Engineering topics

Strunskus, Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Strunskus, Thomas.

3 records

DOE OSTI2016

Modification of a metal nanoparticle beam by a hollow electrode discharge

Treatment of nanoparticles (NPs) in complex environments, such as plasmas, is of interest for the fabrication of advanced nanomaterials with desired properties and also from a physical point of view. Here, the authors investigate the mutual interaction between silver NPs and a radio frequency (RF) plasma at different conditions by combining a cylindrical hollow electrode with a gas aggregation source. The investigation of the NP deposits and the morphology of the casted films shows that the applied RF discharge significantly changes the path of the NPs as well as the NP size distribution in the beam. Starting from a neutral NP beam, it is observed that most of the NPs leave the plasma region with negative charge(s), yet the fraction of positively charged NPs grows with power. Furthermore, the plasma characteristics are slightly influenced by the NP flux since the passing NPs collect the plasma charge carriers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2015

Characterization of a radio frequency hollow electrode discharge at low gas pressures

A radio frequency (RF) hollow discharge configuration is presented, which makes use of a combination of RF plasma generation and the hollow cathode effect. The system was especially designed for the treatment of nanoparticles, plasma polymerization, and nanocomposite fabrication. The process gas streams through the plasma in the inner of the cylindrical electrode system. In the here presented measurements, pure argon and argon with oxygen admixtures are exemplarily used. The discharge is characterized by probe measurements in the effluent, electrical measurements of the discharge parameters, and visual observations of the plasma glow. It is found that the RF fluctuations of the plasma potential are weak. The plasma potential resembles the one of a DC hollow cathode discharge, the RF hollow electrode acts as a cathode due to the self-bias, and a high voltage sheath forms in its inner cylinder.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Optically switchable natural silk

An optically active bio-material is created by blending natural silk fibers with photoisomerizable chromophore molecules—azobenzenebromide (AzBr). The material converts the energy of unpolarized light directly into mechanical work with a well-defined direction of action. The feasibility of the idea to produce optically driven microsized actuators on the basis of bio-material (silk) is proven. The switching behavior of the embedded AzBr molecules was studied in terms of UV/Vis spectroscopy. To test the opto-mechanical properties of the modified fibers and the structural changes they undergo upon optically induced switching, single fiber X-ray diffraction with a micron-sized synchrotron radiation beam was combined in situ with optical switching as well as with mechanical testing and monitoring. The crystalline regions of silk are not modified by the presence of the guest molecules, hence occupy only the amorphous part of the fibers. It is shown that chromophore molecules embedded into fibers can be reversibly switched between the trans and cis conformation by illumination with light of defined wavelengths. The host fibers respond to this switching with a variation of the internal stress. The amplitude of the mechanical response is independent of the applied external stress and its characteristic time is shorter than the relaxation time of the usual mechanical response of silk.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗