dehydrated or hydroxy-starved before milling with the binder and solvents.

Abstract: A thin (<5 .mu.m) charge injection barrier layer is provided on a top surface of an inverse dual layer photoconductor using hole transport or on at least one surface of a single layer photoconductor or on an electrically conductive substrate of a conventional dual layer photoconductor using either hole transport or electron transport. The charge injection barrier layer comprises at least one terpolymer given by the formula ?A.sub.x B.sub.y C.sub.z !.sub.n, where A is a charge injection prohibitor to prevent leakage of charge from the surface, B is a solubility control moiety to control solubility of the polymer and its glass transition temperature, and C is an electron charge moiety for neutralizing surface charge. Each of the moieties A, B, and C contain a vinyl group. The value of x is at least about 0.01, y is within the range of about 0.01 to 0.3, and z is within the range of about 0.01 to 0.4, with the sum of x+y+z=1.

Abstract: A composite organic photoconductor for electrophotography is described. The composite photoconductor includes a conductive support, a charge generation layer and a particulate charge transport layer disposed between the conductive support and the charge generation layer. The charge transport layer is formed from a first colorant composition comprising a particulate pigment embedded in a polymeric matrix. The charge generation layer is formed from a second colorant composition which comprises either a pigment or a dye. The charge transport layer has an infrared absorption maximum of about 740 nm, and the charge generation layer has an infrared absorption maximum greater than about 770 nm. The composite organic photoconductor exhibits both good electrophotographic response and superior thermal stability over a range of operating conditions, and is thus useful in a number of electrophotographic processes such as those employing charging, exposing and developing operations to form images.

Abstract: Embodiments of photoconductors and methods of making photoconductors for electophotography are described, each embodiment comprising a complex between metal oxide phthalocyanine compound(s) and hydroxy compound(s). A metal oxide phthalocyanine pigment exhibits extended photoresponse between 850 nm and 1000 nm when it is milled with a specific hydroxy binder, which preferably includes a modified poly-vinyl butyral binder containing a --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH unit, a cyclohexanol unit, or another hydroxy unit. Optionally, hydroxy solvents or other hydroxy additives may also be included. Preferably, the pigment is dehydrated or hydroxy-starved before milling with the binder and solvents. The metal oxide phthalocyanine pigments and the hydroxy groups form a complex which extends the photo-response of an OPC to wavelengths beyond about 850 nm, in order to achieve higher xerographic speed with higher resolution.

Abstract: An electrographic development process with liquid toner. In the process charged toner particles are moved electrostatically from the liquid dispersion containing them to a charged photoconductor surface. An intermediate development component collects the charged toner particles from the dispersion and carries them out of the liquid phase in a manner to reduce the amount of liquid carrier that is applied to the image bearing substrate or photoconductor. In one embodiment of the invention an intermediate conductive substrate and at least one squeeze mechanism are placed between the dispersion and the photoconductor surface. An electrical bias with the same polarity as the toner particles is applied between the conductive substrate and the first squeeze mechanism. In another embodiment of the invention, the toner dispersion is a high-concentrate slurry, and no roller is necessary between the dispersion and the photoconductor surface.

Abstract: Derivatives of diiminoquinones are useful as electron transport agents in electrophotography. The diiminoquinone derivatives are inexpensive materials, requiring only two steps to synthesize, have excellent solubility and compatibility with most binders due to the presence of long alkyl chains, and evidence high electron mobility.