Journal Highlights

Quantifying elasticity maps of methacrylate-based copolymers using atomic force microscopy

Lumbini P. Ramasinghe, Katherine Leslee A. Cimatu

The authors describe the nanoscale thermo-mechanical study in polymer thin films relevant to adhesion properties using atomic force microscopy. The modeling enables the development of force-map curves sufficient to distinguish properties of copolymers compared to their monolith counterparts. This method should be useful for developing tools for coating interrogation at the nanoscale level with the future for artificial intelligence/machine learning advancement. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023–00459-7

Advanced tissue engineering for in vitro drug safety testing

Róisín M. Owens

Cell-based assays are an important alternative to animal testing for drug discovery. The use of 3D, tissue engineered models enables development of models of human tissues and organs. The author provides an overview on the history of drug safety testing and its current status. Enabling tissue culture and live cell-based assays has notable advantages compared to other models, but still requires new materials and biomaterials qualification for safety. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023–00421-7

New synthetic route to improve uniformity of cell-releasing PEG-based hydrogel carriers

Mykel Green, Ashley Hicks, Taylor Sullivan, Patience Oliviera, Bhanaviya Venkat, Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez

Biobased and hydrogel materials are useful for new tissue engineering constructs and the development of biomaterials. New synthetic routes involving macroinitiators and cross-linking motifs will define controlled release and adhesion properties. This is demonstrated in PEG dithioester acrylamide (PEGDTEA) polymers resulting in quantifiable delivery applications for further in vivo and in vitro studies. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023–00446-y

Optimal scheduling of distributed generators for efficient microgrid system operation for different electricity market pricing and grid participation

Srikant Misra, P.K. Panigrahi, Bishwajit Dey, Saradindu Ghosh

The authors study five scenarios of optimal scheduling operations for distributed energy resources to achieve an economical low-voltage microgrid system. The optimization tool used was a freshly built, rapid and popular crow search algorithm. The findings imply that the most economical scenario of microgrid operation was when the grid was actively involved in the purchasing and selling of power with a time-of-usage-based dynamic pricing strategy. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43581-022-00059-3

Energy storage techniques, applications, and recent trends: A sustainable solution for power storage

Parth Vaghela, Vaishnavi Pandey, Anirbid Sircar, Kriti Yadav, Namrata Bist, Roshni Kumari

The authors present an overview of energy storage methods, uses, and recent developments that emphasize power industry-relevant and environmentally friendly energy storage options. They discuss available energy storage options and how these technologies are used in the power sector. The results suggest that these technologies can be viable alternatives to traditional fuel sources, especially in remote areas and applications where the need for low-emission, unwavering, and cost-efficient energy storage is critical. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43581-023-00069-9

Synthesis of size-selected Pt/GONR nanocomposites for visible-light-enhanced methanol oxidation reaction in an alkaline solution

Chia-Liang Sun, Yu-Chih Chen, Cheng-Hsuan Lin, Hung-Yu Chen

The authors prepare size-selected Pt/graphene oxide nanoribbon (GONR) composites as fuel-cell anode photoelectrocatalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in an alkaline solution. They use a light-emitting diode and a Xenon (Xe) lamp to increase the current densities of MOR while a photoelectrochemical phenomenon occurred upon the proposed catalysts. The major parameter of control is the microwave powers for unzipping GONRs for electrochemical and photoeletrochemical measurements. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43581-022-00054-8