While problems related to CO poisoning still exist for the anode, most of the efficiency loss (80%) in a fuel cell arises due to the cathode. Oxygen reduction at the cathode requires the largest amount of the catalyst in PEM fuel cells due to its lower activity. This problem needs to be solved before mass commercialization of fuel cells can be achieved. The specific objective is to synthesize n...

We have developed a new chemical sensor array by combining polymer-based chemiresistors with a standard integrated circuit technology. We fabricated an array of addressable chemical sensor sites in a CMOS process, and then performed a post-processing step of electroless gold to create sensor contacts. We create sensors by spraying a mixture of nonconductive polymers and carbon black particles o...

he inherent lightness and good strength-to-weight ratio of T magnesium has focused attention on increasing applications in aerospace and allied fields. Its density is two thirds that of aluminum-a conventional structure material for aerospace. Magnesium has one drawback: It is prone to atmospheric corrosion. Further, because of its high chemical affinity for aqueous solutions, it is categorized...

in the past 30 years, electroless nickel (en) plating has grown to such proportions that these coatingsand their applications are now found underground, in outer space, and in a myriad of areas inbetween. moreover, in order to further improve the mechanical and tribological properties of thenickel-phosphorous (ni-p) coatings, ni-p/ptfe composite coatings can be obtained, which provideseven grea...

We present a novel method for producing complex metallic nanostructures of programmable design. DNA origami templates, modified to have DNA binding sites with a uniquely coded sequence, were adsorbed onto silicon dioxide substrates. Gold nanoparticles functionalized with the cDNA sequence were then attached. These seed nanoparticles were later enlarged, and even fused, by electroless deposition...