Phenomena associated with the adhesion interaction of surfaces have been a critical aspect of micro- and nanosystem development and performance since the first MicroElectroMechanicalSystems(MEMS) were fabricated. These phenomena are ubiquitous in nature and are present in all systems, however MEMS devices are particularly sensitive to their effects owing to their small size and limited actuation force that can be generated. Extension of MEMS technology concepts to the nanoscale and development of NanoElectroMechanicalSystems(NEMS) will result in systems even more strongly influenced by surface forces. The book is divided into five parts as follows: Part 1: Understanding Through Continuum Theory; Part 2: Computer Simulation of Interfaces; Part 3: Adhesion and Friction Measurements; Part 4: Adhesion in Practical Applications; and Part 5: Adhesion Mitigation Strategies. This compilation constitutes the first book on this extremely important topic in the burgeoning field of MEMS/NEMS. It is obvious from the topics covered in this book that bountiful information is contained here covering understanding of surface forces and adhesion as well as novel ways to mitigate adhesion in MEMS/NEMS. This book should be of great interest to anyone engaged in the wonderful and fascinating field of MEMS/NEMS, as it captures the current R&D activity.

Silicone is an important class of materials used in applications that range from industrial assembly to everyday consumer products. Silicones are often delivered and synthesized in dispersion forms, the most common being liquid-in-liquid (emulsion), solid-in-liquid (suspension), air-in-liquid (foam) and solid-in air (powder). This book compiles a carefully selected number of topics that are essential to the understanding, creative design and production of silicone dispersions. As such, it provides the first unified description of silicone dispersions in the literature.

Expensive, delicate, and difficult to operate, femtosecond lasers have already won two Nobel Prizes and created multi-billion dollar industries. As these lasers break out of laboratories for use in real-world large-scale applications, the number of people using them increases. This book provides a fresh perspective on femtosecond lasers, discussing how they are soon to become a universal light source, spanning any timescale and generating any wavelength of light. Starting from the basics of light itself, this book presents in an everyday manner, with clear illustrations and without formulas, what makes this class of lasers so versatile and the future of many more applications. Many of the subjects covered in this book are described in plain words for the first time.

Nanotechnology has become one of the most important fields in science. Nanoparticles exhibit unique chemical, physical and electronic properties that are different from those of bulk materials, due to their small size and better architecture. Nanoparticles can be used to construct novel sensing devices; in particular electrochemical sensors. Electrochemical detection is highly attractive for the monitoring of glucose, cancer cells, cholesterol and infectious diseases. Unique nanocomposite-based films proposed in this book open new doors to the design and fabrication of high-performance electrochemical sensors.

This volume chronicles the proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Contact Angle, Wettability and Adhesion held in Philadelphia, PA, June 2004. The world of wettability is very wide and it plays a crucial role in many and varied technological areas ranging from microfluidics to biomedical to agriculture to welding. This volume contains a total of 31 papers covering many ramifications of contact angle, wettability and adhesion. All manuscripts were rigorously peer-reviewed and revised, and properly edited before inclusion in this book. The topics covered include: fundamental aspects of contact line region; evaporative behavior of sessile drops; various factors influencing contact angle measurements; different kinds of contact angles; various ways to measure contact angles; contact angle hysteresis; contact angle measurements on various materials (smooth, rough, porous, heterogeneous); effect of electric field on contact angle (electrowetting); wetting and spreading on heterogeneous surfaces; factors influencing wetting/spreading phenomena; determination of solid surface free energy via contact angle measurements; application of AFM in determining solid surface tension at the nano-scale; ultralyophobic surfaces; surface modification and wettability; multiphase flow dynamics in porous media; thin film coatings for textile materials; bio-fouling resistant coatings; relationships between wetting and adhesion; and relevance/importance of wetting and surface energetics in technological applications, including cleaning of flooring materials, kinetics of oil removal from coating materials, cell adhesion, and mold compound- metal adhesion in semiconductor packaging.

This book documents the proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Adhesion Measurement of Films and Coatings, held in Newark, NJ, October 25-27, 1999. Since the First Symposium (Boston 1992) there had been considerable activity in devising new, more reliable and more efficient ways to measure adhesion of films and coatings, which resulted in the decision to organize the Newark Symposium. Films and coatings are used for a variety of purposes aEURO" functional, decorative, protective, etc. aEURO" in a host of applications. Irrespective of the purpose or application of a film or a coating, their adequate adhesion to the underlying substrates is of paramount importance. Concomitantly, the need to develop techniques for quantitative assessment of adhesion of films and coatings is all too obvious. This volume contains a total of 20 papers, which have all been rigorously peer reviewed and suitably modified before inclusion. The topics include: measurement and analysis of interface adhesion; relative adhesion measurement for thin film structures; adhesion testing of hard coatings by a variety of techniques; challenges and new directions in scratch adhesion testing of coated substrates; application of scratch test to different films and coatings; evaluation of coating-substrate adhesion by indentation experiments; measurement of interfacial fracture energy in multifilm applications; laser induced decohesion spectroscopy (LIDS) for measuring adhesion; pulsed laser technique for assessment of adhesion; blade adhesion test; JKR adhesion test; coefficient of thermal expansion measurement; and residual stresses in diamond films. This volume, providing the latest information, will be of great value and interest to anyone working in the area of adhesion measurement of films and coatings.

This book chronicles the proceedings of the International Symposium on Adhesion Measurement of Films and Coatings, held in Boston. The articles in this book were previously published in three special issues of the Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology. Films and coatings are used for a variety of purposes and their adequate adhesion to the underlying substrates is of cardinal importance from practical consideration. In the last two decades there has been brisk activity in devising new ways to measure adhesion or ameliorating the existing techniques.

This book is a collection of invited papers (previously published in special issues of the Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology) written by internationally recognized researchers actively working in the field of plasma surface modification. It provides a current, comprehensive overview of the plasma treatment of polymers. In contrast to plasma polymerization, plasma surface modification reactions do not cause thin-film deposition, and can therefore only modify the surface properties of organic substrates. Plasma surface modifications are fast, efficient methods for improving the adhesion properties and other surface characteristics of a variety of polymeric materials. The focus of this volume is on adhesion phenomena, surface properties and the surface characterization of plasma-treated materials. This book opens with a critical review of the plasma surface modification of polymers for improved adhesion. The remainder of the papers are divided into two sections, one dealing with the characterization of plasma-treated surfaces and the second concerned with various practical applications of plasma-treated surfaces

In the tradition of the popular first edition, Analysis of Surfactants, Second Edition offers a comprehensive and practical account of analysis methods for determining and understanding commercially important surfactants-individually and in compounds. Combining a complete review of the literature with a variety of evaluation procedures and the specifications for commercial products, this useful reference explores the key stages and latest developments for surfactant applications. This edition has been thoroughly expanded and features new sections on capillary electrophoresis, ether carboxylates, and ester quats. It is also more globally accessible with foreign language citations and SI units. Containing over 2400 references, drawings, tables, and equations, Analysis of Surfactants, Second Edition is an recommended reference for physical, surface, colloid, and oil chemists; analytical, research, and quality assurance chemists working in the soap and detergent, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic industries; regulatory and food scientists; and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines.

Offering the latest research and developments in the understanding of surfactant behavior in solutions, this reference investigates the role and dynamics of surfactants and their solution properties in the formulation of paints, printing inks, paper coatings, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, cosmetics, liquid detergents, and lubricants. Exploring the science behind techniques from oil recovery to drug delivery, the book covers surfactant stabilized particles; solid particles at liquid interfaces; nanocapsules; aggregation behavior of surfactants; micellar catalysis; vesicles and liposomes; the clouding phenomena; viscoelasticity of micellar solutions; and more.

A response to increasingly stringent regulation of pollution and toxicity levels in industrial waste discharge, Micellar Enhanced Ultrafiltration: Fundamentals & Applications offers the most complete book available on the benefits and use of micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) to achieve continuous removal of organic and inorganic pollutants. An Unparalleled Book That Addresses Both Academic and Industrial Points of View Several membrane-based techniques, such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis, are currently used in a wide range of applications throughout the textile, pulp and paper, sugar, chemical, pharmaceutical, biomedical, biotechnological, and food industries. However, although reverse osmosis is an effective means of removing contaminants, this book explains why MEUF is a better substitute, as it less expensive, less energy-intensive, and more efficient and practical for a wider range of applications. Topics covered include: Effects of pollution in water and its consequences Various treatment processes and membrane technologies Fundamentals of ultrafiltration Outline of various membrane modules and modeling approaches Principles of colloid chemistry Theories of micelle formation Stability and dynamics of micelles Phenomena of counterion binding Solubilization of organic pollutants Selection criteria for surfactants Various flux enhancement techniques Recovery of precious metals This book conveys how, with proper selection of surfactant and membrane, MEUF can be used to efficiently remove almost all metal ions (heavy metals, lanthanides, radioa

Since the turn of the 21st century, the field of electron molecule collisions has undergone a renaissance. The importance of such collisions in applications from radiation chemistry to astrochemistry has flowered, and their role in industrial processes such as plasma technology and lighting are vital to the advancement of next generation devices. Furthermore, the development of the scanning tunneling microscope highlights the role of such collisions in the condensed phase, in surface processing, and in the development of nanotechnology. Low-Energy Electron Scattering from Molecules, Biomolecules and Surfaces highlights recent progress in the theory and experiment of electron-molecule collisions, providing a detailed review of the current state of knowledge of electron molecule scattering-theoretical and experimental-for the general physicist and chemist interested in solving practical problems. In few other branches of science is the collaboration between theorists and experimentalists so topical. Covering advancements in practical problems, such as those met in plasma physics, microelectronics, nanolithography, DNA research, atmospheric chemistry, and astrochemistry, this book describes the formal general scattering theory and description of the experimental setup at a level the interested non-expert can appreciate.

Liquid crystals allow us to perform experiments that provide insight into fundamental problems of modern physics, such as phase transitions, frustration, elasticity, hydrodynamics, defects, growth phenomena, and optics. Smectic and Columnar Liquid Crystals: Concepts and Physical Properties Illustrated by Experiments is a result of personal research and of the graduate lectures given by the authors at the Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon and the University of Paris VII, respectively. The book examines lamellar (smectic) and columnar liquid crystals, which, in addition to orientational order, possess 1D, 2D or 3D positional order. This volume illustrates original physical concepts using methodically numerous experiments, theoretical developments, and diagrams. Topics include rheology and plasticity, ferroelectricity, analogies with superconductors, hexatic order and 2D-melting, equilibrium shapes, facetting, and the Mullins-Sekerka instability, as well as phase transitions in free films and membrane vibrations. Nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals are covered by the authors in a separate volume entitled Nematic and Cholesteric Liquid Crystals: Concepts and Physical Properties Illustrated by Experiments. Smectic and Columnar Liquid Crystals is an ideal introduction and a valuable source of reference for theoretical and experimental studies of advanced students and researchers in liquid crystals, condensed matter physics, and materials science.

Providing new insights into the molecular and electronic processes involved in the conversion of sunlight into chemical products, Photoelectrochemical Solar Conversion Systems: Molecular and Electronic Aspects begins with an historical overview and a survey of recent developments in the electrochemistry of semiconductors and spectroscopic techniques. It then provides a comprehensive introduction to the science of conversion cells, reviews current issues and potential directions, and covers a wide range of materials from organic to inorganic cells. Employing a tutorial organization with balanced coverage of electrochemistry and solar energy conversion, this book covers: The conversion of sunlight into chemical energy and different actual conversion concepts Electrochemical methods for the construction and characterization of electrolyte-metal-oxide-semiconductor contacts (EMOS) in the nanodimensions, the so-called nano-emitter concept, including the electrochemical formation of metal clusters of catalytic metals and the formation of passivating layers by anodization The fundamentals of electrocatalysis with emphasis on the hydrogen evolution reaction and the electrochemical CO2 reduction Classical and quantum mechanical theories of electron transfer reactions in metal-electrolyte interfaces and their relation with surface electronics The physicochemical characterization of the model system Si-SiOx-metal-electrolyte by means of modern electrochemical, surface, and spectroscopic methods Improvements of conversion efficiency by means of optical effects, for example, the generation of surface plasmons by nano-dimensioned arrangements of optically active metals

A full understanding of modern chemistry is impossible without quantum theory. Since the advent of quantum mechanics in 1925, a number of chemical phenomena have been explained, such as electron transfer, excitation energy transfer, and other phenomena in photochemistry and photo-physics. Chemical bonds can now be accurately calculated with the help of a personal computer. Addressing students of theoretical and quantum chemistry and their counterparts in physics, Chemical Physics: Electrons and Excitations introduces chemical physics as a gateway to fields such as photo physics, solid-state physics, and electrochemistry. Offering relevant background in theory and applications, it covers the foundations of quantum mechanics and molecular structure, as well as more specialized topics such as transfer reactions and photochemistry.

An eclectic mix of studies on chemical and electrochemical behaviour of membrane surfaces. The book looks at membranes - both organic and inorganic - from a host of different perspectives and in the context of many diverse disciplines. It explores the behaviours of both synthetic and biological membranes, employing physical, chemical and physiochemical perspectives, and blends state-of-the-art research of many disciplines into a coherent whole.

The phase behaviour of materials and their thermodynamic properties are a central subject in all fields of materials research. The first Volume of the work, meant for graduate students in chemistry, geology, physics, and metallurgy, and their engineering counterparts, is split up in three levels, such that from level to level the portion and importance of thermodynamics and mathematics are increased. In the ground level it is shown that the basic principles of phase equilibria can be understood without the use of thermodynamics - be it that the concept of chemical potential is introduced right from the beginning. The intermediate level is an introduction to thermodynamics; culminating in the Gibbs energy as the arbiter for equilibrium - demonstrated for systems where the phases in equilibrium are pure substances. In the third level the accent is on binary systems, where one or more phases are solutions of the components...

The first publication of its kind in the field, this book describes comprehensively and systematically radio-frequency (rf) capacitive gas discharges of intermediate and low pressure and their application to gas laser excitation and to plasma processing. Text presents the physics underlying rf discharges along with techniques for obtaining such discharges, experimental methods and results, and theoretical and numerical modeling findings. Radio-Frequency Capacitive Discharges is written by well-known specialists in the field, authors of many theoretical and experimental works. They provide simple and clear discussions of complicated physical phenomena. A complete review on the state of the art is included. This interesting new book can be used as a textbook for students and postgraduates and as a comprehensive guidebook by specialists.

Increasingly useful in materials research and development, molecular modeling is a method that combines computational chemistry techniques with graphics visualization for simulating and predicting the structure, chemical processes, and properties of materials.

Molecular Modeling Techniques in Materials Science explores the impact of using molecular modeling for various simulations in industrial settings. It provides an overview of commonly used methods in atomistic simulation of a broad range of materials, including oxides, superconductors, semiconductors, zeolites, glass, and nanomaterials. The book presents information on how to handle different materials and how to choose an appropriate modeling method or combination of techniques to better predict material behavior and pinpoint effective solutions. Discussing the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches, the authors develop a framework for identifying objectives, defining design parameters, measuring accuracy/accounting for error, validating and assessing various data collected, supporting software needs, and other requirements for planning a modeling project. The book integrates the remarkable developments in computation, such as advanced graphics and faster, cheaper workstations and PCs with new advances in theoretical techniques and numerical algorithms.

Molecular Modeling Techniques in Materials Science presents the background and tools for chemists and physicists to perform "in-silico" experiments to understand relationships between the properties of materials and the underlying atomic structure. These insights result in more accurate data for designing application-specific materials that withstand real processconditions, including hot temperatures and high pressures.

Recently developed organic photovoltaics (OPVs) show distinct advantages over their inorganic counterparts due to their lighter weight, flexible shape, versatile materials synthesis and device fabrication schemes, and low cost in large-scale industrial production. Although many books currently exist on general concepts of PV and inorganic PV materials and devices, few are available that offer a comprehensive overview of recently fast developing organic and polymeric PV materials and devices.

Organic Photovoltaics: Mechanisms, Materials, and Devices fills this gap. The book provides an international perspective on the latest research in this rapidly expanding field with contributions from top experts around the world. It presents a unified approach comprising three sections: General Overviews; Mechanisms and Modeling; and Materials and Devices. Discussions include sunlight capture, exciton diffusion and dissociation, interface properties, charge recombination and migration, and a variety of currently developing OPV materials/devices. The book also includes two forewords: one by Nobel Laureate Dr. Alan J. Heeger, and the other by Drs. Aloysius Hepp and Sheila Bailey of NASA Glenn Research Center.

Organic Photovoltaics equips students, researchers, and engineers with knowledge of the mechanisms, materials, devices, and applications of OPVs necessary to develop cheaper, lighter, and cleaner renewable energy throughout the coming decades.

First published in 1993, Coagulation and Flocculation is a practical reference for the researchers in the field of the stabilization and destabilization of fine solid dispersions. By omitting chapters that remained unchanged from the first edition, the editors of this second edition completely update, rewrite, and expand upon all chapters to reflect a decade of the latest advances in both theoretical and application aspects of the field. The authors provide expanded material that includes dissociation from a solid surface with independent sites; improvements to the Gouy-Chapman model; electrical double layer, surface ionization, and surface heterogeneity; thin liquid films and modeling of a semi-batch process using microprocesses probabilities; and clay mineral intracrystalline reactions, applications, and gelation. New chapters cover homopolymers and their effect on colloid stability, including never before published figures and equations; the stability of suspensions in the presence of surfactants, polymers, and mixtures; and the flocculation and dewatering of fine-particle suspensions, emphasizing floc formation, growth, structure, and applications. The second edition of Coagulation and Flocculation effectively captures both the theoretical and application aspects of the latest advances in the evolving field of solid dispersions, suspensions, and mixtures.

Alignment phenomena are characteristic of liquid crystalline materials, and understanding them is critically important in understanding the essential features and behavior of liquid crystals and the performance of Liquid Crystal Devices (LCDs). Furthermore, in LCD production lines, the alignment process is of practical importance. Alignment Technologies and Applications of Liquid Crystal Devices demonstrates both the fundamental and practical aspects of alignment phenomena in liquid crystals. The physical basis of alignment phenomena is first introduced in order to aid the understanding of the various physical phenomena observed in the interface between liquid crystalline materials and alignment layer surfaces. Methods for the characterization of surfaces, which induce the alignment phenomena, and of the alignment layer itself are introduced. These methods are useful for the research of liquid crystalline materials and devices in academic research as well as in industry. In the practical sections, the alignment methods used in the LCD production lines are introduced with various other trials for the alignment technologies. LCD performances are also discussed in relation to alignment phenomena. The authors have a wide range of experience in both academic research and in industry. This book will be of interest to researchers and engineers working in the LCD industry, and for physics and chemistry researchers studying liquid crystalline materials.

Humans first used carbon as chars from firewood in ritual paintings and primitive metallurgical processes. Natural forms of carbon have been known since antiquity, yet the knowledge of the carbon element in chemistry and its technical applications on a larger scale are a relatively recent development. The industrial revolution in Europe two centuries ago led the way to the numerous applications of these graphitic forms that are still used today. Graphite and Precursors features short tutorial articles on different topics related to the science and technology of carbons intended for engineers, students of Materials Science and scientists who are seeking a fundamental understanding without "reinventing the wheel." This first volume of the World of Carbon book series focuses on graphite and its precursors, including its origin and various implications. The basic properties of hexagonal graphite are developed, and several theoretical and experimental approaches explain why this crystalline solid is fascinating in solid state physics. Also featured are the numerous applications connected to thermal, mechanical and chemical graphites, as well as their various industrial uses in polycrystalline form. Finally, carbon precursors are introduced.

This is the fourth volume in the Reviews in Fluorescence series. To date, three volumes have been both published and well received by the scienti c community. Several book reviews in the last few years have also favorably remarked on the series. In this fourth volume we continue the tradition of publishing leading edge and timely articles from authors around the world. We thank the authors for their timely and exciting contributions. We hope you nd this volume as useful as past volumes, which promises to be just as diverse with regard to uorescence-based content. Finally, in closing, I would like to thank to Aaron Johnson, formerly at Springer, for helping me to publish this book serial over the last four volumes. Thanks also go to Michael Weston at Springer for help in publishing this current volume. Baltimore, Maryland Chris D. Geddes v Contents Simple Calibration and Validation Standards for Fluorometry ...1 Ute Resch-Genger, Katrin Hoffmann, and Dietmar Pfeifer Membranes and Fluorescence Microscopy...33 Luis A. Bagatolli Electronic Energy Transport and Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Structural Insights into Proteins, Regular Protein Aggregates and Lipid Systems ...53 ? ? Therese Mikaelsson, Radek Sachl, and Lennart B. -A. Johansson Spectra FRET: A Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Method in Live Cells...87 Ekaterina A. Bykova and Jie Zheng Boronic Acid Based Modular Fluorescent Saccharide Sensors...103 John S. Fossey and Tony D. James Fluorescence Solvent Relaxation in Cationic Membranes ...

Various separation membranes have been developed since their discovery over half a century ago, providing numerous benefits and fulfilling many applications in our everyday lives. They lend themselves to techniques ranging from microfiltration and gas separation, to what can be considered as the most advanced technique - ion exchange. This book, aimed at academic researchers, engineers and industrialists, contains a brief history of ion exchange and goes on to explain the preparation, characterization, modification and applications of these important membranes. Discussions include the use of ion exchange in analytical and medical techniques, as well as the development of future applications.