This is the first book to comprehensively address the recent developments in both the experimental and theoretical aspects of quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged mono- (MX) and binuclear metal (MMX) chain complexes of Pt, Pd and Ni. These complexes have one-dimensional electronic structures, which cause the various physical properties as well as electronic structures. In most MX-chain complexes, the Pt and Pd units are in M(II)-M(IV) mixed valence or charge density wave (CDW) states due to electron-phonon interactions, and Ni compounds are in Ni(III) averaged valence or Mott-Hubbard states due to the on-site Coulomb repulsion. More recently, Pd(III) Mott-Hubbard (MH) states have been realized in the ground state by using the chemical pressure. Pt and Pd chain complexes undergo photo-induced phase transitions from CDW to MH or metal states, and Ni chain complexes undergo photo-induced phase transitions from MH to metal states. Ni chain complexes with strong electron correlations show tremendous third-order optical nonlinearity and nonlinear electrical conductivities. They can be explained theoretically by using the extended Peierls-Hubbard model. For MMX-chain complexes, averaged valence, CDW, charge polarization, and alternating charge polarization states have been realized by using chemical modification and external stimuli, such as temperature, photo-irradiation, pressure, and water vapor. All of the electronic structures and phase transitions can be explained theoretically.

Batteries that can store electricity from solar and wind generation farms are a key component of a sustainable energy strategy. Featuring 15 peer-reviewed entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, this book presents a wide range of battery types and components, from nanocarbons for supercapacitors to lead acid battery systems and technology. Worldwide experts provides a snapshot-in-time of the state-of-the art in battery-related R&D, with a particular focus on rechargeable batteries. Such batteries can store electrical energy generated by renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower installations with high efficiency and release it on demand. They are efficient, non-polluting, self-contained devices, and their components can be recovered and used to recreate battery systems. Coverage also highlights the significant efforts currently underway to adapt battery technology to power cars, trucks and buses in order to eliminate pollution from petroleum combustion. Written for an audience of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and industry experts, Batteries for Sustainability is an invaluable one-stop reference to this essential area of energy technology.

The idea for this book arose out of the realization that, although excellent surveys and a phosphor handbook are available, there is no single source covering the area of phosphate based phosphors especially for lamp industry. Moreover, as this field gets only limited attention in most general books on luminescence, there is a clear need for a book in which attention is specifically directed toward this rapidly growing field of solid state lighting and its many applications. This book is aimed at providing a sound introduction to the synthesis and optical characterization of phosphate phosphor for undergraduate and graduate students as well as teachers and researchers. The book provides guidance through the multidisciplinary field of solid state lighting specially phosphate phosphors for beginners, scientists and engineers from universities, research organizations, and especially industry. In order to make it useful for a wide audience, both fundamentals and applications are discussed, together.

Photophysics of Carbon Nanotubes Interfaced with Organic and Inorganic Materials describes physical, optical and spectroscopic properties of the emerging class of nanocomposites formed from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) interfacing with organic and inorganic materials. The three main chapters detail novel trends in photophysics related to the interaction of light with various carbon nanotube composites from relatively simple CNT/small molecule assemblies to complex hybrids such as CNT/Si and CNT/DNA nanostructures. The latest experimental results are followed up with detailed discussions and scientific and technological perspectives to provide a through coverage of major topics including: -Light harvesting, energy conversion, photoinduced charge separation and transport in CNT based nanohybrids -CNT/polymer composites exhibiting photoactuation; and -Optical spectroscopy and structure of CNT/DNA complexes. Including original data and a short review of recent research, Photophysics of Carbon Nanotubes Interfaced with Organic and Inorganic Materials makes this emerging field of photophysics and its applications available to academics and professionals working with carbon nanotube composites in fundamental and applied fields

This book covers graphene reinforced polymers, which are useful in electronic applications, including electrically conductive thermoplastics composites, thermosets and elastomers. It systematically introduces the reader to fundamental aspects and leads over to actual applications, such as sensor fabrication, electromagnetic interference shielding, optoelectronics, superconductivity, or memory chips. The book also describes dielectric and thermal behaviour of graphene polymer composites - properties which are essential to consider for the fabrication and production of these new electronic materials. The contributions in this book critically discuss the actual questions in the development and applications of graphene polymer composites. It will thus appeal to chemists, physicists, materials scientists as well as nano technologists, who are interested in the properties of graphene polymer composites.

The book summarizes Ting Lei's PhD study on a series of novel conjugated polymers for field-effect transistors (FETs). Studies contain many aspects of polymer FETs, including backbone design, side-chain engineering, property study, conformation effects and device fabrication. The research results have previously scattered in many important journals and conferences worldwide. The book is likely to be of interest to university researchers, engineers and graduate students in materials sciences and chemistry who wish to learn some principles, strategy, and applications of polymer FETs.

This book is an up-to-date text covering topics in utilizing hydrogen bonding for constructing functional architectures and supramolecular materials. The first chapter addresses the control of photo-induced electron and energy transfer. The second chapter summarizes the formation of nano-porous materials. The following two chapters introduce self-assembled gels, many of which exhibit unique functions. Other chapters cover the advances in supramolecular liquid crystals and the versatility of hydrogen bonding in tuning/improving the properties and performance of materials. This book is designed to bring together in a single volume the most important and active fields of hydrogen bonding strategy for designing supramolecular materials. The book will be a valuable resource for graduates and researchers working in the fields of supramolecular chemistry and materials sciences. Zhan-Ting Li, PhD, is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, China Li-Zhu Wu, PhD, is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

This book describes clearly various research topics investigated for these 10 years in the Research Center of Advanced Structural and Functional Materials Design in Osaka University, Japan. Every chapter is aimed at understanding most advanced researches in materials science by describing its fundamentals and details as much as possible. Since both general explanations and cutting-edge commentaries are given for each topic in this book, it provides a lot of useful information for ordinary readers as well as materials scientists & engineers who wish to understand the future development in materials science fields of metals, alloys, ceramics, semiconductors etc. In particular, this book deals with special fusion area of structural and functional materials such as medical bone materials, of which contents are very unique features as materials science textbook.

This book presents a method for replicating natural butterfly wing scales using a variety of metals for state-of-the-art applications requiring high surface-enhancement properties. During the past decade, three dimensional (3D) sub-micrometer structures have attracted considerable attention for optical applications. These 3D subwavelength metallic structures are, however, difficult to prepare. By contrast, the 3D superstructures of butterfly wing scales, with more than 175 000 morphologies, are efficiently engineered by nature. Natural butterfly wing scales feature 3D sub-micrometer structures that are superior to many human designs in terms of structural complexity, reproducibility, and cost. Such natural wealth offers a versatile chemical route via the replication of these structures into functional metals. A single versatile chemical route can be used to produce butterfly scales in seven different metals. These synthesized structures have the potential for catalytic (Au, Pt, Pd), thermal (Ag, Au, Cu), electrical (Au, Cu, Ag), magnetic (Co, Ni), and optical (Au, Ag, Cu) applications. Plasmon-active Au, Cu, Ag butterfly scales have exhibited excellent properties in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The Au scales as SERS substrates have ten times the analyte detection sensitivity and are one-tenth the cost of their human-designed commercial counterparts (KlariteTM). Preliminary mechanisms of these surface-enhancement phenomena are also reviewed.

This book covers the history of lasers with nuclear pumping (Nuclear Pumped Lasers, NPLs). This book showcases the most important results and stages of NPL development in The Russian Federal Nuclear Center (VNIIEF) as well as other Russian and international laboratories, including laboratories in the United States. The basic science and technology behind NPLs along with potential applications are covered throughout the book. As the first comprehensive discussion of NPLs, students, researchers, and application engineers interested in high energy lasers will find this book to be an extremely valuable source of information about these unique lasers.

Laser assisted fabrication involves shaping of materials using laser as a source of heat. It can be achieved by removal of materials (laser assisted cutting, drilling, etc.), deformation (bending, extrusion), joining (welding, soldering) and addition of materials (surface cladding or direct laser cladding). This book on Laser assisted Fabrication' is aimed at developing in-depth engineering concepts on various laser assisted macro and micro-fabrication techniques with the focus on application and a review of the engineering background of different micro/macro-fabrication techniques, thermal history of the treated zone and microstructural development and evolution of properties of the treated zone.

Iptycenes Chemistry: From Synthesis to Applications provides a comprehensive overview of the development of iptycene chemistry in the past seventy years. This book covers: (1) the basic nomenclature and general properties of iptycenes and their derivatives; (2) the synthesis and functionalization reactions of triptycenes, pentiptycenes, higher iptycenes, heterotriptycenes, and homotriptycenes; (3) the methods for the preparation of iptycene-based polymers with different types; and (4) the applications of iptycenes and their derivatives in molecular machines, materials science, host-guest chemistry, self-assembly, coordination chemistry, physical organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and so on. Consequently, such a book is not only helpful to researchers working in iptycene chemistry, but can also facilitate future research in wide areas.

This is a new type of edited volume in the Frontiers in Electronic Testing book series devoted to recent advances in electronic circuits testing. The book is a comprehensive elaboration on important topics which capture major research and development efforts today. "Hot" topics of current interest to test technology community have been selected, and the authors are key contributors in the corresponding topics.

This book is the result of the extensive experience the authors gained through their year-long occupation at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Banja Luka. Starting at the fundamental basics of electrical engineering, the book guides the reader into this field and covers all the relevant types of converters and regulators. Understanding is enhanced by the given examples, exercises and solutions. Thus this book can be used as a textbook for students, for self-study or as a reference book for professionals.

This book offers readers a snapshot of the progression of molecular modeling in the electronics industry and how molecular modeling is currently being used to understand materials to solve relevant issues in this field. The reader is introduced to the evolving role of molecular modeling, especially seen from the perspective of the IEEE community and modeling in electronics. This book also covers the aspects of molecular modeling needed to understand the relationship between structures and mechanical performance of materials. The authors also discuss the transitional topic of multiscale modeling and recent developments on the atomistic scale and current attempts to reach the submicron scale, as well as the role that quantum mechanics can play in performance prediction.

This book covers the basics, realization and materials for high power laser systems and high power radiation interaction with matter. The physical and technical fundamentals of high intensity laser optics and adaptive optics and the related physical processes in high intensity laser systems are explained. A main question discussed is: What is power optics? In what way is it different from ordinary optics widely used in cameras, motion-picture projectors, i.e., for everyday use? An undesirable consequence of the thermal deformation of optical elements and surfaces was discovered during studies of the interaction with powerful incident laser radiation. The requirements to the fabrication, performance and quality of optical elements employed within systems for most practical applications are also covered. The high-power laser performance is generally governed by the following: (i) the absorption of incident optical radiation (governed primarily by various absorption mechanisms), (ii) followed by a temperature increase and response governed primarily by thermal properties and (iii) the thermo-optical and thermo-mechanical response of distortion, stress, fracture, etc. All this needs to be understood to design efficient, compact, reliable and useful high power systems for many applications under a variety of operating conditions, pulsed, continuous wave and burst mode of varying duty cycles. The book gives an overview of an important spectrum of related topics like laser resonator configurations, intermetallic optical coatings, heat carriers for high power optics, cellular materials, high-repetition-rate lasers and mono-module disk lasers for high power optics.

The ELFNET Book on Failure Mechanisms, Testing Methods, and Quality Issues of Lead-Free Solder Interconnects is the work of the European network ELFNET which was founded by the European Commission in the 6th Framework Programme. It brings together contributions from the leading European experts in lead-free soldering. The limited validity of testing methods originating from tin-lead solder was a major point of concern in ELFNET members' discussions. As a result, the network's reliability group decided to bring together the material properties of lead-free solders, as well as the basics of material science, and to discuss their influence on the procedures for accelerated testing. This has led to a matrix of failure mechanisms and their activation and, as a result, to a comprehensive coverage of the scientific background and its applications in reliability testing of lead-free solder joints. The ELFNET Book on Failure Mechanisms, Testing Methods, and Quality Issues of Lead-Free Solder Interconnects is written for scientists, engineers and researchers involved with lead-free electronics.

Dielectric Polymer Nanocomposites provides the first in-depth discussion of nano-dielectrics, an emerging and fast moving topic in electrical insulation. The text begins with an overview of the background, principles and promise of nanodielectrics, followed by a discussion of the processing of nanocomposites and then proceeds with special considerations of clay based processes, mechanical, thermal and electric properties and surface properties as well as erosion resistance. Carbon nanotubes are discussed as a means of creation of non linear conductivity, the text concludes with a industrial applications perspective.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are part of the so-called B-C-N material system, which includes novel nanostructures of carbon (C), doped-carbon, boron (B), boron nitride (BN), carbon nitride (CNx), boron-carbon nitride (BxCyNz), and boron carbide (BxCy). BNNTs and CNTs are structurally similar and share extraordinary mechanical properties, but they differ in chemical, biological, optical, and electrical properties. Therefore, hybrid nanotubes constructed of B, C, N elements are expected to form a new class of nanotubes with tunable properties between those of CNTs and BNNTs. In addition, these B-C-N nanostructures will further enhance and complement the applications of CNTs and BNNTs. With contributions from leading experts, B-C-N Nanotubes and Related Nanostructures is the first book to cover all theoretical and experimental aspects of this emerging material system, and meets the need for a comprehensive summary of the tremendous advances in research on B-C-N materials in recent years.

The series Advances in Polymer Science presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science. It covers all areas of research in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics, material science. The thematic volumes are addressed to scientists, whether at universities or in industry, who wish to keep abreast of the important advances in the covered topics. Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Single contributions can be specially commissioned. Readership: Polymer scientists, or scientists in related fields interested in polymer and biopolymer science, at universities or in industry, graduate students

This book is loosely based on a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) project and a few supplemental projects sponsored by the Of?ce of Naval Research (ONR) during the time frame of 2004-2009. The initial technical scope and vision of the MURI project was formulated by Drs. Larry Cooper and Joel Davis, both program of?cers at ONR at the time. The unifying theme of this MURI project and its companionefforts is the concept of cellular nonlinear/neuralnetwork (CNN) technology and its various extensions and chip implementations, including nanoscale sensors and the broadening ?eld of cellular wave computing. In recent years, CNN-based vision system drew much attention from vision scientists to device technologists and computer architects. Due to its early - plementation in a two-dimensional (2D) topography, it found success in early vision technologyapplications, such as focal-plane arrays, locally adaptable sensor/ processor integration, resulting in extremely high frame rates of 10,000 frames per second. More recently it drew increasing attention from computer architects, due to its intrinsic local interconnect architecture and parallel processing paradigm. As a result, a few spin-off companies have already been successful in bringing cel- lar wave computing and CNN technology to the market. This book aims to capture some of the recent advances in the ?eld of CNN research and a few select areas of applications.