Regular arrays of metallic nano-triangles - so called Fischer patterns - are fabricated by nano-sphere lithography. We studied such gold nano-triangle arrays on silicon or glass substrates. A series of different samples was investigated with a parabolic mirror based confocal microscope where the sample is scanned through the laser focus. By employing higher order laser modes (azimuthally and ra...

alumina is one of the most widely used ceramic materials as catalysts, catalyst supports and absorbents, and also wear resistant coating. this study focused on fabricating and characterizing of alumina ceramic nanoparticles fabricated using new and simple sol-gel method. aluminium oxide (al2o3) nanoparticles were synthesized by iron (iii) nitrate 9-hydrate as precursor. physicochemical properti...

Reducing absorber layer thickness below 500 nm in regular Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells decreases cell efficiency considerably, as both short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage are reduced because of incomplete absorption and high Mo/CIGS rear interface recombination. In this work, an innovative rear cell design is developed to avoid both effects: a highly reflective rear surface passiv...

Alumina is one of the most widely used ceramic materials as catalysts, catalyst supports and absorbents, and also wear resistant coating. This study focused on fabricating and characterizing of alumina ceramic nanoparticles fabricated using new and simple sol-gel method. Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized by iron (III) nitrate 9-hydrate as precursor. Physicochemical properti...

We used atomic force microscopy to study dynamic forces between a rigid silica sphere (radius approximately 45 microm) and a silica nano-particle super-hydrophobic surface (SNP-SHS) in aqueous electrolyte, in the presence and absence of surfactant. Characterization of the SNP-SHS surface in air showed a surface roughness of up to two microns. When in contact with an aqueous phase, the SNP-SHS t...

Theoretical analysis and Computer simulations have proven to be cost-effective and powerful tools in scientific studies of materials, particularly at nano-scale where synthesis of nano-structures, interpretation of their observed character and exploration of new structures are not always straight forward. We present here fundamental principles of techniques used today for computational simulati...

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs), a.k.a. cancer stem cells (CSCs), are difficult to eradicate with conventional approaches to cancer treatment, such as chemo-therapy and radiation. As a consequence, the survival of residual CSCs is thought to drive the onset of tumor recurrence, distant metastasis, and drug-resistance, which is a significant clinical problem for the effective treatment of cancer. ...