Publications

Jianguo Zhu, Islam, MR, Jiefeng Hu, Prasetya, S, Yuedong Zhan, Jafari, M, Hung Dung Pham & Youguang Guo 2015, 'Distributed Energy Resource with PEV Battery Energy Storage in the Smart Grid' in Vehicle-to-Grid: Linking electric vehicles to the smart grid, Institution of Engineering and Technology, UK, pp. 43-80.
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© The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2015. This chapter presents various aspects of grid-connected distributed generation systems with electric vehicle, including the historical growth of two dominating renewable energy sources, i.e., wind and solar, the existing technologies for large-scale generation, transmission and distribution, power quality, reliability, technical challenges, and possible solutions. Recent development of grid integration technologies, converter topologies, and control techniques are the foremost intention of this chapter.

Liu, H, Sun, B & Wang, G 2015, 'Advances in Electrochemical Energy Materials and Technologies' in Electrochemical Energy, CRC Press, USA, pp. 33-53.
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Greenhouse gas emissions from consumption of fossil fuels by traditional vehicles are major causes of global warming and worldwide climate change. Rechargeable batteries are widely considered as the promising power source for the next generation of electric vehicles in order to relieve our reliance on fossil fuels. The lithium ion battery is well recognized as the best choice among all different electrochemical power sources, such as fuel cells, solar cells, lead-acid, Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel metal hydride batteries. The research and development (R&D) on the lithium ion batteries has progressed rapidly since it was first commercialized in the 1990s. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries have revolutionized portable electronic devices and have become the dominant power source for mobile phones, laptop computers and digital cameras because of their high energy density.[1,2] However, the charge/discharge process in lithium ion batteries at high current rates can cause a high level of polarization for bulk materials and degrade the electrochemical properties of the batteries. The development of electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles demands high power batteries, which can operate under high current conditions. In following sections, we will briefly introduce advances in materials and technologies for lithium ion batteries and lithium oxygen batteries.

Ting, SRS, Min, EH, Cortie, MB, Nguyen, HT & Hutvagner, G 2015, 'Frontiers in Nanomedicine' in Bondì, M, Botto, C & Amore, E (eds), Frontiers in Nanomedicine, BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS, UAE, pp. 222-255.
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The development of therapeutic nucleic acids has led to new strategies for treating various diseases. Non-viral, synthetic nano-vectors in gene therapy have attracted increasing attention due to their low immunogenicity and low toxicity compared to viral counterparts. Due to the molecular structure of nucleic acids, they are very prone to degradation in pH sensitive biological environments. Therefore, synthetic nano-vehicles for therapeutic delivery, known as ‘nano-vectors’, need to be cleverly designed and engineered to protect and deliver appropriate therapeutic nucleic acids to the targeted sites for action. In this chapter, a brief overview of various types of therapeutic nucleic acids is first provided, followed by analysis of the synthetic nanomaterials under development as delivery systems to carry nucleic acids. The nucleic acid-encapsulated nano-vectors discussed here open a window for a new generation of nanomedicine.

Ton-That, C & Phillips, MR 2015, '14 Cathodoluminescence microanalysis of ZnO nanowires' in Semiconductor Nanowires, pp. 393-407.
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Ton-That, C & Phillips, MR 2015, 'Cathodoluminescence microanalysis of ZnO nanowires' in Arbiol, J & Xiong, Q (eds), Semiconductor Nanowires, Elsevier, Cambridge, England, pp. 393-407.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Cathodoluminescence (CL) is an enabling quantitative technique for the characterisation of luminescent materials. In this chapter, following a brief review of the basic principles and recent advances in CL imaging and spectroscopy, a number of examples are chosen to demonstrate the utility of CL for the microcharacterisation of semiconductor nanowires, with a focus on ZnO material. Various analytical methods such as monochromatic CL imaging, depth-resolved analysis, and excitation density-resolved analysis are presented, which can provide information on the local optical and electronic properties of nanowires at the nanometre spatial resolution.

Ahmed, M, Khawaja, M, Notarianni, M, Wang, B, Goding, D, Gupta, B, Boeckl, JJ, Takshi, A, Motta, N, Saddow, SE & Iacopi, F 2015, 'A thin film approach for SiC-derived graphene as an on-chip electrode for supercapacitors', Nanotechnology, vol. 26, no. 43, pp. 434005-434005.
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Ahmed, M, Khawaja, M, Notarianni, M, Wang, B, Goding, D, Gupta, B, Boeckl, JJ, Takshi, A, Motta, N, Saddow, SE & Iacopi, F 2015, 'Porous SiC/Graphene-on-Wafer Electrodes for Supercapacitors', ECS Meeting Abstracts, vol. MA2015-01, no. 1, pp. 186-186.
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The intensive research on epitaxial 3C SiC/Si wafers has opened up a new era for the micro-fabrication industry and led to the direct growth of high quality and large area graphene layers on the device location for on-chip applications.[1] This new technology to grow graphene on silicon possesses various advantages over the conventional methodology, such as eliminating the complex and unreliable process of transferring graphene flakes and replacing expensive SiC wafers, and also prompts the use of graphene for energy storage, e.g. as supercapacitors, at wafer level. However, morphology control of the graphene layers on silicon remains a challenge to further enhance the performance of supercapacitors, which mainly relies on the surface area of the active graphene layers through an electrochemical double layer mechanism. To address this issue, we demonstrate, for the first time, creating porosity on the graphene surface. The growth of porous graphene on wafers in our work presents a facile, highly reproducible and low-cost approach to obtain highly continuous graphene layers with extremely low sheet resistance. Our preliminary electrochemical investigation indicates that the porous SiC/graphene-on-wafer electrode can deliver typical supercapacitive behaviours and the porosity we create on the graphene surface can facilitate the electrochemical performance by providing more accessible surface area. Graphene prepared via this routine can also be employed to fabricate micro-supercapacitors in an interdiginated pattern for future on-chip integration and energy storage. [1] B.V. Cunning, M. Ahmed, N. Mishra, A.R. Kermany, B. Wood, F. Iacopi, Nanotechnology, 25 (2014) 325301.

Anantachaisilp, S, Smith, SM, Ton-That, C, Pornsuwan, S, Moon, AR, Nenstiel, C, Hoffmann, A & Phillips, MR 2015, 'Nature of red luminescence in oxygen treated hydrothermally grown zinc oxide nanorods', JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE, vol. 168, pp. 20-25.
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© 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V. A strong broad red luminescence (RL) peak centered at 1.69 eV (FWHM=0.57 eV) at 15 K [1.78 eV (FWHM=0.69 eV) at 300 K] is formed in ZnO nanorods hydrothermally grown at low temperature following thermal annealing at 650 °C for 30 min in an O2 gas environment. The optical properties of this peak were comprehensively studied using a range of characterization techniques, including photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. With decreasing temperature the RL peak position red shifted and its FWHM became narrower in accordance with the configuration coordinate model. Using these results, the RL has been assigned to highly lattice coupled VZn-related acceptor-like centers. No correlation was found between the observed red luminescence and nitrogen impurities.

Ao, Z, Jiang, Q, Li, S, Liu, H, Peeters, FM, Li, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Enhancement of the Stability of Fluorine Atoms on Defective Graphene and at Graphene/Fluorographene Interface', ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, vol. 7, no. 35, pp. 19659-19665.
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Fluorinated graphene is one of the most important derivatives of graphene and has been found to have great potential in optoelectronic and photonic nanodevices. However, the stability of F atoms on fluorinated graphene under different conditions, which is essential to maintain the desired properties of fluorinated graphene, is still unclear. In this work, we investigate the diffusion of F atoms on pristine graphene, graphene with defects, and at graphene/fluorographene interfaces by using density functional theory calculations. We find that an isolated F atom diffuses easily on graphene, but those F atoms can be localized by inducing vacancies or absorbates in graphene and by creating graphene/fluorographene interfaces, which would strengthen the binding energy of F atoms on graphene and increase the diffusion energy barrier of F atoms remarkably.

Carroll, L, Pattison, DI, Fu, S, Schiesser, CH, Davies, MJ & Hawkins, CL 2015, 'Reactivity of selenium-containing compounds with myeloperoxidase-derived chlorinating oxidants: Second-order rate constants and implications for biological damage', FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, vol. 84, pp. 279-288.
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© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and N-chloramines are produced by myeloperoxidase (MPO) as part of the immune response to destroy invading pathogens. However, MPO also plays a detrimental role in inflammatory pathologies, including atherosclerosis, as inappropriate production of oxidants, including HOCl and N-chloramines, causes damage to host tissue. Low molecular mass thiol compounds, including glutathione (GSH) and methionine (Met), have demonstrated efficacy in scavenging MPO-derived oxidants, which prevents oxidative damage in vitro and ex vivo. Selenium species typically have greater reactivity toward oxidants compared to the analogous sulfur compounds, and are known to be efficient scavengers of HOCl and other hypohalous acids produced by MPO. In this study, we examined the efficacy of a number of sulfur and selenium compounds to scavenge a range of biologically relevant N-chloramines and oxidants produced by both isolated MPO and activated neutrophils and characterized the resulting selenium-derived oxidation products in each case. A dose-dependent decrease in the concentration of each N-chloramine was observed on addition of the sulfur compounds (cysteine, methionine) and selenium compounds (selenomethionine, methylselenocysteine, 1,4-anhydro-4-seleno-L-talitol, 1,5-anhydro-5-selenogulitol) studied. In general, selenomethionine was the most reactive with N-chloramines (k2 0.8-3.4×10³ M^-1 s^-1) with 1,5-anhydro-5-selenogulitol and 1,4-anhydro-4-seleno-L-talitol (k2 1.1-6.8×10² M^-1 s^-1) showing lower reactivity. This resulted in the formation of the respective selenoxides as the primary oxidation products. The selenium compounds demonstrated greater ability to remove protein N-chloramines compared to the analogous sulfur compounds. These reactions may have implications for preventing cellular damage in vivo, particularly under...

Chan, JY, Zhang, K, Zhang, C, Tian, H & Liu, S 2015, 'Novel tungsten stabilizing SrCo1−W O3− membranes for oxygen production', Ceramics International, vol. 41, no. 10, pp. 14935-14940.
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Chen, J, Huang, Z, Wang, C, Porter, S, Wang, B, Lie, W & Liu, HK 2015, 'Sodium-difluoro(oxalato)borate (NaDFOB): a new electrolyte salt for Na-ion batteries', Chemical Communications, vol. 51, no. 48, pp. 9809-9812.
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Compatible with various common solvents, a new electrolyte salt NaDFOB has been studied, which enables excellent reversible capacity and high rate capability when used in Na/Na_0.44MnO₂ half cells.

Chen, J, Xia, G, Guo, Z, Huang, Z, Liu, H & Yu, X 2015, 'Porous Ni nanofibers with enhanced catalytic effect on the hydrogen storage performance of MgH₂', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 3, no. 31, pp. 15843-15848.
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Porous Ni nanofibers (NFs) were synthesized via a single-nozzle electrospinning technique with subsequent calcination and reduction.

Chen, JJ, Li, ZD, Xiang, HF, Wu, WW, Guo, X & Wu, YC 2015, 'Bifunctional effects of carbon coating on high-capacity Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 cathode for lithium-ion batteries', Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 1027-1035.
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© 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Coating the Li-rich layered oxide cathode Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 with small amount of conductive carbon is realized by low-temperature sucrose carbonization in air. Carbon coating gives rise to a small amount of Mn3+ on the surface of the Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2. The 1.2 wt% carbon-coated Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 shows obviously enhanced electrochemical performances, especially in improving rate capability and suppressing the voltage fading during long-term and high-rate cycling. According to the analysis from cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), the improvements on the electrochemical performances are mainly because the coated carbon layer can function by not only increasing the electronic conductivity at the interface with electrolyte but also improving bulk electronic and ionic conductivity by small amounts of Mn3+. Therefore, carbon coating is a promising approach to improve the cyclic stability of the Li-rich layered oxides.

Chen, S, Sun, B, Xie, X, Mondal, AK, Huang, X & Wang, G 2015, 'Multi-chambered micro/mesoporous carbon nanocubes as new polysulfides reserviors for lithium-sulfur batteries with long cycle life', NANO ENERGY, vol. 16, pp. 268-280.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Achieving rechargeable batteries with high-energy density, long cycle life and excellent rate capability is of significant importance for a vast energy-consuming society. Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries, attracting extensive attentions, are regarded as one of the most promising energy storage system. However, Li-S batteries are facing big challenges, owing to the fast capacity degradation, low Coulombic efficiency and poor rate capabilities. By adopting a dual confinement strategy, we successfully synthesized homogenous poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coated multi-chambered micro/mesoporous carbon nanocube encapsulated sulfur (P@CNC-S) composites. Sulfur is impregnated in individual interconnected multi-chambered micro/mesoporous carbon nanocubes, which act as the physical confinement and multilayered reservoirs for soluble lithium polysulfides. The PEDOT conductive polymer provides chemical bondings to soluble lithium polysulfides. When applied as cathodes in Li-S batteries, the P@CNC-S composites exhibited superior performances, including high specific capacities, long cycle life and outstanding high rate capabilities. Ex-situ TEM analysis confirmed the successful confinement of the dissolution of lithium polysulfides and volume expansion of the discharged product (Li2S), which could contribute to the high Coulombic efficiency and excellent cyclabilities.

Chen, S, Zhao, Y, Sun, B, Ao, Z, Xie, X, Wei, Y & Wang, G 2015, 'Microwave-assisted Synthesis of Mesoporous Co3O4 Nanoflakes for Applications in Lithium Ion Batteries and Oxygen Evolution Reactions', ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 3306-3313.
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© 2015 American Chemical Society. Mesoporous Co3O4 nanoflakes with an interconnected architecture were successfully synthesized using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal and low-temperature conversion method, which exhibited excellent electrochemical performances as anode materials in lithium ion batteries and as catalysts in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations showed the unique interconnected and mesoporous structure. When employed as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, mesoporous Co3O4 nanoflakes delivered a high specific capacity of 883 mAh/g at 0.1C current rate and stable cycling performances even at higher current rates. Post-mortem analysis of ex situ FESEM images revealed that the mesoporous and interconnected structure had been well maintained after long-term cycling. The mesoporous Co3O4 nanoflakes also showed both OER active properties and good catalytic stability. This could be attributed to both the stability of unique mesoporous structure and highly reactive facets.

Chen, W, Huang, Z, Wu, G & Chen, P 2015, 'New synthetic procedure for NaNH2(BH3)2 and evaluation of its hydrogen storage properties', Science China Chemistry, vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 169-173.
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Chen, W, Huang, Z, Wu, G, He, T, Li, Z, Chen, J, Guo, Z, Liu, H & Chen, P 2015, 'Guanidinium octahydrotriborate: an ionic liquid with high hydrogen storage capacity', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 3, no. 21, pp. 11411-11416.
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Guanidinium octahydrotriborate, with a melting point of <−10 °C, releases >10 wt% high purity hydrogen below 100 °C.

Chen, Y, Zeng, D, Cortie, MB, Dowd, A, Guo, H, Wang, J & Peng, D 2015, 'Seed‐Induced Growth of Flower‐Like Au–Ni–ZnO Metal–Semiconductor Hybrid Nanocrystals for Photocatalytic Applications', Small, vol. 11, no. 12, pp. 1460-1469.
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The combination of metal and semiconductor components in nanoscale to form a hybrid nanocrystal provides an important approach for achieving advanced functional materials with special optical, magnetic and photocatalytic functionalities. Here, a facile solution method is reported for the synthesis of Au–Ni–ZnO metal–semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals with a flower‐like morphology and multifunctional properties. This synthetic strategy uses noble and magnetic metal Au@Ni nanocrystal seeds formed in situ to induce the heteroepitaxial growth of semiconducting ZnO nanopyramids onto the surface of metal cores. Evidence of epitaxial growth of ZnO{0001} facets on Ni {111} facets is observed on the heterojunction, even though there is a large lattice mismatch between the semiconducting and magnetic components. Adjustment of the amount of Au and Ni precursors can control the size and composition of the metal core, and consequently modify the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and magnetic properties. Room‐temperature superparamagnetic properties can be achieved by tuning the size of Ni core. The as‐prepared Au–Ni–ZnO nanocrystals are strongly photocatalytic and can be separated and re‐cycled by virtue of their magnetic properties. The simultaneous combination of plasmonic, semiconducting and magnetic components within a single hybrid nanocrystal furnishes it multifunctionalities that may find wide potential applications.

Choi, S, Berhane, AM, Gentle, A, Ton-That, C, Phillips, MR & Aharonovich, I 2015, 'Electroluminescence from Localized Defects in Zinc Oxide: Toward Electrically Driven Single Photon Sources at Room Temperature', ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, vol. 7, no. 10, pp. 5619-5623.
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© 2015 American Chemical Society. Single photon sources are required for a wide range of applications in quantum information science, quantum cryptography, and quantum communications. However, the majority of room temperature emitters to date are only excited optically, which limits their proper integration into scalable devices. In this work, we overcome this limitation and present room temperature electrically driven light emission from localized defects in zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and thin films. The devices emit in the red spectral range and show excellent rectifying behavior. The emission is stable over an extensive period of time, providing an important prerequisite for practical devices. Our results open possibilities for building new ZnO-based quantum integrated devices that incorporate solid-state single photon sources for quantum information technologies. (Graph Presented).

Choi, S, Phillips, MR, Aharonovich, I, Pornsuwan, S, Cowie, BCC & Ton-That, C 2015, 'Photophysics of Point Defects in ZnO Nanoparticles', ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 821-827.
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© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have recently been identified as a promising candidate for advanced nanophotonics applications and quantum technologies. This work reports the formation of luminescent point defects and describes their photophysical properties. In particular, it is shown using correlative photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy that green luminescence at 2.48 eV and an EPR line at g = 2.00 belong to a surface oxygen vacancy (Vo,s⁺) center, while a second green emission at 2.28 eV is associated with zinc vacancy (VZn) centers. It is established that radiative point defects can be excited in the visible that exhibits nanosecond lifetimes using both above bandgap and sub-bandgap 405 and 532 nm excitation. This work provides important knowledge towards employment of point defects in ZnO in nanophotonics technologies.

Cooray, MCD, Liu, Y, Langford, SJ, Bond, AM & Zhang, J 2015, 'One pot synthesis of poly(5-hydroxyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) stabilized gold nanoparticles using the monomer as the reducing agent for nonenzymatic electrochemical detection of glucose', Analytica Chimica Acta, vol. 856, pp. 27-34.
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De Silva, KSB, Gentle, A, Arnold, M, Keast, VJ & Cortie, MB 2015, 'Dielectric function and its predicted effect on localized plasmon resonances of equiatomic Au-Cu', JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS, vol. 48, no. 21.
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© 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd. Equiatomic (Au,Cu) solid solution orders below 658 K to form a tetragonal AuCu (I) phase with significant changes in physical properties and the crystal structure. The effect of ordering on the dielectric function of the material is controversial however, with inconsistent results reported in the literature. Since the nature of any localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the nanostructures is very sensitive to the dielectric function, this uncertainty hinders the use of AuCu in plasmonic devices or structures. Therefore, we re-examine the question using a combination of measurements and computations. We find that no significant change in the dielectric function occurs when this material becomes ordered, at least over the range of photon energies relevant to LSPRs. The likely properties of LSPRs in plasmonic devices made of AuCu are analyzed. Use of the alloy offers some advantages over pure Cu, however pure Au would still be the superior option in most situations.

Duan, N, Xu, W, Wang, S, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 2015, 'A new Preisach type hysteresis model of high temperature superconductors', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 117, no. 17, pp. 17A718-17A718.
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This paper presents a new Preisach type hysteresis model for the high temperature superconductor. This model requires only the limiting hysteresis loop as the input data, and for this model, the limiting hysteresis loop is first separated into two limiting M−H loops based on the mechanisms, which can then be modeled by two separate modified Preisach algorithms. The area integrations of the Preisach distribution functions are determined only based on the limiting M−H loops. The validity and accuracy of this model is confirmed by comparing the simulation and experiment results of Bi-2223 and YBa2Cu3Ox superconducting tapes with external magnetic fields.

Duan, N, Xu, W, Wang, S, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 2015, 'Hysteresis Modeling of High-Temperature Superconductor Using Simplified Preisach Model', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 1-4.
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Fletcher, G, Arnold, MD, Pedersen, T, Keast, VJ & Cortie, MB 2015, 'Multipolar and dark-mode plasmon resonances on drilled silver nano-triangles', OPTICS EXPRESS, vol. 23, no. 14, pp. 18002-18013.
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© 2015 Optical Society of America. Dark-mode plasmon resonances can be excited by positioning a suitable nano-antenna above a nanostructure to couple a planar incident wave-front into a virtual point source. We explore this phenomenon using a prototypical nanostructure consisting of a silver nanotriangle into which a hole has been drilled and a rod-like nano-antenna of variable aspect ratio. Using numerical simulations, we establish the behavior of the basic drilled nanotriangle under plane wave illumination and electron beam irradiation to provide a baseline, and then add the nano-antenna to investigate the stimulation of additional dark-mode plasmon resonances. The introduction of a suitably tuned nano-antenna provides a new and general means of exciting dark-mode resonances using plane wave light. The resulting system exhibits a very rich variety of radiant and sub-radiant resonance modes.

George, MJ, Marjanovic, L & Williams, DBG 2015, 'Picogram-level quantification of some growth hormones in bovine urine using mixed-solvent bubble-in-drop single drop micro-extraction', Talanta, vol. 144, pp. 445-450.
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George, MJ, Marjanovic, L & Williams, DBG 2015, 'Solvent-Assisted Headspace Sampling Using Solid Phase Microextraction for the Analysis of Phenols in Water', Analytical Chemistry, vol. 87, no. 19, pp. 9559-9562.
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Gupta, B, Notarianni, M, Mishra, N, Shafiei, M, Iacopi, F & Motta, N 2015, 'Corrigendum to “Evolution of epitaxial graphene layers on 3C SiC/Si (1 1 1) as a function of annealing temperature in UHV” [Carbon 68 (2014) 563–572]', Carbon, vol. 84, pp. 280-280.
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Gupta, B, Placidi, E, Hogan, C, Mishra, N, Iacopi, F & Motta, N 2015, 'The transition from 3C SiC(111) to graphene captured by Ultra High Vacuum Scanning Tunneling Microscopy', Carbon, vol. 91, pp. 378-385.
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Heather, E, Shimmon, R & McDonagh, AM 2015, 'Organic impurity profiling of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) synthesised from catechol', FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL, vol. 248, pp. 140-147.
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© 2015. This work examines the organic impurity profile of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) that has been synthesised from catechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene), a common chemical reagent available in industrial quantities. The synthesis of MDMA from catechol proceeded via the common MDMA precursor safrole. Methylenation of catechol yielded 1,3-benzodioxole, which was brominated and then reacted with magnesium allyl bromide to form safrole. Eight organic impurities were identified in the synthetic safrole. Safrole was then converted to 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone (MDP2P) using two synthetic methods: Wacker oxidation (Route 1) and an isomerisation/peracid oxidation/acid dehydration method (Route 2). MDMA was then synthesised by reductive amination of MDP2P. Thirteen organic impurities were identified in MDMA synthesised via Route 1 and eleven organic impurities were identified in MDMA synthesised via Route 2.Overall, organic impurities in MDMA prepared from catechol indicated that synthetic safrole was used in the synthesis. The impurities also indicated which of the two synthetic routes was utilised.

Higginbotham, HF, Maniam, S, Langford, SJ & Bell, TDM 2015, 'New brightly coloured, water soluble, core-substituted naphthalene diimides for biophysical applications', Dyes and Pigments, vol. 112, pp. 290-297.
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Hu, J, Zhu, J & Dorrell, DG 2015, 'Model Predictive Control of Grid-Connected Inverters for PV Systems With Flexible Power Regulation and Switching Frequency Reduction', IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 587-594.
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Iacopi, F, Mishra, N, Cunning, BV, Goding, D, Dimitrijev, S, Brock, R, Dauskardt, RH, Wood, B & Boeckl, J 2015, 'A catalytic alloy approach for graphene on epitaxial SiC on silicon wafers', Journal of Materials Research, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 609-616.
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Abstract

Iacopi, F, Van Hove, M, Charles, M & Endo, K 2015, 'Power electronics with wide bandgap materials: Toward greener, more efficient technologies', MRS Bulletin, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 390-395.
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Abstract

Keast, VJ, Ewald, J, De Silva, KSB, Cortie, MB, Monnier, B, Cuskelly, D & Kisi, EH 2015, 'Optical properties and electronic structure of the Cu-Zn brasses', JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, vol. 647, pp. 129-135.
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© 2015 Elsevier B.V. The color of Cu-Zn brasses range from the red of copper through bright yellow to grey-silver as the Zn content increases. Here we examine the mechanism by which these color changes occur. The optical properties of this set of alloys has been calculated using density functional theory (DFT) and compared to experimental spectroscopy measurements. The optical response of the low Zn content α-brasses is shown to have a distinctly different origin to that in the higher content β′, γ and ε-brasses. The response of β′-brass is unique in that it is strongly influenced by an overdamped plasmon excitation and this alloy will also have a strong surface plasmon response.

Keast, VJ, Wallace, JW, Wrightson, CJ, Tai, M, Gentle, A, Arnold, MD & Cortie, MB 2015, 'The effect of vacancies on the optical properties of AuAl2', JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER, vol. 27, no. 50.
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© 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd. AuAl2 is an intermetallic compound with a vivid purple colour attributable to a bulk plasmon energy in the visible part of the spectrum. However, the colour of as-deposited thin films is not as strong and only develops upon annealing. Density functional theory calculations of the dielectric function are presented for a variety of vacancy types and concentrations. The results support the view that the effect of annealing on colour is correlated with a reduction in concentration of Al vacancies. The effect of vacancies on the optical properties can be understood as arising from the complex interplay between interband transitions around the Fermi level and the plasmon energy.

Khachadorian, S, Gillen, R, Choi, S, Ton-That, C, Kliem, A, Maultzsch, J, Phillips, MR & Hoffmann, A 2015, 'Effects of annealing on optical and structural properties of zinc oxide nanocrystals', PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, vol. 252, no. 11, pp. 2620-2625.
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& Co. KGaA, Weinheim. The optical and vibrational properties of zinc oxide nanocrystals (ZnO NCs), grown by chemical precipitation method, were investigated following thermal annealing treatments in oxygen, argon, and zinc vapors at temperatures up to 900{ring operator}C. Raman scattering and photoluminescence techniques were utilized to show the effect of temperature annealing in various environments on optical and structural properties of ZnO NCs, referring them to the reduction and increase of certain intrinsic defect concentrations. The experimental results are complemented by density functional theory calculations for understanding the correlation between Raman modes induced with different annealing procedures and certain intrinsic point defects. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Khan, MH, Huang, Z, Xiao, F, Casillas, G, Chen, Z, Molino, PJ & Liu, HK 2015, 'Erratum: Synthesis of Large and Few Atomic Layers of Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Melted Copper', Scientific Reports, vol. 5, no. 1.
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Khan, MH, Huang, Z, Xiao, F, Casillas, G, Chen, Z, Molino, PJ & Liu, HK 2015, 'Synthesis of Large and Few Atomic Layers of Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Melted Copper', Scientific Reports, vol. 5, no. 1.
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King, DJM, Middleburgh, SC, Liu, ACY, Tahini, HA, Lumpkin, GR & Cortie, MB 2015, 'Formation and structure of V–Zr amorphous alloy thin films', Acta Materialia, vol. 83, pp. 269-275.
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© 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved. Although the equilibrium phase diagram predicts that alloys in the central part of the V-Zr system should consist of V2Zr Laves phase with partial segregation of one element, it is known that under non-equilibrium conditions these materials can form amorphous structures. Here we examine the structures and stabilities of thin film V-Zr alloys deposited at room temperature by magnetron sputtering. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and computational methods. Atomic-scale modelling was used to investigate the enthalpies of formation of the various competing structures. The calculations confirmed that an amorphous solid solution would be significantly more stable than a random body-centred solid solution of the elements, in agreement with the experimental results. In addition, the modelling effort provided insight into the probable atomic configurations of the amorphous structures allowing predictions of the average distance to the first and second nearest neighbours in the system.

King, DM, Middleburgh, SC, Edwards, L, Lumpkin, GR & Cortie, M 2015, 'Predicting the Crystal Structure and Phase Transitions in High-Entropy Alloys', JOM, vol. 67, no. 10, pp. 2375-2380.
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King, S, Massicot, J & McDonagh, A 2015, 'A Straightforward Route to Tetrachloroauric Acid from Gold Metal and Molecular Chlorine for Nanoparticle Synthesis', Metals, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1454-1461.
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Kretschmer, K, Sun, B, Su, D, Zhao, Y & Wang, G 2015, 'Scalable Preparation of LiFePO4/C Nanocomposites with sp(2)-Coordinated Carbon Coating as High-Performance Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries', CHEMELECTROCHEM, vol. 2, no. 12, pp. 2096-2103.
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© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. We hereby report carbon-coated LiFePO4 cathode materials prepared by industrial ball milling and a solid-state reaction with Li2CO3, NH4H2PO4, and FeC2O4⋅2H2O as starting materials. Soluble starch as the primary carbon source was investigated for its capability of generating a highly graphitic carbon coating, whilst sufficiently controlling the crystal growth of LiFePO4. XRD analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical testing revealed the significant impact of the amount of starch added to the pre-sintered precursor on phase purity, carbon quality, and electrochemical performance of the final LiFePO4/C composite. The optimum soluble starch content to achieve a highly sp2-coordinated carbon coating is 10wt%, which enabled our LiFePO4/C composite to achieve competitive reversible capacities as well as improved rate performance.

Kuzhiumparambil, U, Watanabe, S & Fu, S 2015, 'Oxidation of testosterone by permanganate and its implication in sports drug testing', NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 1597-1602.
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© The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2015. Manipulations of urine samples by urine substitution, urine dilution, and urine adulteration with highly oxidative chemicals to escape detection in doping control analysis have been reported in the past. Adulteration of urine with oxidising chemicals such as potassium permanganate, cerium ammonium nitrate, pyridinium chlorochromate etc. can lead to considerable changes in the endogenous steroidal profile parameters and thus mask the abnormality in the steroidal profile following steroid abuse. In this study we have identified the formation of two stable oxidation products upon reaction of potassium permanganate with testosterone, an important endogenous urinary steroid. Isolation and characterisation of these oxidation products were performed using chromatography and spectroscopy and the products were elucidated as 4α,5α-dihydroxytestosterone and 4β,5β-dihydroxytestosterone. Formation of these two molecules in human urine after adulteration with potassium permanganate has been demonstrated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The products 4α,5α-dihydroxytestosterone and 4β,5β-dihydroxytestosterone have not been previously reported in urine and hence have the potential to be included in the routine drug testing program for monitoring possible testosterone abuse and permanganate adulteration of urine.

Lai, Q, Paskevicius, M, Sheppard, DA, Buckley, CE, Thornton, AW, Hill, MR, Gu, Q, Mao, J, Huang, Z, Liu, HK, Guo, Z, Banerjee, A, Chakraborty, S, Ahuja, R & Aguey‐Zinsou, K 2015, 'Hydrogen Storage Materials for Mobile and Stationary Applications: Current State of the Art', ChemSusChem, vol. 8, no. 17, pp. 2789-2825.
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AbstractOne of the limitations to the widespread use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is its storage in a safe and compact form. Herein, recent developments in effective high‐capacity hydrogen storage materials are reviewed, with a special emphasis on light compounds, including those based on organic porous structures, boron, nitrogen, and aluminum. These elements and their related compounds hold the promise of high, reversible, and practical hydrogen storage capacity for mobile applications, including vehicles and portable power equipment, but also for the large scale and distributed storage of energy for stationary applications. Current understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the interaction of hydrogen with these light compounds is summarized, as well as basic strategies to meet practical targets of hydrogen uptake and release. The limitation of these strategies and current understanding is also discussed and new directions proposed.

Lei, G, Liu, C, Guo, Y & Zhu, J 2015, 'Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization of a PM Transverse Flux Machine With Soft Magnetic Composite Core', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 1-4.
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Lei, G, Liu, C, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 2015, 'Techniques for Multilevel Design Optimization of Permanent Magnet Motors', IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 1574-1584.
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Lei, G, Wang, T, Zhu, J, Guo, Y & Wang, S 2015, 'System-Level Design Optimization Method for Electrical Drive Systems—Robust Approach', IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 62, no. 8, pp. 4702-4713.
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A system-level design optimization method under the framework of a deterministic approach was presented for electrical drive systems in our previous work, in which not only motors but also the integrated control schemes were designed and optimized to achieve good steady and dynamic performances. However, there are many unavoidable uncertainties (noise factors) in the industrial manufacturing process, such as material characteristics and manufacturing precision. These will result in big fluctuations for the product's reliability and quality in mass production, which are not investigated in the deterministic approach. Therefore, a robust approach based on the technique of design for six sigma is presented for the system-level design optimization of drive systems to improve the reliability and quality of products in batch production in this work. Meanwhile, two system-level optimization frameworks are presented for the proposed method, namely, single-level (only at the system level) and multilevel frameworks. Finally, a drive system is investigated as an example, and detailed results are presented and discussed. It can be found that the reliability and quality levels of the investigated drive system have been greatly increased by using the proposed robust approach.

Li, K, Su, D, Liu, H & Wang, G 2015, 'Antimony-Carbon-Graphene Fibrous Composite as Freestanding Anode Materials for Sodium-ion Batteries', ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA, vol. 177, pp. 304-309.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Antimony-carbon-graphene fibrous composites were prepared by the electrospinning/spray process as freestanding anodes for sodium-ion batteries. Antimony nanoparticles distribute in conductive carbonized polymer fibers and graphene flakes. The unique structure prevents the aggregation of the antimony nanoparticles and buffers the mechanical stress from volume change of antimony during repeated alloying/de-alloying process. The composites demonstrated an excellent electrochemical performance as anode material for sodium-ion batteries, with a reversible capacity of 274 mAh/g after 100 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 100 mA/g.

Liu, C, Zhu, J, Wang, Y, Guo, Y & Lei, G 2015, 'Comparison of Claw-Pole Machines With Different Rotor Structures', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 1-4.
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Liu, C, Zhu, J, Wang, Y, Guo, Y, Lei, G & Liu, X 2015, 'Development of a low-cost double rotor axial flux motor with soft magnetic composite and ferrite permanent magnet materials', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 117, no. 17, pp. 17B507-17B507.
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This paper proposes a low-cost double rotor axial flux motor (DRAFM) with low cost soft magnetic composite (SMC) core and ferrite permanent magnets (PMs). The topology and operating principle of DRAFM and design considerations for best use of magnetic materials are presented. A 905 W 4800 rpm DRAFM is designed for replacing the high cost NdFeB permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) in a refrigerator compressor. By using the finite element method, the electromagnetic parameters and performance of the DRAFM operated under the field oriented control scheme are calculated. Through the analysis, it is shown that that the SMC and ferrite PM materials can be good candidates for low-cost electric motor applications.

Luong, S, Kuzhiumparambil, U & Fu, S 2015, 'Elucidation of markers for monitoring morphine and its analogs in urine adulterated with pyridinium chlorochromate', BIOANALYSIS, vol. 7, no. 18, pp. 2283-2295.
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Currently, procedures that identify the drugs 'destroyed' in adulterated urine specimens are very limited. This study aimed to determine the effect of pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) on routine opiate assays and identify reaction products formed. Results/methodology: Opiate-positive urines adulterated with PCC (20 and 100 mM) were analyzed using CEDIA(®) immunoassay and GC-MS. Urine and water samples spiked with 6-monoacetylmorphine, morphine and its glucuronides (10 µg/ml) and PCC (0.02-100 mM) were monitored with LC-MS, and the products characterized.PCC significantly decreased the abundance of morphine, codeine and IS. Adulterated water and urine samples containing 6-monoacetylmorphine, morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide yielded morphinone-3-glucuronide, 7,14-dihydroxy-6-monoacetylmorphine, 7,8-diketo-6-monoacetylmorphine and 7,8-diketo-morphine (tentative assignment). Reaction pathways may be different in the two matrices.

Mahamedi, B, Sanaye‐Pasand, M, Azizi, S & Zhu, JG 2015, 'Unsynchronised fault‐location technique for three‐terminal lines', IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, vol. 9, no. 15, pp. 2099-2107.
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This study describes a new fault-location technique using negative-sequence voltage for three-terminal lines. The ratios between the negative-sequence voltage magnitudes measured at each terminal are utilised to first determine the faulted section and then to estimate the exact fault location within the section. Since the current data is not deployed, the influence of inherent errors of current transformers can be avoided. The proposed method can accurately locate the unbalanced faults, that is, single-phase-to-ground, double-phase-to-ground, and phase-to-phase faults, regardless of the fault resistance and pre-fault conditions and without any need to identify the fault type. The method requires only the negative-sequence reactance behind each terminal which can be estimated by the shortcircuit analysis with an acceptable accuracy. Reliability and practicality of the proposed method make it an attractive option to include in numerical protective relays. Simulation experiments with different fault cases reveal the capability of the proposed method.

Mahmood, A, Xia, W, Mahmood, N, Wang, Q & Zou, R 2015, 'Hierarchical Heteroaggregation of Binary Metal-Organic Gels with Tunable Porosity and Mixed Valence Metal Sites for Removal of Dyes in Water', Scientific Reports, vol. 5, no. 1.
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AbstractHierarchical heteronuclear metal-organic gels (MOGs) based on iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al) metal-organic framework (MOF) backbones bridged by tri-carboxylate ligands have firstly been synthesized by simple solvothermal method. Monometallic MOGs based on Fe or Al give homogenous monoliths, which have been tuned by introduction of heterogeneity in the system (mismatched growth). The developed gels demonstrate that surface areas, pore volumes and pore sizes can be readily tuned by optimizing heterogeneity. The work also elaborates effect of heterogeneity on size of MOG particles which increase substantially with increasing heterogeneity as well as obtaining mixed valence sites in the gels. High surface areas (1861 m2/g) and pore volumes (9.737 cc/g) were obtained for heterogeneous gels (0.5Fe-0.5Al). The large uptakes of dye molecules (290 mg/g rhodamine B and 265 mg/g methyl orange) with fast sorption kinetics in both neutral and acidic mediums show good stability and accessibility of MOG channels (micro and meso-/macropores), further demonstrating their potential applications in catalysis and sorption of large molecules.

Mahmood, N, Tahir, M, Mahmood, A, Yang, W, Gu, X, Cao, C, Zhang, Y & Hou, Y 2015, 'Role of anions on structure and pseudocapacitive performance of metal double hydroxides decorated with nitrogen-doped graphene', Science China Materials, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 114-125.
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Mahmood, N, Tahir, M, Mahmood, A, Zhu, J, Cao, C & Hou, Y 2015, 'Chlorine-doped carbonated cobalt hydroxide for supercapacitors with enormously high pseudocapacitive performance and energy density', Nano Energy, vol. 11, pp. 267-276.
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Maniam, S, Cox, RP, Langford, SJ & Bell, TDM 2015, 'Unexpected Photoluminescence of Fluorinated Naphthalene Diimides', Chemistry – A European Journal, vol. 21, no. 10, pp. 4133-4140.
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AbstractTwo new amino core‐substituted naphthalene diimides (cNDIs) bearing fluorinated side chains have been synthesised. Steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopy reveals unprecedented optical properties for the cNDIs with high quantum yields of ∼0.8 and fluorescence lifetimes of ∼13 ns in a range of solvents. These properties are apparent at the level of single molecules, where the compounds also show exceptional photostability under pulsed‐laser excitation. Photon emission is remarkably consistent with very few long timescale (millisecond or longer) interruptions with molecules regularly undergoing >107 cycles of excitation and emission. Intermittencies owing to triplet‐state formation occur on a sub‐millisecond timescale with a low yield of 1–2 %, indicating that the presence of the fluorine atoms does not lead to a significant triplet yield through the heavy‐atom effect. These properties make the compounds excellent candidates for single‐molecule labelling applications.

Mondal, AK, Chen, S, Su, D, Kretschmer, K, Liu, H & Wang, G 2015, 'Microwave synthesis of alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and their lithium storage properties: A comparative study', JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, vol. 648, pp. 732-739.
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© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. This work introduces a simple microwave method for the preparation of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with two different sizes. Both the materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller methods. The lithium storage properties were evaluated and compared in terms of their reversible capacity, rate capability and cycling performance. Interestingly, the electrode made of large particles (200-300 nm) show the reversible capacity of 1012 mA h g-1, better rate capability and excellent cycling stability than those of the small particles (20-30 nm). The poor electrochemical performances of small particles can be ascribed to their agglomeration during repeated charging and discharge process. The agglomeration of small particles may substantially decrease the surface area, which results in the lack of sufficient electro active sites for electrochemical reaction.

Mondal, AK, Su, D, Chen, S, Kretschmer, K, Xie, X, Ahn, H-J & Wang, G 2015, 'A Microwave Synthesis of Mesoporous NiCo2O4 Nanosheets as Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors', CHEMPHYSCHEM, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 169-175.
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© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA , Weinheim. A facile microwave method was employed to synthesize NiCo2O4 nanosheets as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The structure and morphology of the materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, fieldemission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller methods. Owing to the porous nanosheet structure, the NiCo2O4 electrodes exhibited a high reversible capacity of 891 mAhg-1 at a current density of 100 mAg-1, good rate capability and stable cycling performance. When used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, NiCo2O4 nanosheets demonstrated a specific capacitance of 400 Fg-1 at a current density of 20 Ag-1 and superior cycling stability over 5000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the thin porous structure of the nanosheets, which provides a high specific surface area to increase the electrode-electrolyte contact area and facilitate rapid ion transport.

Mondal, AK, Su, D, Chen, S, Ung, A, Kim, H & Wang, G 2015, 'Mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ with a Flake‐Like Structure as Advanced Electrode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors', Chemistry – A European Journal, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 1526-1532.
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AbstractA mesoporous flake‐like manganese‐cobalt composite oxide (MnCo2O4) is synthesized successfully through the hydrothermal method. The crystalline phase and morphology of the materials are characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller methods. The flake‐like MnCo2O4 is evaluated as the anode material for lithium‐ion batteries. Owing to its mesoporous nature, it exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1066 mA h g−1, good rate capability, and superior cycling stability. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, the flake‐like MnCo2O4 also demonstrates a high supercapacitance of 1487 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, and an exceptional cycling performance over 2000 charge/discharge cycles.

Nana Duan, Weijie Xu, Shuhong Wang, Jianguo Zhu & Youguang Guo 2015, 'An Improved XFEM With Multiple High-Order Enrichment Functions and Low-Order Meshing Elements for Field Analysis of Electromagnetic Devices With Multiple Nearby Geometrical Interfaces', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 1-4.
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This paper proposes an improved extended finite element method (XFEM) for modeling electromagnetic devices with multiple nearby geometrical interfaces. In regions near these interfaces, the magnetic vector potential approximation is enriched by incorporat-ing multiple derivative discontinuous fields based on the partition of unity method such that the interfaces can be represented inde-pendent of the mesh. The support of a node or an element can be cut by several interfaces. This method results in the high accuracy in the approximation field and the derivative field. Numerical examples applied to the iron core in 1D eddy current field involving level set based parts, error analysis and electromagnetic field computations are provided to demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach.

Pasin, D, Bidny, S & Fu, S 2015, 'Analysis of New Designer Drugs in Post-Mortem Blood Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry', JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 163-171.
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Porter, SH, Huang, Z, Cheng, Z, Avdeev, M, Chen, Z, Dou, S & Woodward, PM 2015, 'Structural and magnetic properties of RTiNO2 (R=Ce, Pr, Nd) perovskite nitride oxides', Journal of Solid State Chemistry, vol. 226, pp. 279-285.
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Porter, SH, Huang, Z, Dou, S, Brown-Xu, S, Golam Sarwar, ATM, Myers, RC & Woodward, PM 2015, 'Electronic Structure and Photocatalytic Water Oxidation Activity of RTiNO₂ (R = Ce, Pr, and Nd) Perovskite Nitride Oxides', Chemistry of Materials, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 2414-2420.
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Ranjbar Kermany, A & Iacopi, F 2015, 'Controlling the intrinsic bending of hetero-epitaxial silicon carbide micro-cantilevers', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 118, no. 15, pp. 155304-155304.
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We introduce a simple methodology to predict and tailor the intrinsic bending of a cantilever made of a single thin film of hetero-epitaxial silicon carbide grown on silicon. The combination of our novel method for the depth profiling of residual stress with a few nm resolution with finite element modelling allows for the prediction of the bending behaviour with great accuracy. We also demonstrate experimentally that a silicon carbide cantilever made of one distinct film type can be engineered to obtain the desired degree of either upward, flat, or downward bending, by selecting the appropriate thickness and cantilever geometry. A precise control of cantilever bending is crucial for microelectrical mechanical system applications such as micro-actuators, micro-switches, and resonant sensors.

Roseblade, A, Luk, F, Ung, A & Bebawy, M 2015, 'Targeting Microparticle Biogenesis: A Novel Approach to the Circumvention of Cancer Multidrug Resistance', CURRENT CANCER DRUG TARGETS, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 205-214.
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© 2015 Bentham Science Publishers. Microparticles (MPs) are released from most eukaryotic cells after the vesiculation of the plasma membrane and serve as vectors of long and short-range signaling. MPs derived from multidrug resistant (MDR) cancer cells carry molecular components of the donor cell such as nucleic acids and proteins, and can alter the activity of drug-sensitive recipient cells through the transfer of their cargo. Given the substantial role of MPs in the acquisition and dissemination of MDR, we propose that the inhibition of MP release provides a novel therapeutic approach. This study characterises the effect of a panel of molecules known to act on MP-biosynthetic pathways. We demonstrate a differential effect by these molecules on MP inhibition that appear dependent on the release of intracellular calcium stores following activation with the calcium ionophore A23187. Calpain inhibitor, PD-150606; a selective inhibitor of Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK), Y-27632; and the vitamin B5 derivative pantethine, inhibited MP release only upon prior activation with A23187. Calpain inhibitor II showed significant inhibition in the absence of cell activation, whereas the vitamin B5 derivatives cystamine dihydrochloride and cysteamine hydrochloride showed no effect on MP inhibition under either condition. In contrast the classical pharmacological inhibitor of MDR, the calcium channel blocker Verapamil, showed an increase in MP formation on resting cells. These results suggest a potential role for calcium in the mechanism of action for PD-150606, Y-27632 and pantethine. These molecules, together with calpain inhibitor II have shown promise as modulators of MP release and warrant consideration as potential candidates for the development of an alternative therapeutic strategy for the prevention of MP-mediated MDR in cancer.

Salisa, AR, Walker, PD, Zhang, N & Zhu, JG 2015, 'COMPARATIVE COST-BASED ANALYSIS OF A NOVEL PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH CONVENTIONAL AND HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES', International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 2262-2271.
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© 2015 Universiti Malaysia Pahang. Hybrid electric vehicles provide higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions through the combination of the conventional internal combustion engine with electric machines. This paper analyzes and compares two types of hybrid electric powertrain with a conventional vehicle powertrain to study the lifetime costs of these vehicles. The novelty of the University of Technology Sydney plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (UTS PHEV) arises through a special power-splitting device and energy management strategy. The UTS PHEV and comparative powertrains are studied through numerical simulations to determine fuel consumption for the proposed low and high congestion drive cycles. Satisfactory results are achieved in terms of fuel economy, the all-electric range and electrical energy consumption for the UTS PHEV powertrain, providing significant improvement over the alternative powertrains. The analysis of these vehicles is extended to include a cost-based analysis of each powertrain in order to estimate the total lifetime costs at different fuel prices. The results obtained from this analysis demonstrate that whilst the conventional powertrain is cheaper in terms of purchase and maintenance costs, both alternative configurations are more cost-effective overall as the average price of fuel increases.

Seo, DH, Yick, S, Pineda, S, Su, D, Wang, G, Han, ZJ & Ostrikov, KK 2015, 'Single-Step, Plasma-Enabled Reforming of Natural Precursors into Vertical Graphene Electrodes with High Areal Capacitance', ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 544-551.
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© 2015 American Chemical Society. Graphene nanostructures possess excellent physical properties such as high surface area, good mechanical stability, and good electric conductivity, which make them attractive as electrodes for high-performance energy storage devices. However, graphene-based nanomaterials have yet to be materialized into commercial energy storage devices, mainly due to the high cost in fabrication processes and the difficulty in achieving high mass loading. In particular, the high mass loading of active materials on the electrode represents an important step toward the translation of excellent electrochemical activity seen in the microscopic regime into the practical applications. Here, supercapacitor electrodes made of vertical graphene nanosheets (VGNS) are fabricated from a range of commercially available cheese precursors via green, low-temperature, plasma-based reforming processes. Taking advantage of the fast solidification of cheese molecules and plasma-matter interactions, the produced VGNS exhibit a high mass loading of 3.2 mg/cm2 and a high areal capacitance of 0.46 F/cm2. These results demonstrate a single-step, scalable, environmentally benign, and cost-effective approach for the transformation of natural precursors into high-quality graphene structures, which could be promising for a variety of advanced electronic and energy applications.

Seo, DH, Yick, S, Su, D, Wang, G, Han, ZJ & Ostrikov, KK 2015, 'Sustainable process for all-carbon electrodes: Horticultural doping of natural-resource-derived nano-carbons for high-performance supercapacitors', Carbon, vol. 91, pp. 386-394.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. We demonstrate a novel chemical synthesis and functional doping process of vertical graphene nanosheets and other nano-carbons using natural precursors. The all-carbon electrodes are synthesized via the plasma reformation of natural fats and functionalized by microwave-assisted doping using leaf extracts from a variety of horticultural plants such as bok choy, chrysanthemum, and spinach. The resulting nanostructures possess a high loading of electrochemically active dopants and a desirable morphology for energy storage. This combination enables the electrodes to exhibit excellent supercapacitor performance.

Shahcheraghi, N, Dowd, A, Arnold, MD & Cortie, MB 2015, 'Plasmon resonances on opto-capacitive nanostructures', SPIE Proceedings, vol. 9668.
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Silver is considered as one of the most desirable materials for plasmonic devices due to it having low loss, low epsilon2, across the visible spectrum. In addition, silver nanotriangles can self-assemble into complex structures that can include tip-totip or base-to-base arrangements. While the optical properties of tip-to-tip dimers of nanotriangles have been quite intensively studied, the geometric inverse, the base-to-base configuration, has received much less attention. Here we report the results of a computational study of the optical response of this latter configuration. Calculations were performed using the discrete dipole approximation. The effect of gap size and substrate are considered. The results indicate that the base-to-base configuration can sustain a strong coupled dipole and various multimode resonances. The pairing of the parallel triangle edges produces a strongly capacitive configuration and very intense electric fields over an extended volume of space. Therefore, the base-to-base configuration could be suitable for a range of plasmonic applications that require a strong and uniform concentration of electric field. Examples include refractometeric sensing or metal-enhanced fluorescence.

Shahid, M, McDonagh, A, Kim, JH & Shon, HK 2015, 'Magnetised titanium dioxide (TiO₂) for water purification: preparation, characterisation and application', Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 54, no. 4-5, pp. 979-1002.
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The study of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalyst for water purification has attracted significant attention over the past four decades. However, the separation of photocatalyst from water suspension may be difficult, costly and jeopardise the use of this water treatment technology. Recently, the development and production of magnetised TiO2 have been achieved to offer a solution for the photocatalyst separation problem. This paper discusses the preparation techniques, characterisation and the applications of magnetised TiO2. Many researchers have studied magnetised TiO2 photocatalysts but the lack of articles discussing the water purification processes is still slowing any advance in this field. Here, the progress of the scientific research on preparation techniques to coat magnetic particles by materials such as organic polymers, silica, magnesia, and alumina are reviewed to compare and discuss recent findings. The doping of photoactive TiO2 photocatalyst into the magnetic-coated particles is also emphasised. In addition, the characterisation of magnetised TiO2 in terms of physicochemical properties and operating conditions produced by each technique are critically reviewed. Moreover, examples of applications of TiO2 and magnetised TiO2 photocatalyst in water purification are summarised. In general, the effectiveness of organic removal by magnetised TiO2 is still lower compared to single phase TiO2. The future prospect of this field is deliberated to develop a novel, economic and efficient magnetised TiO2 photocatalyst, which has high organic removal properties.

Stojanovska, N, Tahtouh, M, Kelly, T, Beavis, A & Fu, S 2015, 'Qualitative analysis of seized cocaine samples using desorption electrospray ionization- mass spectrometry (DESI-MS)', DRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 393-400.
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Desorption electrospray ionization - mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is a useful technique for the qualitative analysis of compounds found in seized drug material. In this study, DESI-MS was utilized in the screening analysis of illicit cocaine samples. The technique was also applied to the geographical origin determination of these samples. The limit of detection was determined to be 24.3μg (or 3.47μg/mm2) and the analysis time was less than 1minute per sample. The intra-day and inter-day precision for the detection of cocaine was 11 % and 42 %, respectively; therefore the quantitative data provided by DESI-MS was limited in its use for accurate determination of cocaine concentration in a sample. Using the quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer, the presence of cocaine and impurities detected were confirmed by accurate tandem MS data. The qualitative chemical profiles obtained using DESI-MS were compared to two popular analysis techniques, GC-MS and LC-MS. The effects of a range of adulterants including caffeine, procaine, levamisole, lignocaine, paracetamol, and atropine on the detectability of cocaine were also investigated. It was found that the addition of these adulterants in a cocaine sample did not prevent the detection of the analyte itself (there was slight enhancement in some samples), which was useful in drug detection. The detection of truxillines in the seized samples by DESI-MS aided in the preliminary determination of geographical origin, i.e.,Bolivian, Peruvian or Colombian leaf origin. The application of DESI-MS to the qualitative analysis and screening of seized cocaine samples demonstrates the potential and applicability of the technique to the fast chemical profiling of illicit samples. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Su, D, Dou, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Anatase TiO₂: Better Anode Material Than Amorphous and Rutile Phases of TiO₂ for Na-Ion Batteries', Chemistry of Materials, vol. 27, no. 17, pp. 6022-6029.
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Su, D, Dou, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Bismuth: A new anode for the Na-ion battery', Nano Energy, vol. 12, pp. 88-95.
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© 2015. Bismuth nanoparticles wrapped by graphene have been synthesized. Refined X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses have revealed the phase, crystal structure, and morphology of the Bi@graphene nanocomposite. When applied as anode in Na-ion batteries, Bi@graphene nanocomposite exhibited a high reversible sodium storage capacity of about 561mAhg-1 within the 2.0-0.01V voltage range and 358mAhg-1 within the 0.9-0.3V voltage range. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction measurements were used to study the reaction mechanism with Na. It was found that bismuth does not follow the alloying mechanism with Na, and surprisingly, an intercalation process has been evidenced. The as-prepared Bi@graphene nanocomposite also demonstrated excellent high rate performance. This superior electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the unique layered crystal structure of Bi, which has large interlayer spacing along the c-axis (d(003)=3.95Å) to accommodate the Na ions. Furthermore, the three-dimensional architecture of the Bi@graphene nanocomposite also contributes to better conductivity and stability of the electrodes. Via density function theory calculations, it was found that the Bi could provide facile sites for Na ion diffusion and accommodation, based on the intercalation mechanism instead of the alloying process.

Su, D, Dou, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Gold nanocrystals with variable index facets as highly effective cathode catalysts for lithium–oxygen batteries', NPG Asia Materials, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. e155-e155.
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© 2015 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved. Cathode catalysts are the key factor in improving the electrochemical performance of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries via their promotion of the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR and OER). Generally, the catalytic performance of nanocrystals (NCs) toward ORR and OER depends on both composition and shape. Herein, we report the synthesis of polyhedral Au NCs enclosed by a variety of index facets: cubic gold (Au) NCs enclosed by {100} facets; truncated octahedral Au NCs enclosed by {100} and {110} facets; and trisoctahedral (TOH) Au NCs enclosed by 24 high-index {441} facets, as effective cathode catalysts for Li-O2 batteries. All Au NCs can significantly reduce the charge potential and have high reversible capacities. In particular, TOH Au NC catalysts demonstrated the lowest charge-discharge overpotential and the highest capacity of ∼ 20 298 mA h g^-1. The correlation between the different Au NC crystal planes and their electrochemical catalytic performances was revealed: high-index facets exhibit much higher catalytic activity than the low-index planes, as the high-index planes have a high surface energy because of their large density of atomic steps, ledges and kinks, which can provide a high density of reactive sites for catalytic reactions.

Su, D, Dou, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Hierarchical Vanadium Pentoxide Spheres as High‐Performance Anode Materials for Sodium‐Ion Batteries', ChemSusChem, vol. 8, no. 17, pp. 2877-2882.
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AbstractWe report the synthesis of hierarchical vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) spheres as anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries (Na‐ion batteries). Through field emission scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy characterizations, it was found that the as‐prepared V2O5 spheres are composed of primary nanoparticles with pores between them. The as‐prepared hierarchical V2O5 spheres achieved a discharge capacity of 271 mA h g−1 at a current density of 40 mA g−1, and 177 mA h g−1 discharge capacity after 100 cycles. Even at high current densities, V2O5 spheres still delivered high capacity and superior cyclability (179 and 140 mA h g−1 discharge capacities at 640 and 1280 mA g−1 current densities, respectively). The promising electrochemical performances of V2O5 spheres should be ascribed to the unique architecture of hierarchical spheres and the predominant exposed (110) facets, which provides open interlayers for facile sodium ion intercalation. Each nanoparticle contains predominantly exposed (110) crystal planes. The ex situ FESEM analysis revealed that the pores formed by the primary nanocrystals effectively buffer volume changes in the electrode during cycling, contributing to the excellent cycling performance.

Su, D, Dou, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Ultrathin MoS₂ Nanosheets as Anode Materials for Sodium‐Ion Batteries with Superior Performance', Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 1401205-1401205.
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Few‐layer MoS2 nanosheets are successfully synthesized using a simple and scalable ultrasonic exfoliation technique. The thicknesses of the MoS2 nanosheets ares about 10 nm as measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The unique nanosheet architecture renders the high‐rate transportation of sodium ions due to the short diffusion paths provided by ultrathin thickness and the large interlayer space within the MoS2 crystal structure (d(002) = 6.38 Å). When applied as anode materials in sodium‐ion batteries, MoS2 nanosheets exhibit a high, reversible sodium storage capacity and excellent cyclability. The MoS2 nanosheets also demonstrate good electrochemical performance at high current densities.

Su, D, Zhang, J, Dou, S & Wang, G 2015, 'Polypyrrole hollow nanospheres: stable cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries', Chemical Communications, vol. 51, no. 89, pp. 16092-16095.
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Hollow polypyrrole nanospheres demonstrated high current rate capacity and superior stable rate capability for Na-ion batteries.

Su, DW, Dou, SX & Wang, GX 2015, 'Hierarchical Ru nanospheres as highly effective cathode catalysts for Li-O-2 batteries', JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, vol. 3, no. 36, pp. 18384-18388.
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© The Royal Society of Chemistry. Carbon-free, hierarchical Ru nanospheres are reported as an effective cathode catalyst for Li-O2 batteries. The hierarchical Ru nanospheres were synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. As evaluated by electrochemical measurements, it was found that the carbon-free hierarchical Ru nanosphere cathode can significantly reduce discharge and charge overpotential (∼0.3 V with the capacity limited to 1000 mA h g-1) with a high discharge capacity of 3445 mA h g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1 (ORR). This superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction catalytic performance can be maintained over long time cycling at different current densities. Ex situ scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman measurements reveal that leaf-shaped Li2O2 is the only reaction product during the discharge process, and the hierarchical Ru nanospheres can effectively decompose the Li2O2 discharge product, facilitate the OER, and promote a high round-trip efficiency. Therefore, the carbon-free hierarchical Ru nanospheres are a promising cathode catalyst for rechargeable Li-O2 batteries with low charge overpotential, long cycle life, and high specific capacity.

Su, S, Huang, Z, NuLi, Y, Tuerxun, F, Yang, J & Wang, J 2015, 'A novel rechargeable battery with a magnesium anode, a titanium dioxide cathode, and a magnesium borohydride/tetraglyme electrolyte', Chemical Communications, vol. 51, no. 13, pp. 2641-2644.
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Commercial TiO₂ in a compatible electrolyte of 0.5 mol L⁻¹ Mg(BH₄)₂/LiBH₄/TG ([LiBH₄] = 1.5 mol L⁻¹) delivers high specific capacity, and excellent cycling stability and rate capability. This work opens up a new alternative for the development of rechargeable magnesium batteries.

Sui, Y, Zheng, P, Tong, C, Yu, B, Zhu, S & Zhu, J 2015, 'Investigation of a tubular dual-stator flux-switching permanent-magnet linear generator for free-piston energy converter', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 117, no. 17, pp. 17B519-17B519.
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This paper describes a tubular dual-stator flux-switching permanent-magnet (PM) linear generator for free-piston energy converter. The operating principle, topology, and design considerations of the machine are investigated. Combining the motion characteristic of free-piston Stirling engine, a tubular dual-stator PM linear generator is designed by finite element method. Some major structural parameters, such as the outer and inner radii of the mover, PM thickness, mover tooth width, tooth width of the outer and inner stators, etc., are optimized to improve the machine performances like thrust capability and power density. In comparison with conventional single-stator PM machines like moving-magnet linear machine and flux-switching linear machine, the proposed dual-stator flux-switching PM machine shows advantages in higher mass power density, higher volume power density, and lighter mover.

Sui, Y, Zheng, P, Wu, F, Wang, P, Cheng, L & Zhu, J 2015, 'A novel five-phase fault-tolerant modular in-wheel permanent-magnet synchronous machine for electric vehicles', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 117, no. 17, pp. 17B521-17B521.
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This paper describes a five-phase fault-tolerant modular in-wheel permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) for electric vehicles. By adopting both the analytical and finite-element methods, the magnetic isolation abilities of some typical slot/pole combinations are analyzed, and a new fractional-slot concentrated winding topology that features hybrid single/double-layer concentrated windings and modular stator structure is developed. For the proposed hybrid single/double-layer concentrated windings, feasible slot/pole combinations are studied for three-, four-, and five-phase PMSMs. A five-phase in-wheel PMSM that adopts the proposed winding topology is designed and compared with the conventional PMSM, and the proposed machine shows advantages of large output torque, zero mutual inductances, low short-circuit current, and high magnetic isolation ability. Some of the analysis results are verified by experiments.

Sun, B, Chen, S, Liu, H & Wang, G 2015, 'Mesoporous Carbon Nanocube Architecture for High-Performance Lithium-Oxygen Batteries', ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, vol. 25, no. 28, pp. 4436-4444.
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© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. One of the major challenges to develop high-performance lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) battery is to find effective cathode catalysts and design porous architecture for the promotion of both oxygen reduction reactions and oxygen evolution reactions. Herein, the synthesis of mesoporous carbon nanocubes as a new cathode nanoarchitecture for Li-O2 batteries is reported. The oxygen electrodes made of mesoporous carbon nanocubes contain numerously hierarchical mesopores and macropores, which can facilitate oxygen diffusion and electrolyte impregnation throughout the electrode, and provide sufficient spaces to accommodate insoluble discharge products. When they are applied as cathode catalysts, the Li-O2 cells deliver discharge capacities of 26 100 mA h g^-1 at 200 mA g^-1, which is much higher than that of commercial carbon black catalysts. Furthermore, the mesoporous nanocube architecture can also serve as a conductive host structure for other highly efficient catalysts. For instance, the Ru functionalized mesoporous carbon nanocubes show excellent catalytic activities toward oxygen evolution reactions. Li-O2 batteries with Ru functionalized mesoporous carbon nanocube catalysts demonstrate a high charge/discharge electrical energy efficiency of 86.2% at 200 mA g^-1 under voltage limitation and a good cycling performance up to 120 cycles at 400 mA g^-1 with the curtaining capacity of 1000 mA h g^-1. Mesoporous carbon nanocubes (MCCs) are synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method. Oxygen electrode made of MCCs contains a hierarchical porous structure, which can facilitate oxygen diffusion, electrolyte impregnation, and accommodation of discharge products during the charge and discharge processes.

Supansomboon, S, Dowd, A, Gentle, A, van der Lingen, E & Cortie, MB 2015, 'Thin films of PtAl2 and AuAl2 by solid-state reactive synthesis', Thin Solid Films, vol. 589, pp. 805-812.
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© 2015 Elsevier B.V. The intermetallic compounds AuAl < inf > 2 < /inf > and PtAl < inf > 2 < /inf > are colored purple and yellow respectively. In the past they have been prepared by bulk melting techniques or by co-deposition in a magnetron sputterer. Here, however, we investigate films of AuAl < inf > 2 < /inf > , PtAl < inf > 2 < /inf > and (Au,Pt)Al < inf > 2 < /inf > prepared by sequential physical vapor deposition of the elements, followed by in situ solid-state reaction. The microstructure, dielectric functions, optical properties and thermal stability of the resulting films are characterized and compared to those prepared by bulk melting or co-deposition. The (Au,Pt)Al < inf > 2 < /inf > films show a color gamut that stretches from purple to brassy yellow depending on composition and microstructure. High temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments show that the (Au,Pt)Al < inf > 2 < /inf > phase is metastable, decomposing when heated above 420 °C. In contrast, the pure AuAl < inf > 2 < /inf > or PtAl < inf > 2 < /inf > phases are stable to about 580 °C before they oxidize or decompose. The alternative possibility of producing the purple-to-yellow color gamut by depositing optical stacks of very thin films of AuAl < inf > 2 < /inf > and PtAl < inf > 2 < /inf > is also assessed. Either scheme will provide a range of colors lying between those of the binary compound endpoints. Calculations predict that deposition of AuAl < inf > 2 < /inf > onto PtAl < inf > 2 < /inf > will produce more intense colors than vice versa, an unexpected finding that is worth further investigation.

Tahir, M, Mahmood, N, Zhu, J, Mahmood, A, Butt, FK, Rizwan, S, Aslam, I, Tanveer, M, Idrees, F, Shakir, I, Cao, C & Hou, Y 2015, 'One Dimensional Graphitic Carbon Nitrides as Effective Metal-Free Oxygen Reduction Catalysts', Scientific Reports, vol. 5, no. 1.
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AbstractTo explore the effect of morphology on catalytic properties of graphitic carbon nitride (GCN), we have studied oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance of two different morphologies of GCN in alkaline media. Among both, tubular GCN react with dissolved oxygen in the ORR with an onset potential close to commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, the higher stability and excellent methanol tolerance of tubular GCN compared to Pt/C emphasizes its suitability for fuel cells.

Tai, MC, Gentle, A, de Silva, KSB, Arnold, MD, van der Lingen, E & Cortie, MB 2015, 'Thermal Stability of Nanoporous Raney Gold Catalyst', METALS, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1197-1211.
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Teng, QF, Bai, JY, Zhu, JG & Guo, YG 2015, 'Sensorless model predictive torque control using sliding-mode model reference adaptive system observer for permanent magnet synchronous motor drive systems', Kongzhi Lilun Yu Yingyong/Control Theory and Applications, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 150-161.
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A novel sensorless model predictive torque control (MPTC) strategy is proposed for the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system with sliding-mode model reference adaptive system (MRAS) observer. Making use of techniques of MRAS and sliding-mode, we design a sliding-mode MRAS observer to improve the estimated speed accuracy and enhance the system robustness. In order to reduce the torque and flux ripples and improve the control performance, we employ the MPTC strategy in the approach. Numerical simulation validates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. In comparison with the sensorless MPTC involving MRAS observer, the proposed MPTC with sliding-model MRAS observer provides stronger robustness and achieves satisfactory torque and speed control. Meanwhile, comparing to the sensorless direct torque control (DTC) and sensorless field-oriented control (FOC), we find the proposed sensorless MPTC reduces the average inverter switching frequency and decreases the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the phase current, and thus improves the industrial reliability.

Ton-That, C, Zhu, L, Lockrey, MN, Phillips, MR, Cowie, BCC, Tadich, A, Thomsen, L, Khachadorian, S, Schlichting, S, Jankowski, N & Hoffmann, A 2015, 'Molecular nitrogen acceptors in ZnO nanowires induced by nitrogen plasma annealing', PHYSICAL REVIEW B, vol. 92, no. 2.
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©2015 American Physical Society. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy have been used to investigate the chemical states of nitrogen dopants in ZnO nanowires. It is found that nitrogen exists in multiple states: NO,NZn, and loosely bound N2 molecule. The results establish a direct link between a donor-acceptor pair emission at 3.232 eV and the concentration of loosely bound N2. This work confirms that N2 at Zn site is a potential candidate for producing a shallow acceptor state in N-doped ZnO as theoretically predicted by Lambrecht and Boonchun [Phys. Rev. B 87, 195207 (2013)10.1103/PhysRevB.87.195207]. Additionally, shallow acceptor states arising from NO complexes have been ruled out in this paper.

Traut-Johnstone, T, Kanyanda, S, Kriel, FH, Viljoen, T, Kotze, PDR, van Zyl, WE, Coates, J, Rees, DJG, Meyer, M, Hewer, R & Williams, DBG 2015, 'Heteroditopic P,N ligands in gold(I) complexes: Synthesis, structure and cytotoxicity', Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, vol. 145, pp. 108-120.
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Tristram, CJ, Ingham, B, Williams, DBG & Hinkley, SFR 2015, 'Determination of glass transitions in novel cellulose polymers by synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering', Materials Today Communications, vol. 2, pp. e49-e54.
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© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Synchrotron wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) was used to measure the glass-transition temperature (Tg) values for various cellulosic materials including a novel cellulose ester. WAXS patterns were obtained of films cast on silicon nitride windows. Two strong scattering peaks were observed that correlated with the intramolecular repeating anhydroglucose unit (d=10.6-14.3Å) and an intermolecular packing spacing (d=4.4-4.5Å). Real-time measurements were made during temperature cycling over a range of 80-160°C at 5°C/min. Significant shifts in position, width and area for the peak assigned to the intermolecular arrangement of the pseudo-linear cellulose mixed-ester chains were correlated with temperature. The calculated Tg mid-points correlated well with Tg values determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This application of temperature-dependent WAXS measurements shows promise for Tg determination in samples where shallow second-order transitions are observed by DSC and where other techniques are not applicable.

Tristram, CJ, Mason, JM, Williams, DBG & Hinkley, SFR 2015, 'Cover Picture: Doubly Renewable Cellulose Polymer for Water‐Based Coatings (ChemSusChem 1/2015)', ChemSusChem, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-1.
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Tristram, CJ, Mason, JM, Williams, DBG & Hinkley, SFR 2015, 'Doubly Renewable Cellulose Polymer for Water‐Based Coatings', ChemSusChem, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 63-66.
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AbstractA levulinoyl ester‐containing cellulose polymer is introduced as a waterborne coating. Incorporation of the biomass‐derived levulinic acid proceeds via an unexpected intermediate and provides the unusual feature of a cellulose derivative that is readily chemically modified. The levulinoyl‐cellulose ester could be chemically manipulated, allowing it to be dispersed to generate a waterborne hydrocolloid latex. This was capable of film‐formation at room temperature, and was formulated for use as a coating of high‐renewable content.

Umsumarng, S, Pitchakarn, P, Sastraruji, K, Yodkeeree, S, Ung, AT, Pyne, SG & Limtrakul, P 2015, 'Reversal of Human Multi‐Drug Resistance Leukaemic Cells by Stemofoline Derivatives via Inhibition of P‐Glycoprotein Function', Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, vol. 116, no. 5, pp. 390-397.
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AbstractOur previous study reported multi‐drug resistance (MDR) reversing properties of synthetic stemofoline derivatives (STFD), OH‐A1, NH‐B6 and NH‐D6 on P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) overexpressing leukaemic cells (K562/Adr); however, the mechanism was unclear. In this study, we further investigated whether the STFD reverse MDR through either the inhibition of P‐gp function or expression in K562/Adr cells, or both. The P‐gp functional studies showed that the STFD increased the accumulation of calcein‐AM, rhodamine 123 and [14C]‐doxorubicin in K562/Adr cells, while the effects have not been seen in their parental sensitive cancer cell line (K562). Further, the STFD did not alter the P‐gp expression as determined by Western blotting. This study concludes that the STFD reverse MDR via the inhibition of P‐gp function. The efficacy of the STFD to inhibit P‐gp function followed the order: NH‐B6 >  OH‐A1 >  NH‐D6. These compounds cou...

Vyssotski, M, Bloor, SJ, Lagutin, K, Wong, H & Williams, DBG 2015, 'Efficient Separation and Analysis of Triacylglycerols: Quantitation of β-Palmitate (OPO) in Oils and Infant Formulas', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 63, no. 26, pp. 5985-5992.
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Wang, Q, Zou, R, Xia, W, Ma, J, Qiu, B, Mahmood, A, Zhao, R, Yang, Y, Xia, D & Xu, Q 2015, 'Facile Synthesis of Ultrasmall CoS₂Nanoparticles within Thin N-Doped Porous Carbon Shell for High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries', Small, vol. 11, no. 21, pp. 2511-2517.
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Wang, Q, Zou, R, Xia, W, Ma, J, Qiu, B, Mahmood, A, Zhao, R, Yang, Y, Xia, D & Xu, Q 2015, 'Lithium Ion Batteries: Facile Synthesis of Ultrasmall CoS₂Nanoparticles within Thin N-Doped Porous Carbon Shell for High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries (Small 21/2015)', Small, vol. 11, no. 21, pp. 2510-2510.
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Wang, Y, Huang, Z & Wang, Y 2015, 'A new approach to synthesize MoO₂@C for high-rate lithium ion batteries', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 3, no. 42, pp. 21314-21320.
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A new approach is used to synthesize MoO₂@C with excellent capacity, rate capability and cycle stability for LIBs.

Wang, Y, Wang, B, Xiao, F, Huang, Z, Wang, Y, Richardson, C, Chen, Z, Jiao, L & Yuan, H 2015, 'Facile synthesis of nanocage Co3O4 for advanced lithium-ion batteries', Journal of Power Sources, vol. 298, pp. 203-208.
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Williams, DBG, Mason, JM, Tristram, CJ & Hinkley, SFR 2015, 'Cellulose as a Source of Water Dispersible Renewable Film-Forming Materials', Macromolecules, vol. 48, no. 23, pp. 8497-8508.
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Xiao, F, Naficy, S, Casillas, G, Khan, MH, Katkus, T, Jiang, L, Liu, H, Li, H & Huang, Z 2015, 'Edge‐Hydroxylated Boron Nitride Nanosheets as an Effective Additive to Improve the Thermal Response of Hydrogels', Advanced Materials, vol. 27, no. 44, pp. 7196-7203.
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Xie, X, Ao, Z, Su, D, Zhang, J & Wang, G 2015, 'MoS₂/Graphene Composite Anodes with Enhanced Performance for Sodium‐Ion Batteries: The Role of the Two‐Dimensional Heterointerface', Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 25, no. 9, pp. 1393-1403.
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Graphene has been widely used as conformal nanobuilding blocks to improve the electrochemical performance of layered metal sulfides (MoS2, WS2, SnS, and SnS2) as anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries. However, it still lacks in‐depth understanding of the synergistic effect between these layered sulfides and graphene, which contributes to the enhanced electroactivity for sodium‐ion batteries. Here, MoS2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites with intimate two‐dimensional heterointerfaces are prepared by a facile one‐pot hydrothermal method. The heterointerfacial area can be effectively tuned by changing the ratio of MoS2 to RGO. When used as anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries, the synergistic effect contributing to the enhanced reversible capacity of MoS2/RGO nanocomposites is closely related with the heterointerfacial area. The computational results demonstrate that Na prefers to be adsorbed on MoS2 in the MoS2/RGO heterostructure rather than intercalate into the MoS2/RGO heterointerface. Interestingly, the MoS2/RGO heterointerfaces can significantly increase the electronic conductivity of MoS2, store more Na ions, while maintaining the high diffusion mobility of Na atoms on MoS2 surface and high electron transfer efficiency from Na to MoS2. It is expected that the efforts to establish the correlation between the two‐dimensional heterointerface and the electrochemical sodium‐ion storage performance offer fundamental understanding for the rational design of layered metal sulfides/graphene composites as high‐performance electrode materials for sodium‐ion batteries.

Xie, X, Chen, S, Sun, B, Wang, C & Wang, G 2015, '3D Networked Tin Oxide/Graphene Aerogel with a Hierarchically Porous Architecture for High-Rate Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries', CHEMSUSCHEM, vol. 8, no. 17, pp. 2948-2955.
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© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Low-cost and sustainable sodium-ion batteries are regarded as a promising technology for large-scale energy storage and conversion. The development of high-rate anode materials is highly desirable for sodium-ion batteries. The optimization of mass transport and electron transfer is crucial in the discovery of electrode materials with good high-rate performances. Herein, we report the synthesis of 3D interconnected SnO2/graphene aerogels with a hierarchically porous structure as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. The unique 3D architecture was prepared by a facile insitu process, during which cross-linked 3D conductive graphene networks with macro-/meso-sized hierarchical pores were formed and SnO2 nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene surface simultaneously. Such a 3D functional architecture not only facilitates the electrode-electrolyte interaction but also provides an efficient electron pathway within the graphene networks. When applied as anode materials in sodium-ion batteries, the as-prepared SnO2/graphene aerogel exhibited high reversible capacity, improved cycling performance compared to SnO2, and promising high-rate capability. Explore the pores: 3D SnO2/graphene aerogels with a hierarchically porous structure are prepared by a facile self-assembly method, in which graphene nanosheets self-bridge to form 3D continuous networks with interconnected porous channels and SnO2 nanoparticles are homogeneously loaded on the graphene nanosheets. The integration of SnO2 nanoparticles leads to fast Na⁺ diffusion and electronic conductivity, giving rise to a promising high-rate performance as anode in sodium-ion batteries.

Xie, X, Kretschmer, K, Zhang, J, Sun, B, Su, D & Wang, G 2015, 'Sn@CNT nanopillars grown perpendicularly on carbon paper: A novel free-standing anode for sodium ion batteries', NANO ENERGY, vol. 13, pp. 208-217.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Sodium-ion batteries have attracted extensive interest for energy storage and conversion as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The development of advanced electrode materials is important for the implementation of sodium-ion batteries into practical applications. Herein, we developed a facile soaking-chemical vapour deposition method to grow core-sheath structured Sn@CNT nanopillar arrays on carbon paper with a unique 3D hierarchical architecture as free-standing electrode for sodium-ion batteries. The electrode achieved a reversible capacity of 887μAhcm-2 in the first cycle and good cyclability extending to 100 cycles. The electrode also demonstrated a promising rate capability, which is suitable for high power applications. We also assembled prototype Na-ion full cells, consisting of the as-prepared free-standing Sn@CNT@carbon paper anode and Na0.80Li0.12Ni0.22Mn0.66O2 cathode. The full sodium-ion battery can power LED lights. This work is expected to inspire the development of sustainable sodium-ion batteries for energy storage and conversion.

Xie, X, Su, D, Zhang, J, Chen, S, Mondal, AK & Wang, G 2015, 'A comparative investigation on the effects of nitrogen-doping into graphene on enhancing the electrochemical performance of SnO₂/graphene for sodium-ion batteries', Nanoscale, vol. 7, no. 7, pp. 3164-3172.
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Enhanced electron transfer efficiency plays a dominant role for improving the performance of SnO₂/N-doped graphene for sodium-ion batteries.

Yuan, D, Wang, S, Zhang, H, Tao, X, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 2015, 'The Harmonic Suppression Characteristic Analysis of a Phase-Shifting Reactor in Rectifier System', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 1-4.
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Zhan, Y, Guo, Y, Zhu, J & Li, L 2015, 'Performance comparison of input current ripple reduction methods in UPS applications with hybrid PEM fuel cell/supercapacitor power sources', International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, vol. 64, pp. 96-103.
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Zhan, Y, Guo, Y, Zhu, J & Li, L 2015, 'Power and energy management of grid/PEMFC/battery/supercapacitor hybrid power sources for UPS applications', International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, vol. 67, pp. 598-612.
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Zhang, J, Sun, B, Xie, X, Kretschmer, K & Wang, G 2015, 'Enhancement of stability for lithium oxygen batteries by employing electrolytes gelled by poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether', ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA, vol. 183, pp. 56-62.
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© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Free-standing gel polymer electrolytes with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) matrix plasticized with tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) were prepared and investigated. The as-prepared gel polymer electrolytes exhibited large operating window and acceptable ionic conductivity. When applied in lithium oxygen batteries, the gel polymer electrolyte could support a high initial discharge capacity of 2988 mAh g-1 when a carbon black electrode without catalyst was used as cathode. Furthermore, the battery with gel polymer electrolyte can last at least 50 cycles in the fixed capacity cycling, displaying an excellent stability. Detailed study reveals that the gelling process is essential for the cycling stability enhancement. With excellent electrochemical properties, the free-standing gel polymer electrolyte presented in this investigation has great application potentials in long-life lithium oxygen batteries.

Zhang, L, Kou, B, Xing, F, Jin, Y, Zhang, H & Zhu, J 2015, 'A magnetically levitated synchronous permanent magnet planar motor with concentric structure winding used for lithography machine', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 117, no. 17, pp. 17B525-17B525.
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A novel magnetically levitated synchronous permanent magnet planar motor (MLSPMPM) with concentric structure winding, which can be used in lithography machine, is proposed in this paper. Topology and principle of the new MLSPMPM are introduced. The scalar magnetic potential is used to solve the magnetic system, and the differential equations are solved by the separation of variables method according to the boundary conditions. Characteristics, such as flux density, electromagnetic force, and back-EMF of the MLSPMPM, are obtained analytically. All of the results are validated by the finite element method. A prototype of the MLSPMPM is manufactured. Based on the prototype motor, some experiments are carried out. The measured results are used to showcase the validity of the analytical analysis.

Zhang, N, Wang, S, Chen, X, Shi, Q, Li, J, Zhu, J, Wang, S, Yang, B, Guo, Y & Zhu, J 2015, 'Study on Neural Regeneration Effect of Rat by Using Pulsed Functional Magnetic Stimulation', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 1-4.
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Zhang, Y, Bhadbhade, M, Karatchevtseva, I, Price, JR, Liu, H, Zhang, Z, Kong, L, Cejka, J, Lu, K & Lumpkin, GR 2015, 'Uranium(VI) coordination polymers with pyromellitate ligand: Unique 1D channel structures and diverse fluorescence', JOURNAL OF SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY, vol. 226, pp. 42-49.
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Zhao, F, Wang, B, Tang, Y, Ge, H, Huang, Z & Liu, HK 2015, 'Niobium doped anatase TiO₂ as an effective anode material for sodium-ion batteries', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 3, no. 45, pp. 22969-22974.
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Nb-doped anatase TiO₂ anode materials with high reversible sodium storage capacities, excellent cycling stability and rate capability were synthesized by a sol–gel method.

Zhao, Y, Chen, S, Sun, B, Su, D, Huang, X, Liu, H, Yan, Y, Sun, K & Wang, G 2015, 'Graphene-Co3O4 nanocomposite as electrocatalyst with high performance for oxygen evolution reaction', SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, vol. 5.
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Graphene-Co3O4 composite with a unique sandwich-architecture was successfully synthesized and applied as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirmed that Co3O4 nanocrystals were homogeneously distributed on both sides of graphene nanosheets. The obtained composite shows enhanced catalytic activities in both alkaline and neutral electrolytes. The onset potential towards the oxygen evolution reaction is 0.406 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 1 M KOH solution, and 0.858 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in neutral phosphate buffer solution (PBS), respectively. The current density of 10 mA/cm2 has been achieved at the overpotential of 313 mV in 1M KOH and 498mV in PBS. The graphene-Co3O4 composite also exhibited an excellent stability in both alkaline and neutral electrolytes. In particular, no obvious current density decay was observed after 10 hours testing in alkaline solution and the morphology of the material was well maintained, which could be ascribed to the synergistic effect of combining Co3O4 and graphene.

Zhao, Y, Sun, B, Huang, X, Liu, H, Su, D, Sun, K & Wang, G 2015, 'Porous graphene wrapped CoO nanoparticles for highly efficient oxygen evolution', JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, vol. 3, no. 10, pp. 5402-5408.
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© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015. The design of highly efficient, robust and earth-abundant electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a prodigious challenge for the rapid growth of global energy demand. Herein, an active catalyst composed of porous graphene and cobalt oxide (PGE-CoO) has been synthesized, demonstrating high porosity, large specific surface area and fast charge transport kinetics. The catalyst also exhibits excellent electrochemical performance towards OER with a low onset potential and high catalytic current density. The enhanced catalytic activity could be ascribed to porous structure, high electroactive surface area and strong chemical coupling between graphene and CoO nanoparticles. Moreover, this OER catalyst also shows good stability in the alkaline solution. The high performance and strong durability suggest that the porous structured composite is favorable and promising for water splitting.

Zhou, TP, Feng, XY, Guo, X, Wu, WW, Cheng, S & Xiang, HF 2015, 'Solid-state synthesis and electrochemical performance of Ce-doped Li4Ti5O12 anode materials for lithium-ion batteries', Electrochimica Acta, vol. 174, pp. 369-375.
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Zhu, L, Phillips, MR & Ton-That, C 2015, 'Coalescence of ZnO nanowires grown from monodisperse Au nanoparticles', CRYSTENGCOMM, vol. 17, no. 27, pp. 4987-4991.
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© The Royal Society of Chemistry. New insights into control of nanowire merging phenomena are demonstrated in the growth of thin ZnO nanowires using monodisperse Au colloidal nanoparticles as a catalyst. Both the nanowire diameter and density were found to be strongly dependent on the density of Au nanoparticles. Structural analysis and spectral cathodoluminescence imaging of the c-plane nanowire cross-sections reveal that the thin isolated nanowires growing from the Au nanoparticles begin to merge and coalesce with neighbouring nanowires to form larger nanowires when their separation reaches a threshold distance. Green luminescence, which originated from the remnants of constituent nanowires before merging, is detected at the core of the fused nanowires. The distribution of nanowire diameters and green emission were found to be strongly dependent on the density of the Au nanoparticles. The merging phenomenon is attributed to electrostatic interactions between the nanowire c-facets during growth and well-described by a cantilever bending model.

Zhu, LF, Zhu, JG, Tong, WM & Han, XY 2015, 'Study on no-load losses of permanent magnet synchronous motor with amorphous alloy stator core', Dianji yu Kongzhi Xuebao/Electric Machines and Control, vol. 19, no. 7, pp. 21-26.
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In order to research the influences of stator processing to the magnetic and loss characteristics of amorphous alloy material, both magnetic and loss performances of amorphous alloy stator core were measured. Correction method of hysteresis loss coefficient versus frequency was obtained by summering the loss measured results. Two motors with amorphous alloy and 35W270 silicon steel stators were produced with the same parameters, no-load losses of these two motors were compared in sinusoidal voltage and inverter supply conditions. The results show that, no-load loss of amorphous alloy motor is 45 percent of the silicon steel motor with sinusoidal voltage supply, but because of the time harmonics of amorphous alloy motor is much than silicon steel motor under inverter supply, additional no-load loss caused by time harmonics in amorphous alloy motor is much more than that in the silicon steel motor.

Zhu, S, Cheng, H-H, Blakey, I, Stokes, N, Ostrikov, KK & Cortie, M 2015, 'Plasmonic ‘top-hat’ nano-star arrays by electron beam lithography', Microelectronic Engineering, vol. 139, pp. 13-18.
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© 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.. Lithography techniques play an important role in the fabrication of nanoscale functional devices. In electron beam lithography (EBL) the optimum dose of electron irradiation is a critical parameter. In this paper, we first identify suitable EBL fabrication parameters by writing patterns with different sizes, periods and electron radiation doses. After finding suitable fabrication parameters, we show how five-pointed gold nanostructures with electric field-enhancing 'top hats' can be fabricated using EBL. Reflectance data of these arrays is measured in order to assess their potential applications in biosensing arrays

Zhu, S, Cortie, M & Blakey, I 2015, 'Effect of Multimodal Plasmon Resonances on the Optical Properties of Five-Pointed Nanostars', Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 22-22.
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The optical transmission and electric field distribution of plasmonic nanostructures dictate their performance in nano-optics and nano-biosensors. Here, we consider the use of hollow, five-pointed, star-shaped nanostructures made of Al, Ag, Au or Cu. We use simulations based on finite-difference time-domain and the discrete dipole approximation to identify the strongest plasmon resonances in these structures. In particular, we were seeking plasmon resonances within the visible part of the spectrum. The silver pentagrams exhibited the strongest such resonance, at a wavelength of about 530 nm. The visible-light resonances of Au and Cu pentagrams were relatively weaker and red-shifted by about 50 nm. The main resonances of the Al pentagrams were in the ultra-violet. All the nanostars also showed a broad, dipolar-like resonance at about 1000 nm. Surprisingly, the maximum field intensities for the visible light modes were greatest along the flanks of the stars rather than at their tips, whereas those of the dipolar-like modes in the near-infrared were greatest at the tips of the star. These findings have practical implications for sensor design. The inclusion of a conformally hollow interior is beneficial because it provides additional ‘hot spots’.

Zou, Y, Lei, G, Shao, K, Guo, Y, Zhu, J & Chen, X 2015, 'Hybrid Approach of Radial Basis Function and Finite Element Method for Electromagnetic Problems', IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 1-4.
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Asari, AR, Youguang Guo, Jianguo Zhu & Ismail, FS 1970, 'A review on 3-D magnetic property testing system for measuring rotational core loss of soft magnetic materials', 2015 10th Asian Control Conference (ASCC), 2015 10th Asian Control Conference (ASCC), IEEE, Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, pp. 294-299.
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© 2015 IEEE. In today's world, the development of electromagnetic devices require the magnetic cores to be operated at higher frequency. Soft magnetic composite (SMC) materials are suitable for these applications because of their properties like high electrical resistivity which leads to the low eddy current loss, and 3-D magnetic isotropy which provides great design flexibility of various electromagnetic devices. On top of that, the prediction of core losses is very important in obtaining the optimum design of the electrical machines which is always aiming for high efficiency. This paper reviews the development of 3-D magnetic property testing system or 3-D tester in studying the rotational core loss of SMC materials based on the previous researches in the last decade.

Bilokur, M, Gentle, A, Arnold, M, Cortie, MB & Smith, GB 1970, 'Optical properties of refractory TiN, AlN and (Ti,Al)N coatings', MICRO+NANO MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS, SPIE Conference on Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Systems, SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING, Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
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© 2015 SPIE. Titanium nitride is a golden-colored semiconductor with metallic optical properties. It is already widely used in room temperature spectrally-selective coatings. In contrast, aluminum nitride is a relatively wide-band gap, non-metallic material. Both nitrides have exceptional thermal stability, to over 1000 °C, but are susceptible to oxidation. We will show here that composite coatings consisting of these materials and their complex oxides have considerable potential for spectrally-selective applications, including at elevated temperatures. In particular, we examine the metastable materials produced by magnetron sputtering. The effective dielectric functions of these materials can be tuned over a wide range by manipulation of their microstructure. This provides a strategy to assemble materials with tunable dielectric functions using a 'bottom-up' approach. The results are compared to those achievable by conventional, 'top-down', planar optical stacks comprised of alternating layers of TiNx and AlN.

Duan, NN, Xu, WJ, Wang, SH, Li, HL, Guo, YG & Zhu, JG 1970, 'Extended finite element method for electromagnetic fields', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 364-365.
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© 2015 IEEE. This paper presents the fundamental principle of the extended finite element method (XFEM) for electromagnetic field analysis. This method provides an accurate approximation for locally non-smooth features within finite elements, such as singularities, discontinuities, and high derivatives. An alternative enrichment function is introduced to improve the approximation space of the conventional finite element method (CFEM) such that non-smooth solutions are modeled independent of the mesh. The level set method is employed to describe the interfaces among different materials. To demonstrate the advantages, the XFEM is compared with CFEM by solving a 1D electrical field problem.

Farrok, O, Islam, MR, Sheikh, MRI, Guo, YG, Zhu, JG & Xu, W 1970, 'Analysis and design of a novel linear generator for harvesting oceanic wave energy', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 272-273.
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© 2015 IEEE.In almost every permanent magnet linear generator (PMLG), demagnetization would greatly degrade the electricity generation capability over time. This paper proposes a novel PMLG which consists of a permanent magnet excitation generator (PMEG) to supply electrical excitation to the field winding of an electromagnetic linear generator (EMLG) which functions as the main power generator. The proposed generator can reduce the demagnetization problem of the conventional PMLG. The finite element analysis is performed by using the commercial software package ANSYS/ANSOFT for designing the proposed PMLG, and the genetic algorithm has been used to find the optimal pole size, pole pitch, air gap length and load variation to maximize the output power. Special m-shaped stator core is designed for the PMEG to minimize the leakage flux and cogging force. The voltage, current, power, magnetic flux density, force components and applied force are also analyzed and discussed.

Forbes, S, Roux, C, Stuart, B, Fu, S & Gunn, P 1970, 'Establishing the first Australian forensic taphonomy facility', 7th European Academy of Forensic Science Conference, Prague.

Gali, MA, Tai, MC, Arnold, MD, Cortie, MB, Gentle, AR & Smith, GB 1970, 'Plasmonic response in nanoporous metal: dependence on network topology', MICRO+NANO MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS, SPIE Conference on Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Systems, SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING, Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
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© 2015 SPIE. The optical and electrical responses of open, nanoscale, metal networks are of interest in a variety of technologies including transparent conducting electrodes, charge storage, and surfaces with controlled spectral selectivity. The properties of such nanoporous structures depend on the shape and extent of individual voids and the associated hyper-dimensional connectivity and density of the metal filaments. Unfortunately, a quantitative understanding of this dependence is at present only poorly developed. Here we address this problem using numerical simulations applied to a systematically designed series of prototypical sponges. The sponges are produced by a Monte Carlo simulation of the dealloying of Ag-Al alloys containing from 60% to 85% Al. The result is a series of Ag sponges of realistic morphology. The optical properties of the sponges are then calculated by the discrete dipole approximation and the results used to construct an 'effective medium' model for each sponge. We show how the resulting effective medium can be correlated with the associated morphological characteristics of each target and how the optical properties are primarily controlled by the density of the sponge and its state of percolation.

Guo, BC, Huang, YK, Guo, YG & Zhu, JG 1970, 'Thermal analysis of the conical rotor motor using LPTN combined with fluid simulation', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 128-129.
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© 2015 IEEE. The temperature investigation for conical rotor motor is relative important at the design step to insure the safety operation. This paper presents a transient thermal analysis mainly based on the lumped parameter thermal network (LPTN). Because the complex structure of the rotor, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is adapted to simulate the fluid flow condition in order to achieve accurate heat transfer coefficients and, Then, these coefficients are applied to the LPTN model. Finally, the accuracy of the results is verified by the temperature test, and good agreements are achieved.

Islam, MR, Youguang Guo & Jianguo Zhu 1970, 'FPGA-based control of modular multilevel converters: Modeling and experimental evaluation', 2015 International Conference on Electrical & Electronic Engineering (ICEEE), 2015 International Conference on Electrical & Electronic Engineering (ICEEE), IEEE, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, pp. 89-92.
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© 2015 IEEE. In comparison with conventional two level converters, multilevel converters present lower switching losses, lower voltage stress on switching devices, lower common-mode voltages and better harmonic performance. Due to these remarkable features, nowadays the application of this technology covers a wide range, where high-quality voltages and currents are required. However, the multilevel converter requires a number of switching pulse width modulated (PWM) signals, which cannot be generated by using a single digital signal processor (DSP)/microcontroller because the available DSP at present only can provide about 12 PWM channels. In this instance, the field programmable gate array (FPGA) is the natural choice to develop the control circuit of multilevel converters. In addition, the most common software such as MATLAB/Simulink and Xilinx ISE Design Suite-based alternative design technique is used in this paper, which may reduce the developmental time and cost of the controller. The design and implementation of the switching controller, test platform, and experimental results are analyzed and discussed.

Lei, G, Guo, YG, Zhu, JG & Xu, W 1970, 'An optimal flux-switching permanent magnet machine for hybrid electric vehicles', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 104-105.
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© 2015 IEEE. Flux-switching permanent magnet machines (FSPMMs) have been investigated for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This paper presents an optimal FSPMM with 12 stator poles to meet the performance specifications required by the drive machine in the Prius HEV. After a qualitative analysis based on size equation to briefly compare performances of FSPMMs with four rotor topology structures, a quantitative analysis method based on multilevel optimization is presented to obtain an accurate performance comparison. It is found that FSPMMs with different topology structures have different optimal structural parameters, and the optimal one with 13 rotor poles has the best performances in terms of output power and efficiency among four different rotor structures.

Lei, G, Guo, YG, Zhu, JG & Xu, W 1970, 'Six-sigma robust topology and shape optimization for flux switching permanent magnet machines', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 122-123.
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Flux-switching permanent magnet machines (FSPMMs) has been investigated for many application including hybrid electric vehicles due to its special configuration and high power density. This paper aims to present a robust optimization method for this kind of machine to improve its manufacturing quality in industry. The proposed robust method is based on design for six-sigma technique. Different topology structures, shape parameters and their manufacturing tolerances will be investigated in this method. Finally, a FSPMM is designed to maximize the average torque and to minimize the torque ripple and cogging torque under the framework of the proposed method. From the discussion, it can be found that the proposed method is efficient and can increase the reliability of the investigated FSPMM.

Lei, G, Guo, YG, Zhu, JG, Xu, W & Jin, JX 1970, 'Multiobjective design optimization for high-temperature superconducting linear synchronous motors with different primary topologies', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 120-121.
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A single-sided high-temperature superconducting (HTS) linear synchronous motor (HTSLSM) with an HTS bulk magnet array as its secondary has been developed in our previous work. This work presents multiobjective design optimization for this HTSLSM for its broad industry applications. Moreover, a new topology is presented for the primary of this HTSLSM. The finite element model used for the performance calculation has been verified by experimental results. Through the design optimization, it can be seen that the motor performances have been improved greatly for both initial and new topology primary structures.

Lei, G, Guo, YG, Zhu, JG, Xu, W & Li, YB 1970, 'Multilevel six-sigma robust optimization of a superconducting magnetic energy storage', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, pp. 112-113.
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© 2015 IEEE. Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) is an important device in renewable systems. It can improve the power supply quality and enhance the stability and reliability of power system. This work will investigate the manufacturing and operating reliability and quality of SMES based on a benchmark problem so as to improve its industry applications. Robust design optimization based on a technique called design for Six-Sigma is presented to investigate the above problem. Meanwhile, multilevel optimization method is employed to reduce the computation cost of finite element analysis due to high-dimensional parameters. As shown, the reliability and quality of the SMES after robust optimization have been improved significantly.

Lei, G, Liu, C, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 1970, 'Multidisciplinary design analysis for PM motors with soft magnetic composite cores', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Lei, G, Xu, W & Zhu, J 1970, 'An optimal flux switching permanent magnet machine for Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicle', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Shanghai, PEOPLES R CHINA, pp. 104-105.
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Li, Y, Yang, Q & Zhu, J 1970, 'Three-dimensional magnetic properties measurement of the laminated silicon steels', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE.
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Silicon steels are widely applied in the magnetic cores design, such as power transformer, electrical machine, and magnet. Magnetic properties of the silicon steel are key factors in design and performance optimization of the electrical apparatus. In the past several decades, one and two dimensional (2-D) magnetic properties testing methods have been developed for single sheet silicon steel specimen [1]. Their testing and analyzing scopes were confined in some direction or one plane. While in application, the silicon steels are usually in lamination, which may cause magnetic interaction between the vicinity layers. Magnetic properties along the perpendicular rolling direction and effects of the laminated layers might be ignored in the traditional testing methods. In this condition, big error may occur in material modeling and core loss calculation. Also, rotational magnetic fields are testified comprehensively in cores of rotating AC machines and T-joints of three-phase transformers, which cause rotational core losses may amount to more than 50% of the total core losses [2]. Therefore, 3-D magnetic properties of the laminated silicon steel in the complex rotating magnetization conditions should be taken into account. The first 3-D testing system with core-yoke excitation structure was designed mainly for isotropic soft magnetic composite (SMC) materials [3, 4]. For the junctions of laminated yokes and cores cannot be kept in uniform in any axis, this excitation structure can make asymmetric flux distributions in three axes. In order to perform relatively uniform and symmetrical magnetization of the laminated silicon steel specimen, the authors have been done a number of valuable benchmarking studies on a novel 3-D magnetization structure with 'C-type' cores as shown in Fig. 1.

Li, YJ, Yang, QX, Zhang, CG, Zhu, JG & Guo, YG 1970, 'Comprehensive magnetic properties measurement of the silicon steel considering the laminated direction', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 298-299.
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© 2015 IEEE. Comprehensive magnetic properties of the laminated silicon steels are key factors in magnetic core design, which should be measured and modeled by using new testing method. Comparing with the traditional Epstein Frame and Single Sheet Tester (SST), a novel Three-dimensional (3-D) magnetic properties tester has been designed for complex magnetic properties measurement of the laminated silicon steels. Grain oriented (GO) and non-grain oriented silicon steel samples are magnetized under alternating and rotational excitation considering the laminated direction. Both magnetic hysteresis and core loss features of the laminated silicon steels are measured and analyzed. This study can provide dynamic and comprehensive data to design and evaluate performance of the electrical machines and power transformers.

Liu, C, Zhu, J, Wang, Y, Lei, G, Guo, Y & Liu, X 1970, 'Comparison of claw pole machines with different rotor structure', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Liu, C, Zhu, J, Wang, Y, Lei, G, Guo, Y & Liu, X 1970, 'Design and analysis of an outer rotor flux switching permanent magnet machine for electric vehicle', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Piscataway, USA.
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© 2015 IEEE. With the great concerns on alleviating the pollution on the environment and traffic congestions; there is a trend for developing the electric vehicles [1], [2]. For such drive system, the in-wheel machines draw the main attention due to its relative higher torque density and compact structure [1]. With the permanent magnet (PM) located on the stator teeth, the flux switching permanent magnet machine (FSPMM) has relative high torque density, robust structure, etc., when compared with other machines [3]. A great number of work had been done on the FSPMM during last decades, which includes novel topology, control strategies, performance analysis etc. For the novel topologies of the FSPMM, the E-core, C-core, multi-tooth, different stator slots and poles combinations were investigated and compared [4], [5]. Compared with the inner rotor FSPMM, the outer rotor FSPMM exhibits the higher torque density, as it has higher air gap radius. In this paper, a 188 W 120 rpm outer rotor FSPMM is designed and analyzed for the electric vehicle.

Liu, C, Zhu, J, Wang, Y, Lei, G, Guo, Y & Liu, X 1970, 'Development of a novel axial-flux claw pole machine with soft magnetic composite core', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Liu, XJ, Wang, YH, Liu, CC, Zhu, JG & Guo, YG 1970, 'Parameter calculation of solid wires in transformer windings', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 304-305.
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© 2015 IEEE. Resistance and capacitance impact the performance of magnetic components while it is difficult to calculate them accurately. An analytical model for parameter calculation of solid wire in transformer windings has been developed. The model calculates the current density distribution by considering the eddy current effect in solid wires through theory calculation. In this paper, a simulated model is evaluated by finite element method. It can be found that the current density distribution of solid wires obtained from analytical model is well aligned with that from FEM. Meanwhile, the resistance and inductance of each wire by the two parallel wires model and FEM are 0.1657 Ω and0.1672 Ω, respectively. The relative error of resistance is 0.897%. The dynamic capacitance between two wires is 135.5 pF. The results are analyzed and found the model has huge potentiality for transformer design.

Schubert, D, Neiner, D, Bowden, M, Whittemore, S, Holladay, J, Huang, Z & Autrey, T 1970, 'Capacity enhancement of aqueous borohydride fuels for hydrogen storage in liquids', Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 14th International Symposium on Metal-Hydrogen Systems (MH), Elsevier BV, Salford, ENGLAND, pp. S196-S199.
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Shahcheraghi, N, Dowd, A, Arnold, MD & Cortie, MB 1970, 'Plasmon Resonances on Opto-capacitive Nanostructures', MICRO+NANO MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS, SPIE Conference on Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Systems, SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING, Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
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Shahcheraghi, N, Dowd, AR, Arnold, M & Cortie, M 1970, 'Plasmon resonances on opto-capacitive nanostructures', Proceedings Volume 9668, Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Systems, SPIE Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Applications, SPIE, Sydney, Australia.
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Silver is considered as one of the most desirable materials for plasmonic devices due to it having low loss, low epsilon2, across the visible spectrum. In addition, silver nanotriangles can self-assemble into complex structures that can include tip-totip or base-to-base arrangements. While the optical properties of tip-to-tip dimers of nanotriangles have been quite intensively studied, the geometric inverse, the base-to-base configuration, has received much less attention. Here we report the results of a computational study of the optical response of this latter configuration. Calculations were performed using the discrete dipole approximation. The effect of gap size and substrate are considered. The results indicate that the base-to-base configuration can sustain a strong coupled dipole and various multimode resonances. The pairing of the parallel triangle edges produces a strongly capacitive configuration and very intense electric fields over an extended volume of space. Therefore, the base-to-base configuration could be suitable for a range of plasmonic applications that require a strong and uniform concentration of electric field. Examples include refractometeric sensing or metal-enhanced fluorescence.

Sun, X, Luo, S, Zhu, J, Yang, Z & Li, F 1970, 'Modeling of a bearingless permanent magnet synchronous motor using adaptive weighted least square support vector machine', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Sun, XD, Luo, S, Chen, L, Yang, ZB, Chen, JF, Zhu, JG & Guo, YG 1970, 'Modeling and finite element analysis of suspension force for a bearingless permanent magnet synchronous motor', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 535-536.
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© 2015 IEEE. This paper presents a suspension force modeling method for bearingless permanent magnet synchronous motors (BPMSMs) using Maxwell stress tensor method. By deducing the magnetic flux density of airgap in BPMSMs using magnetic circuit analytic approach, the suspension force model with rotor eccentricity is established. And then the suspension force of a surface-mounted BPMSM is computed by the finite element method. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed modeling method.

Xu, W, Duan, N, Wang, S, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 1970, 'Current distribution analysis for a multilayer high-Tc superconducting cable considering magnetic hysteresis', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Xu, W, Wang, ZY, Lei, G & Zhu, JG 1970, 'Multi-layer windings effect on performance of flux-switching permanent magnet machines', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, PEOPLES R CHINA, pp. 72-73.
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Xu, WJ, Duan, NN, Wang, SH, Guo, YG & Zhu, JG 1970, 'Modeling the stress dependence of magnetic hysteresis based on Stoner-Wohlfarth theory', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 378-379.
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© 2015 IEEE.This paper presents an improved approach for simulating magnetic hysteresis, which takes into account the effect of applied stress, based on an extended Stoner-Wohlfarth (S-W) model. Meanwhile, the S-W asteroid rotates and shrinks, and the stable direction of magnetization of the particle can be calculated from the new energy minimum conditions. This developed model is applied to analyze the magnetic hysteresis phenomenon of a soft magnetic composite (SMC) material under different compaction process, and the results of simulations are in good quantitative agreement with experimental data.

Xu, WJ, Duan, NN, Wang, SH, Guo, YG & Zhu, JG 1970, 'Two-dimensional elemental operator for modeling the vectorial hysteresis of soft magnetic composite material', 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), 2015 IEEE International Conference on Applied Superconductivity and Electromagnetic Devices (ASEMD), IEEE, Shanghai, China, pp. 374-375.
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© 2015 IEEE.This paper presents a two-dimensional elemental operator with biaxial anisotropy based on the physical mechanisms of the cubic textured magnetic materials, and deduces an analytical expression of the direct relationship between magnetic field strength H and magnetization M for a single elemental operator by the partial approximate substitutions. To verify the proposed model, the magnetic hysteresis of a soft magnetic composite material SOMALOYTM 500 under alternating excitations was simulated and compared with the experimental results obtained by a 3D magnetic property tester. The results suggest that the proposed approach can be a useful tool in the modeling of vectorial magnetic hysteresis and the calculation of iron loss in practical engineering electromagnetic field analysis.

Yuan, D, Wang, S, Zhang, H, Tao, X, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 1970, 'The harmonic suppression characteristic analysis of phase-shifting reactor in rectifying system', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Zhang, H, Wang, S, Zhu, J & Guo, Y 1970, 'Double-ladder circuit model of transformer windings for frequency response analysis considering frequency-dependent losses', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE, Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA.
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Zhang, N, Wang, S, Chen, X, Shi, Q, Li, J, Zhu, J, Yang, B & Guo, Y 1970, 'Study on neural regeneration effect of rat by using pulsed functional magnetic stimulation', 2015 IEEE Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE International Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), IEEE.
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© 2015 IEEE. In the last decades the electrical stimulation therapy has played an important role for neural regeneration. However, the amplitude of electric shocks will be decayed greatly after penetrating into biological tissues. The patient will also suffer from the skin injury caused by electrodes. Recent years, the positive effect of magnetic stimulation on neuronal growth has been studied for several years. A. Rusovan et al. studied the effect of sinusoidal magnetic field stimulation on regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve between a pair of Helmholtz coils to a 50 Hz magnetic field of 0.4 mT. The results showed that the field enhanced the regeneration velocity [1]. In this research, the stimulation coil has been designed by FEM calculation first. Then a prototype of a pulsed magnetic field stimulation system is realized. With this stimulation system, a simulation model was established to calculate the distribution of the electromagnetic field induced by stimulation coil. The biological experiments based on SD rats are conducted.

Zhang, Y, Peng, Y & Zhu, J 1970, 'Efficient model predictive power control for three-level AC/DC converters', 2015 18th International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS), 2015 18th International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS), IEEE, Thailand, pp. 2127-2133.
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© 2015 IEEE. Conventional model predictive power control (C-MPPC) requires a large amount of calculations, which is an obstacle for its application, especially in the multilevel converters. To solve this problem, this paper presents an efficient MPPC (E-MPPC) for three-level AC/DC converters by eliminating the complicated power predictions. As a result, the execute time and computational burden are reduced significantly while the control performance is not affected. Furthermore, the suppression of neutral point potential fluctuation and avoidance of high voltage jumps are also taken into account. A comparative study of the proposed E-MPPC and prior C-MPPC are presented in this paper. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by simulation and experimental results.

Zhu, S & Cortie, M 1970, 'Optical properties of arrays of five-pointed nanostars', SPIE Proceedings, SPIE Micro+Nano Materials, Devices, and Applications, SPIE, Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
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Choi, S, Berhane, AM, Gentle, A, Ton-That, C, Phillips, MR & Aharonovich, I 2015, 'Electroluminescence from isolated defects in zinc oxide, towards electrically triggered single photon sources at room temperature'.

Ton-That, C, Zhu, L, Lockrey, MN, Phillips, MR, Cowie, BCC, Tadich, A, Thomsen, L, Khachadorian, S, Schlichting, S, Jankowski, N & Hoffmann, A 2015, 'Molecular nitrogen acceptors in ZnO nanowires induced by nitrogen plasma annealing'.

Zhu, L, Phillips, MR & Ton-That, C 2015, 'Coalescence of ZnO nanowires grown from monodispersed Au nanoparticles'.