10-04 :: April 2010

nanotimes

News in Brief

[4 pages], DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.125505: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.125505

Sascha Maeuselein, Oliver Macka, and Roman

Schwartza at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesan-

stalt (PTB), Germany, present the results of their findings regarding the use of single-crystalline

silicon as mechanical spring in load cells.

As a result of the crystalline structure, a very high reproducibility of the material properties is ex- pected. In addition, the mechanical aftereffects of single-crystalline silicon are by the factor of 100 smaller than in metallic materials. Performed simulations using the finite element method con- sider anisotropic and brittle material behaviour. It is shown that on principle silicon in combination with sputtered metal strain gauges can be used as mechanical spring material for load cells and force sensors.

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Maeuselein, S.; Mack, O.; Schwartz, R.: Investigations into the use of single-crystalline silicon as mechanical spring in load cells, In: Measurement, Vol. 42, Issue 6, Pages 871- 877, DOI:10.1016/j.measurement.2009.01.008: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2009.01.008

Mäuselein, S.; Mack, O.; Schwartz, R.; Jäger, G.: Investiga- tions of new silicon load cells with thin-film strain gauges. XIX IMEKO World Congress: Fundamental and Applied Metrology. Lisbon, September 06-11, 2009. Proceedings

(2009).

http://www.imeko.org/publications/wc-2009/IMEKO- WC-2009-TC3-374.pdf

Researchers show how lattice strain can be used experimentally to tune the catalytic activity of dealloyed bimetallic nanoparticles for the oxygen-

reduction reaction, a key barrier to the application of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. They demons- trate the core–shell structure of a catalyst and clarify the mechanistic origin of its activity.

Peter Strasser, Shirlaine Koh, Toyli Anniyev, Jeff Greeley, Karren More, Chengfei Yu, Zengcai Liu, Sarp Kaya, Dennis Nordlund, Hirohito Ogasawara, Michael F. Toney & An- ders Nilsson: Lattice-strain control of the activity in deallo- yed core-shell fuel cell catalysts, In: Nature Chemistry AOP, April 25, 2010, DOI:10.1038/nchem.623: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchem.623

The prototype of this new load cell made of monocrystal- line silicon (instead of metal – as in the case of conven- tional load cells) and with sputtered-on strain gauges (in- stead of bonded strain gauges) manufactured at German PTB is virtually waiting to leap into industrial production. © Elsevier/Measurement

http://www.ptb.de

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, and Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, report

a carbon nanotube (CNT)-clamped Metal atomic

chain (MAC), where CNTs play the roles of both nanoconnector and electrodes. This nanostructure is prepared by in situ machining a metal-filled CNT,