Monolayer graphene dispersion and radiative cooling for high power LED.

Molecular fan, a radiative cooling by thin film, has been developed and its application for compact electronic devices has been evaluated. The enhanced surface emissivity and heat dissipation efficiency of the molecular fan coating are shown to correlate with the quantization of lattice modes in active nanomaterials. The highly quantized G and 2D bands in graphene are achieved by our dispersion technique, and then incorporated in an organic-inorganic acrylate emulsion to form a coating assembly on heat sinks (for LED and CPU). This water-based dielectric layer coating has been formulated and applied on metal core printed circuit boards. The heat dissipation efficiency and breakdown voltage are evaluated by a temperature-monitoring system and a high-voltage breakdown tester. The molecular fan coating on heat dissipation units is able to decrease the equilibrium junction temperature by 29.1 ° C, while functioning as a dielectric layer with a high breakdown voltage (>5 kV). The heat dissipation performance of the molecular fan coating applied on LED devices shows that the coated 50 W LED gives an enhanced cooling of 20% at constant light brightness. The schematics of monolayer graphene dispersion, undispersed graphene platelet, and continuous graphene sheet are illustrated and discussed to explain the mechanisms of radiative cooling, radiative/non-radiative, and non-radiative heat re-accumulation.

An instrument for evaluation of performance of heat dissipative coatings.

An instrument is developed to evaluate the performance of heat dissipative coatings. The instrument has features to measure the apparent emissivity of a given surface under different input power settings. The emissivity of aluminum (Al Q-panel) and copper, as measured from 60-135 degrees C, showed a value of 0.15+/-0.03 and 0.42+/-0.05, respectively, consistent with reported values in literature. The relative emissivity of a heat dissipative coating, called as molecular fan carbon nanotube "MF-CNT," was found to be approximately 0.97. A simple mathematical model is built to evaluate the role of different heat transfer mechanisms (convection and radiation) on cooling performance, and it was observed that convection plays a dominant role in cooling, with more than 90% of heat transferred by convection. In presence of MF-CNT coating, radiation heat transfer increases to approximately 30% and lowers the steady state temperature by 10 degrees C. It is illustrated that radiative cooling could be a significant factor in thermal management.

Radiative cooling: lattice quantization and surface emissivity in thin coatings.

Nanodiamond powder (NDP), multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), and carbon black (CB) were dispersed in an acrylate (AC) emulsion to form composite materials. These materials were coated on aluminum panels (alloy 3003) to give thin coatings. The active phonons of the nanomaterials were designed to act as a cooling fan, termed "molecular fan (MF)". The order of lattice quantization, as investigated by Raman spectroscopy, is MWCNT > CB >> NDP. The enhanced surface emissivity of the MF coating (as observed by IR imaging) is well-correlated to lattice quantization, resulting in a better cooling performance by the MWCNT-AC composite. MF coatings with different concentrations (0%, 0.4%, 0.7%, and 1%) of MWCNT were prepared. The equilibrium temperature lowering of the coated panel was observed with an increase in the loading of CNTs and was measured as 17 degrees C for 1% loading of MWCNT. This was attributed to an increased density of active phonons in the MF coating.

Anatase TiO2 nanocomposites for antimicrobial coatings.

A sol-gel chemistry approach was used to fabricate nanoparticles of TiO(2) in its anatase form. The particle size is shown to be sensitive to the use of HClO(4) or HNO(3) as acid catalyst. The gold-capped TiO(2) nanocomposites were processed by the reduction of gold on the surface of the TiO(2) nanoparticles via a chemical reduction or a photoreduction method. Different percentages of vanadium-doped TiO(2) nanoparticles, which extended the TiO(2) absorption wavelength from the ultraviolet to the visible region, were successfully prepared. The synthesized nanocomposites have a size of about 12-18 nm and an anatase phase as characterized by XRD, TEM, AFM, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The TiO(2) nanocomposite coatings have been applied on glass slide substrates. The antibacterial activity of TiO(2) nanocomposites was investigated qualitatively and quantitatively. Two types of bacteria, Escherichia coli (DH 5alpha) and Bacillus megaterium (QM B1551), were used during the experiments. Good inhibition results were observed and demonstrated visually. The quantitative examination of bacterial activity for E. coli was estimated by the survival ratio as calculated from the number of viable cells, which form colonies on the nutrient agar plates. The antimicrobial efficiency and inhibition mechanisms are illustrated and discussed.

Molecular complexes of IQ and 4-hydroxy-coumarin: a mutagen-anti-mutagen system.

Molecular complexes formed between a cooked food mutagen-carcinogen (2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoline, IQ) and a potent anti-mutagen (4-hydroxy-coumarin, 4HC) were synthesized and crystallized from a solution. The active functional groups in IQ and in 4HC that may involve in the formation of these complexes are investigated by UV-visible, infrared, and NMR spectroscopy. The geometrical conformations and heat of formation of IQ:4HC complexes were optimized by semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations. The experimental and theoretical results indicate that the complexes exist in multiple conformations. The energetically favorable ones are formed via hydrogen-bonding type of interactions between amino group in IQ and carbonyl group in 4HC, and also between quinoline-nitrogen (and imidazole-nitrogen) in IQ and hydroxyl group in 4HC. The observed complex formation could serve as a model for understanding the active molecular sites responsible for the initial mutagenic activity in cooked-food mutagens as well as the anti-mutagenic activity in coumarins.