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With the recent world-wide COVID-19 pandemic, using face masks have become an important part of our lives. People are encouraged to cover their faces when in public area to avoid the spread of infection. The use of these face masks has…
Nanowires have unique optical properties [1-4] and are considered as important building blocks for energy harvesting applications such as solar cells. [2, 5-8] However, due to their large surface-to-volume ratios, the recombination of…
The particle filtration efficiency (PFE) of a respirator or face mask is one of its key properties. While the physics of particle filtration results in the PFE being size-dependent, measurement standards are specified using a single,…
We consider the problem of behind-the-meter EV charging by a prosumer, co-optimized with rooftop solar, electric battery, and flexible consumptions such as water heaters and HVAC. Under the time-of-use net energy metering tariff with the…
A single electrode microwave based atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) had been developed, characterized and applied for decontamination of Pu based synthetic radioactive waste. Argon plasma with small amount of CF4 and O2 was used for…
Currently, the pre-treatment for membrane filtration systems is receiving more attention that can be remove large particles and debris or enhance permeation flux. In this study, commercial nylon 6 fabric is modified via hydrolysis amidation…
While almost any kind of face mask offers some protection against particles and pathogens of different sizes, the most efficient ones make use of a layered structure where one or more layers are electrically charged. This electret layer is…
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious global epidemic in the past few months and caused huge loss to human society worldwide. For such a large-scale epidemic, early detection and isolation of potential virus carriers is…
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are very selective filters that monitor the transport between the cytoplasm and the nucleoplasm. Two models have been suggested for the plug of the NPC. They are (i) it is a reversible hydrogel or (ii) it is a…
The energy absorption on nanometer scale is vital for many bio and chemical systems. We report here that a two times amplification in absorption efficiency can be achieved by water molecules confined in carbon nanotubes with small radius,…
We demonstrate a ventilated metamaterial absorber operating at low frequency (< 500 Hz).With only two layers of the absorption units, high-efficiency absorption (> 90%) has been achieved in both simulations and experiments. This…
Face masks are used to intercept respiratory droplets to prevent spreading of air-borne diseases. Designing face masks with better efficiency needs microscopic understanding on how respiratory droplets move through a mask. Here we study a…
We present results on the infection risk from SARS-CoV-2 under different scenarios based on measured particle size-dependent mask penetration, measured total inward leakage, measured human aerosol emission for sizes from 10nm to 1mm, and…
In pulsed laser deposition, along the traditionally exploited deposition on the front-side of the plasma-plume, a coating forms on the surface of the target as well. For reproducibility, this residue is usually cleaned and discarded. Here…
We consider the translocation of a neutral (uncharged) nanoparticle through a pore in a thin membrane with constant surface charge density. If the concomitant Debye screening layer is sufficiently thin, the resulting forces experienced by…
The global need for clean water requires sustainable technology for purifying contaminated water. Highly efficient solar-driven photodegradation is a sustainable strategy for wastewater treatment. In this work, we demonstrate that the…
The recent paper by Chiara et al. provided the first experimental evidence of nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC), responding a long-standing theoretical prediction. NEEC was inferred to be the main channel to excite an isomer in…
Particulate air pollution is taking a huge toll on modern society, being associated with more than three million deaths per year. In addition, airborne infectious microorganism can spread dangerous diseases, further elevating the problem. A…
There is an urgent need for disinfection and sterilization devices accessible to the public that can be fulfilled by innovative strategies for using cold atmospheric pressure plasmas. Here we explore and evaluate an approach combining a…
Electrochemical desalination devices that use redox-active cation intercalation electrodes show promise for desalination of salt-rich water resources with high water recovery and low energy consumption. While previous modeling and…