The development of novel membrane materials for hydrogen fuel cells, a promising environmentally friendly technology, represents relevant research task. In this work, we propose an approach to creating proton-conducting membranes from industrial polyethylene terephthalate (PET) dielectric track-etched film. An N, P-containing ionic liquid was used as modifying agent, whose polymerization carrie...

When a swift ion is slowed down through a plastic detector it creates a latent track. In nuclear track detectors, this latent track can be specifically etched by an appropriate chemical solution. This enlargement process is due to a higher etch velocity (VT) along the ion's path than in the non-damaged part of the detector. The etched track velocity is definitely linked to the damage created by...

Electrokinetically driven fluid transport was evaluated within three-dimensional hybrid nanofluidic-microfluidic devices incorporating Au-coated nanocapillary array membranes (NCAMs). Gold NCAMs, prepared by electroless gold deposition on polymeric track-etched membranes, were susceptible to gas bubble formation if the interfacial potential difference exceeded approximately 2 V along the length...

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have recently been developed by our original techniques of the γ-ray or electron-beam crosslinking and graft polymerization. Our additional main focus is the use of cylindrical damage in polymers produced by bombardment of high-energy ions, that is called a latent track. We are taking the approach using this ion track t...

We present a new fabrication method to produce arrays of highly responsive polymer-metal core-shell magnetic microactuators. The core-shell fabrication method decouples the elastic and magnetic structural components such that the actuator response can be optimized by adjusting the core-shell geometry. Our microstructures are 10 μm long, 550 nm in diameter, and electrochemically fabricated in pa...

Thermoelectric Properties of Bismuth Nanowires: Bismuth nanowires were electrochemically deposited in ion track-etched polymer membranes and their transport properties were studied. The Seebeck coefficients of single-and polycrystalline nanowires were measured as a function of wire diameter and temperature. For that purpose, a sample holder was designed that is capable of contacting nanowire ar...