This thesis mainly focuses on the design and synthesis of novel multifunctional nanoprobes, investigating their feasibility for applications involving sensing, molecular imaging, and the simultaneous diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Above all, it discusses the development of innovative nanomaterials to address the issues limiting the effectiveness of currently available nanoprobes such as the synthesis shortcoming and poor performance in sensing, imaging and therapeutic applications. One of the strengths of this thesis is its integration of knowledge from chemistry, materials science and biomedicine. Further, it presents the theoretical fundamentals in the design of nanoprobes, which can offer guidance for future studies on the development of novel multifunctional nanomaterials with significantly enhanced performance.

This book examines the electronic structure of earth-abundant and environmentally friendly materials for use as absorber layers within photovoltaic cells. The corroboration between high-quality photoemission measurements and density of states calculations yields valuable insights into why these materials have demonstrated poor device efficiencies in the vast literature cited. The book shows how the materials' underlying electronic structures affect their properties, and how the band positions make them unsuitable for use with established solar cell technologies. After explaining these poor efficiencies, the book offers alternative window layer materials to improve the use of these absorbers. The power of photoemission and interpretation of the data in terms of factors generally overlooked in the literature, such as the materials' oxidation and phase impurity, is demonstrated. Representing a unique reference guide, the book will be of considerable interest and value to members of the photoemission community engaged in solar cell research, and to a wider materials science audience as well.

Origami structures have the ability to be easily fabricated from planar forms, enable the deployment of large structures from small volumes, and are potentially reconfigurable. These characteristics have led to an increased interest in theoretical and computational origami among engineers from across the world. In this book, the principles of origami, active materials, and solid mechanics are combined to present a full theory for origami structures. The focus is on origami structures morphed via active material actuation and formed from sheets of finite thickness. The detailed theoretical derivations and examples make this an ideal book for engineers and advanced students who aim to use origami principles to develop new applications in their field.

The topics discussed in this book focus on fundamental problems concerning the structural relaxation of amorphous metallic alloys, above all the possibility of studying it on the basis of viscous flow behavior and its relation to rheological anomalies, such as bend stress relaxation, thermal expansion, specific heat, density changes, and crystallization. Most relaxation studies deal with the relaxation changes of a single definite material property, and not with a wider spectrum of physical properties integrated into a common framework. This book shows that it is possible to describe these property changes on the basis of a more comprehensive theoretical understanding of their mechanism.

Nanocomposite materials are multiphase materials where the interactions between the different components are enhanced by their intimate contact. Indeed, this emerging class of innovative materials guarantees excellent macroscopic properties by taking advantage of the peculiar characteristics that nanometer-sized fillers give to a suitable matrix compared to those obtainable with the same fillers at micrometric dimensions. These innovative materials improve and extend the range of desirable properties. Diverse Applications of Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the application of organic-inorganic nanocomposite materials within various professional disciplines and in different human activities. While highlighting topics such as photocatalysis, atomistic modeling, and membrane separation, this publication explores the strengths and weaknesses of nanocomposites as well as future concepts and devices. This book is ideally designed for chemists, biologists, engineers, researchers, government professionals, academicians, and postgraduate students.

Product reliability is the major aim of technological know-how. Uninterrupted performance of manufactured products at typical and extreme conditions of its use is the major goal of product development and the most important indicator of material quality.

This book provides information on defect formation and materials damage. The following aspects of material performance are discussed:

1 Effect of composition, morphological features, and structure of different materials on material performance, durability, and resilience

2 Analysis of causes of material damage and degradation

3 Effect of processing conditions on material damage

4 Effect of combined action of different degradants on industrial products

5 Systematic analysis of existing knowledge regarding the modes of damage and morphology of

damaged material

6 Methods of analysis of material damage

7 Comparison of experiences generated in different sectors of industry regarding the most frequently encountered failures, reasons for these failures, and potential improvements preventing future damage

The name "Atlas" was selected to indicate emphasis of the book on illustration with many real examples of damaged products and discussion of causes of damage and potential for material improvements.

Special chapter contains examples of damage encountered in different groups of industrial products. Each group of materials is discussed according to the following breakdown:

1 Examples of damage typically encountered in a group under discussion

2 Results of structural analysis of degradation (e.g., image analysis, surface and bulk mapping by analytic techniques such as NMR, XPS, thermography, etc.)

3 Credit to the source of images, references, and explanations

4 Conditions under which material was degraded

5 Discussion of morphological features and observations
Data and images are provided for many material types, making this a hard-working reference guide for engineers working in a range of different market sectors.As well as providing core data, this reference explains the range of test and imaging techniques available, enabling engineers and scientists to take optimal and cost effective decisions.An essential tool for identifying material damage and implementing successful maintenance and replacement regimes.

This book summarizes the recent advances in applications of starch in state-of-the-art drug carriers (hydrogel, micro- and nano-particulate carriers) with stimulus-responsive and target-specific properties. It also highlights the role of starch and its derivatives in transmucosal administration to improve the bioavailability of drugs. Further, it outlines the principles of effective, advanced, starch-based drug delivery systems and illustrates how these principles are key to the development of future drug delivery strategies. This interesting reference resource is useful for students, researchers and engineers in the fields of carbohydrate chemistry, polymer sciences and drug delivery.

This book provides an overview of multiscale approaches and homogenization procedures as well as damage evaluation and crack initiation, and addresses recent advances in the analysis and discretization of heterogeneous materials. It also highlights the state of the art in this research area with respect to different computational methods, software development and applications to engineering structures. The first part focuses on defects in composite materials including their numerical and experimental investigations; elastic as well as elastoplastic constitutive models are considered, where the modeling has been performed at macro- and micro levels. The second part is devoted to novel computational schemes applied on different scales and discusses the validation of numerical results. The third part discusses gradient enhanced modeling, in particular quasi-brittle and ductile damage, using the gradient enhanced approach. The final part addresses thermoplasticity, solid-liquid mixtures and ferroelectric models. The contents are based on the international workshop "Multiscale Modeling of Heterogeneous Structures" (MUMO 2016), held in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2016.

Materials Science and Engineering of Carbon: Fundamentals provides a comprehensive introduction to carbon, the fourth most abundant element in the universe. The contents are organized into two main parts. Following a brief introduction on the history of carbon materials, Part 1 focuses on the fundamental science on the preparation and characterization of various carbon materials, and Part 2 concentrates on their engineering and applications, including hot areas like energy storage and environmental remediation. The book also includes up-to-date advanced information on such newer carbon-based materials as carbon nanotubes and nanofibers, fullerenes and graphenes.
Through review on fundamental science, engineering and applications of carbon materials.
Overview on a wide variety of carbon materials (diamond, graphite, fullerene, carbon nanotubes, graphene, etc.) based on structure and nanotexture.
Description on the preparation and applications of various carbon materials, in the relation to their basic structure and properties.

"Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) Technology: Manufacture and Applications" covers SOI transistors and circuits, manufacture, and reliability. The book also looks at applications such as memory, power devices, and photonics.

The book is divided into two parts; part one covers SOI materials and manufacture, while part two covers SOI devices and applications. The book begins with chapters that introduce techniques for manufacturing SOI wafer technology, the electrical properties of advanced SOI materials, and modeling short-channel SOI semiconductor transistors. Both partially depleted and fully depleted SOI technologies are considered. Chapters 6 and 7 concern junctionless and fin-on-oxide field effect transistors. The challenges of variability and electrostatic discharge in CMOS devices are also addressed. Parttwo covers recent and established technologies. These include SOI transistors for radio frequency applications, SOI CMOS circuits for ultralow-power applications, and improving device performance by using 3D integration of SOI integrated circuits. Finally, chapters 13 and 14 consider SOI technology for photonic integrated circuits and for micro-electromechanical systems and nano-electromechanical sensors.

The extensive coverage provided by "Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) Technology" makes the book a central resource for those working in the semiconductor industry, for circuit design engineers, and for academics. It is also important for electrical engineers in the automotive and consumer electronics sectors.
Covers SOI transistors and circuits, as well as manufacturing processes and reliabilityLooks at applications such as memory, power devices, and photonics"

This book covers the latest advances, applications, and challenges in orthopedic biomaterials. Topics covered include materials for orthopedic applications, including nanomaterials, biomimetic materials, calcium phosphates, polymers, biodegradable metals, bone grafts/implants, and biomaterial-mediated drug delivery. Absorbable orthopedic biomaterials and challenges related to orthopedic biomaterials are covered in detail. This is an ideal book for graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, and professionals working with orthopedic biomaterials and tissue engineering. This book also: Describes biodegradable metals for orthopedic applications, such as Zn-based medical implants Thoroughly covers various materials for orthopedic applications, including absorbable orthopedic biomaterials with a focus on polymers Details the state-of-the-art research on orthopedic nanomaterials and nanotechnology

Biocidal polymers are designed to inhibit or kill microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and protozoans. This book summarizes recent findings in the synthesis, modification and characterization of various antimicrobial polymers ranging from plastics and elastomers to biomimetic and biodegradable polymers. Modifications with different antimicrobial agents as well as antimicrobial testing methods are described in a comprehensive manner.

Product design is an important field where ergonomics and human factors should be applied. To achieve this goal, effective strategies for process improvement must be researched and implemented. Theories, Methods, and Applications in Ergonomics and Product Design is a critical scholarly resource that provides new theories, methodologies, and applications of ergonomics and product design and redesign. Featuring a broad range of topics such as additive manufacturing, product analysis, and sustainable packing development, this book is geared towards academicians, practitioners, and researchers seeking current research on new theories, methods, and applications related to ergonomics and product design.

"Micro- and Nanoengineering of the Cell Surface"explores the direct engineering of cell surfaces, enabling materials scientists and chemists to manipulate or augment cell functions and phenotypes. The book is accessible for readers across industry, academia, and in clinical settings in multiple disciplines, including materials science, engineering, chemistry, biology, and medicine. Written by leaders in the field, it covers numerous cell surface engineering methods along with their current and potential applications in cell therapy, tissue engineering, biosensing, and diagnosis.

The interface of chemistry, materials science, and biology presents many opportunities for developing innovative tools to diagnose and treat various diseases. However, cell surface engineering using chemistry and materials science approaches is a new and diverse field. This book provides a full coverage of the subject, introducing the fundamentals of cell membrane biology before exploring the key application areas.
Demystifies the direct engineering of cell surfaces, enabling materials scientists and chemists to manipulate or augment cell functions and phenotypesProvides a toolkit of micro- and nanoengineering approaches to the manipulation of the cell surfaceUnlocks the potential of cell surface manipulation for a range of new applications in the fields of in vitro research, cell therapy, tissue engineering, biosensing, and diagnostics"

Situated at the forefront of interdisciplinary research on ferromagnetic microwires and their multifunctional composites, this book starts with a comprehensive treatment of the processing, structure, properties and applications of magnetic microwires. Special emphasis is placed on the giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect, which forms the basis for developing high-performance magnetic sensors. After defining the key criteria for selecting microwires for various types of GMI sensors, the book illustrates how ferromagnetic microwires are employed as functional fillers to create a new class of composite materials with multiple functionalities for sensing and microwave applications. Readers are introduced to state-of-the-art fabrication methods, microwave tunable properties, microwave absorption and shielding behaviours, as well as the metamaterial characteristics of these newly developed ferromagnetic microwire composites. Lastly, potential engineering applications are proposed so as to highlight the most promising perspectives, current challenges and possible solutions.

Bio-Inorganic compounds are successfully applied as therapeutic agents since decades. Thus, scientist designed new metal complexes bearing biomolecules as ligands, investigating their potential as bioactive and therapeutic agents. This book presents a comprehensive overview on materials design, substance classes and their characterization. This book is compiled for scientists interested in medical application of bioinspired materials.

This book provides a representative selection of the most relevant, innovative, and useful mathematical methods and models applied to the analysis and characterization of composites and their behaviour on micro-, meso-, and macroscale. It establishes the fundamentals for meaningful and accurate theoretical and computer modelling of these materials in the future. Although the book is primarily concerned with fibre-reinforced composites, which have ever-increasing applications in fields such as aerospace, many of the results presented can be applied to other kinds of composites. The topics covered include: scaling and homogenization procedures in composite structures, thin plate and wave solutions in anisotropic materials, laminated structures, instabilities, fracture and damage analysis of composites, and highly efficient methods for simulation of composites manufacturing. The results presented are useful in the design, fabrication, testing, and industrial applications of composite components and structures. The book is written by well-known experts in different areas of applied mathematics, physics, and composite engineering and is an essential source of reference for graduate and doctoral students, as well as researchers. It is also suitable for non-experts in composites who wish to have an overview of both the mathematical methods and models used in this area and the related open problems requiring further research.

This follow-up to the first volume presents an integrated survey of the most recent research, engineering development and commercial application of amorphous and microcrystalline semiconductor devices, with emphasis on materials properties and their relationship to performance. A complete guide to the past, present and future of these devices, and a reference on the state-of-the-art of amorphous and microcrystalline devices in modern large-area microelectronics.

Magnetic impurities in a non-magnetic host metal have been actively explored in condensed matter physics in recent last decades. From both fundamental and applied viewpoints these systems are very interesting because they can exhibit strong electronic correlations that give rise to various fascinating phenomena beyond the single particle picture. Up to now our understanding of the underlying processes remains limited due to difficulties involved in measuring these systems on a microscopic scale. With their unique control, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) allow for the first time investigations of phenomena occurring on very small length and energy scales. Here, single magnetic iron and cobalt atoms embedded beneath a metal surface are investigated using these techniques. In particular, the transition from single impurity Kondo physics to two interacting impurities is studied in real space. This thesis contains a comprehensive description of the STM /STS technique, sub-surface impurities, as well as single- and two-impurity Kondo physics - and as such offers a valuable introduction to newcomers to the field.

Total hip arthroplasty, the most commonly performed orthopedic procedure, is used to replace or reconstruct the hip with an artificial joint. "Perspectives in Total Hip Arthroplasty" outlines developments in technologies and biomaterials used for this procedure, with a focus on the tribological interactions of the materials used.

Part one outlines the history of total hip arthroplasty and goes on to explore advances in techniques and biomaterials. Part two focuses on the tribology of materials used to perform this procedure, explaining the impact of wear on the load-bearing surface, a major cause of failure in hip prostheses. Chapters review a range of materials, including modern biomaterials, hybrid materials, metal, ceramic, and polyethylene. The book also discusses the tribological interactions of these materials when used in total hip arthroplasty.

"Perspectives in Total Hip Arthroplasty "is a key resource for clinicians, researchers, and academics interested in the tribology of total hip arthroplasty, as well as materials researchers, engineers, and academics concerned with the tribology of biomaterials.
Covers techniques from innovative surgeons and designs from multinational manufacturers, as well as information on improvements in technologies and biomaterialsDiscusses the tribology of all the major materials used in total hip arthroplasty

Metamaterials, artificial electromagnetic media achieved by structuring on the subwave-length-scale were initially suggested for the negative index and superlensing. They became a paradigm for engineering electromagnetic space and controlling propagation of waves. The research agenda is now shifting on achieving tuneable, switchable, nonlinear and sensing functionalities. The time has come to talk about the emerging research field of metadevices employing active and tunable metamaterials with unique functionalities achieved by structuring of functional matter on the subwave-length scale. This book presents the first systematic and comprehensive summary of the reviews written by the pioneers and top-class experts in the field of metamaterials. It addresses many grand challenges of the cutting edge research for creating smaller and more efficient photonic structures and devices.