Next-generation DNA sequencing has been developed to improve the classical Sanger sequencing process. Common to many next-generation sequencing approaches is a problem of limited read length due to the steady loss of DNA from an array surface and the growth of out-of-phase signals. Therefore, there is a need for greater stabilization of DNA attachment...

Because of their surface area and porosity, nanoporous materials are one of the most actively sought after materials in the modern technologies. They are finding use in a wide range of applications including microelectronics, medicine, energy storage, water purification, and environmental emissions. There are many differing methods of creating nanoporous...

As mobile electronics continue to evolve, the need for high-output, long-lasting rechargeable batteries has grown tremendously. Rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries have high energy/weight ratios and high charge/discharge efficiencies relative to other rechargeable batteries which make them ideal for modern portable electronics, medical devices,...

Robotics is a field that has grown substantially in the past few years, specifically in the advancement of sensors for environmental detection. Currently, artificial tactile vibration sensors only report one composite spectrogram of vibration data for a single fingertip. Although the human tactile mechanoreceptors, or sensors that respond to mechanical...

Nanopores are orifices of nanoscale diameter that connect two fluid reservoirs. At these dimensions, even a single molecule passing through the nanopore generates a detectable change in the flow of ionic current through the pore. As a result, nanopores can function as nanoscale Coulter counters, sensory devices that measure the effective change...

Recent innovations in developing damage tolerance in ceramic composites have focused on three features, i.e. a porous matrix, low bonding strength coatings, and fugitive coatings that ultimately produce a gap between fiber and matrix. There is a lot of research being carried out in the field of ceramics to produce highly porous, and possess high...

Recently, the discovery of flexible and stretchable electronics has brought about the potential for many new applications previously unattainable with rigid electronics. The lone inhibitor to the advancement of this technology is the lack of a formidable flexible and stretchable power source. Considering all possible power sources, supercapacitors...

Transition metal and transition metal oxides have many useful applications, including catalysis, photo catalysis, sensors, and the preparation of electrodes. In many of these applications, a high surface area is desirable in order to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these applications. Higher surface areas can be realized by the...

In the design of fiber reinforced composites such as carbon fibers, the fiber-matrix interface quality is critical in determining the mechanical properties of the composite. Enhanced chemical interaction at the interface or a large fiber surface area improves interfacial adhesion. Techniques like “whiskerization” using carbon nanotubes and silicon...

Microwaves have a wide use in telecommunications, radar, semiconductor, industrial and biological applications. Hence, a precise knowledge of the microwave properties of materials is critical for efficient design and operation of microwave systems. In the measurement of dielectric and magneto-dielectric constitutive properties of lossy materials,...