• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.609-614
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• 2012

We report on the NO gas sensing properties of non-directional ZnO nanofibers synthesized using a typical electrospinning technique. These non-directional ZnO nanofibers were electrospun on an $SiO_2$/Si substrate from a solution containing poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and zinc nitrate hexahydrate dissolved in distilled water. Calcination processing of the ZnO/PVA composite nanofibers resulted in a random network of polycrystalline ZnO nanofibers of 50 nm to 100 nm in diameter. The diameter of the nanofibers was found to depend primarily on the solution viscosity; a proper viscosity was maintained by adding PVA to fabricate uniform ZnO nanofibers. Microstructural measurements using scanning electron microscopy revealed that our synthesized ZnO nanofibers after calcination had coarser surface morphology than those before calcination, indicating that the calcination processing was sufficient to remove organic contents. From the gas sensing response measurements for various NO gas concentrations in dry air at several working temperatures, it was found that gas sensors based on electrospun ZnO nanofibers showed quite good responses, exhibiting a maximum sensitivity to NO gas in dry air at an operating temperature of $200^{\circ}C$. In particular, the non-directional electrospun ZnO nanofiber gas sensors were found to have a good NO gas detection limit of sub-ppm levels in dry air. These results illustrate that non-directional electrospun ZnO nanofibers are promising for use in low-cost, high-performance practical NO gas sensors.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.3593-3599
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• 2010

In an original effort, this lab attempted to employ polystyrene nanoparticles as a template for the synthesis of ordered and highly porous macroporous $SiO_2$ thin films, utilizing their high combustion temperature and narrow size distribution. However, polystyrene nanoparticle thin films were not obtained due to the low interaction between individual particles and between the particle and silicon substrate. However, polystyrene-polyacrylic acid (PS-AA) colloidal particles of a core-shell structure were synthesized by a one-pot miniemulsion polymerization approach, with hydrophilic polyacrylic acid tails on the particle surface that improved interaction between individual particles and between the particle and silicon substrate. The PS-AA thin films were spin-coated in the thickness ranges from monolayer to approximately $1.0\;{\mu}m$. Using the PS-AA thin films as sacrificial templates, macroporous $SiO_2$ thin films were successfully synthesized by vapor deposition or conventional solution sol-gel infiltration methods. Inspection with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed that the macroporous $SiO_2$ thin films consist of interconnected air balls (~100 nm). Typical macroporous $SiO_2$ thin films showed ultralow refractive indices ranging from 1.098 to 1.138 at 633 nm, according to the infiltration conditions, which were confirmed by spectroscopy ellipsometry (SE) measurements. This research shows how the synthetic control of the macromolecule such as hydrophilic polystyrene nanopaticles and silicate sol precursors innovates the optical properties and processabilities for actual applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.101-101
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• 2010

ZnO shows a direct band gap of 3.37eV, large exciton binding energy (~60 meV), high oxidation ability, high sensitivity to many gases, and low cost, and it has been used in various applications such as transparent electrodes, light emitting diodes (LEDs), gas sensors and photocatalysts. Among these applications ZnO as photocatalyst has considerably attracted attention over the past few years because of its high activities in removing organic contaminants generated from industrial activities. In this research, ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by spray-pyrolysis method using the zinc acetate dihydrate as starting material at synthesis temperature of $900^{\circ}C$ with concentration varied from 0.01 to 1.0M. The physical and chemical properties of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were examined by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transformation Infrared (FT-IR), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The Miller indices of XRD patterns indicate that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles showed a hexagonal wurtzite structure. With increased precursor concentration, a primary, secondary particle sizes of ZnO nanoparticles increased by 0.8 to $1.5{\mu}m$ and 15 to 35nm, and their crystallinity was improved. Methyleneblue (MB) solution ($1{\mu}M$) as a test comtaminant was prepared for evaluating the photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in different precursor concentration. The results show that the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO nanoparticles was gradually enhanced by increased precursor concentration.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.106-110
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• 2012

Oblique angle deposition (OAD) is a physical vapor deposition where incident vapor flux arrives at non-normal angles. It has been known that tilting the substrate changes the properties of the film, which is thought to be a result of morphological change of the film. In this study, OAD has been applied to prepare single and multilayer TiN films by cathodic arc deposition. TiN films have been deposited on cold-rolled steel sheets and stainless steel sheet. The deposition angle as well as substrate temperature and substrate bias was changed to investigate their effects on the properties of TiN films. TiN films were analyzed by color difference meter, scanning electron microscopy, nanoindenter and x-ray diffraction. The color of TiN films was not much changed according to the deposition conditions. The slanted and zigzag structures were observed from the single and multilayer films. The relation between substrate tilting angle (${\alpha}$) and the growth column angle (${\beta}$) followed the equation of $tan{\alpha}=2tan{\beta}$. The indentation hardness of TiN films deposited by OAD was low compared with the ones prepared at normal angle. However, it has been found that $H^3/E^2$ ratio of 3-layer TiN films prepared at OAD condition was a little higher than the ones prepared at normal angle, which can confirm the robustness of prepared films.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.465-473
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• 2019

Biocementation due to the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process is a potential technique that can be used for soil improvement. However, the effect of biocementation may be affected by many factors, including nutrient concentration, bacterial strains, injection strategy, temperature, pH, and soil type. This study investigates mainly the effect of chemical concentration on the formation of calcium carbonate (e.g., quantity, size, and crystalline structure) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) using different treatment time and chemical concentration in the biotreatment. Two chemical concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 M) and three different treatment times (2, 4, and 8 cycles) were studied. The effect of chemical concentrations on the treatment was also examined by making the total amount of chemicals injected to be the same, but using different times of treatment and chemical concentrations (8 cycles for 0.50 M and 4 cycles for 1.00 M). The UCS and CCC were measured and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was carried out. The SEM images revealed that the sizes of calcium carbonate crystals increased with an increase in chemical concentrations. The UCS values resulting from the treatments using low concentration were slightly greater than those from the treatments using high concentration, given the CCC to be more or less the same. This trend can be attributed to the size of the precipitated crystals, in which the cementation efficiency increases as the crystal size decreases, for a given CCC. Furthermore, in the high concentration treatment, two mineral types of calcium carbonate were precipitated, namely, calcite and amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). As the crystal shape and morphology of ACC differ from those of calcite, the bonding provided by ACC can be weaker than that provided by calcite. As a result, the conditions of calcium carbonate were affected by test key factors and eventually, contributed to the UCS values.

• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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• v.67
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• pp.388-395
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• 2018

Significant efforts have been applied toward fabricating three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds using 3D-bioprinting tissue engineering techniques. Gelatin has been used in 3D-bioprinting to produce designed 3D scaffolds; however, gelatin has a poor printability and is not useful for fabricating desired 3D scaffolds using 3D-bioprinting. In this study, we fabricated pore size controlled 3D gelatin scaffolds with two step 3D-bioprinting approach: a low-temperature ($-10^{\circ}C$) freezing step and a crosslinking process. The scaffold was crosslinked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The pore sizes of the produced 3D gelatin scaffolds were approximately 30% smaller than the sizes of the designed pore sizes. The surface morphologies and pore sizes of the 3D gelatin scaffolds were confirmed and measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were cultured on a 3D gelatin scaffold to evaluate the effect of the 3D gelatin scaffold pore size on the cell proliferation. After 14 days of culture, HDFs proliferation throughout the 3D gelatin scaffolds prepared with more than $580{\mu}m$ pore size was approximately 14% higher than proliferation throughout the 3D gelatin scaffold prepared with a $435{\mu}m$ pore size. These results suggested that control over the 3D gelatin scaffold pore size is important for tissue engineering scaffolds.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.555-566
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• 2023

In this study, a composite phase change material (CPCM) produced using the SOL-GEL technique was developed as a thermal energy storage medium for low-temperature applications. Tetradecane and activated carbon (AC) were used as the core and supporting materials, respectively. The tetradecane phase change material (PCM) was impregnated into the porous structure of AC using the vacuum impregnation method, and a thin layer of silica gel was coated on the prepared composite using the SOL-GEL process, where tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as the silica source. The thermal performance of the CPCM was analysed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). DSC results showed that the pure tetradecane PCM had melting and freezing temperatures of 6.4℃ and 1.3℃ and corresponding enthalpies 226 J/g and 223.8 J/g, respectively. The CPCM exhibited enthalpy of 32.98 J/g and 27.7 J/g during the melting and freezing processes at 7.1℃ and 2.4℃, respectively. TGA test results revealed that the AC is thermally stable up to 500℃, which is much higher than the decomposition temperature of the pure tetradecane, which is around 120℃. Moreover, in the case of AC-PCM and CPCM thermal degradation started at 80℃ and 100℃, respectively. The chemical stability of the CPCM was studied using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and the results confirmed that the developed composite is chemically stable. Finally, the surface morphology of the AC and CPCM was analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which confirmed the presence of a thin layer of silica gel on the AC surface after the SOL-GEL process.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.261-265
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• 2010

In this paper, we attempt to improve the electrical characteristics of epoxy resin at high temperature (above $80^{\circ}C$) by adding magnesium oxide (MgO), which has high thermal conductivity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the dispersion of specimens with added MgO reveals that they are evenly dispersed without concentration. The dielectric breakdown characteristics of $SiO_2$ and MgO nanocomposites are tested by measurements at different temperatures to investigate the filler's effect on the dielectric breakdown characteristics. The dielectric breakdown strength of specimens with added $SiO_2$ decreases slowly below $80^{\circ}C$ (low temperature) but decreases rapidly above $80^{\circ}C$ (high temperature). However, the gradient of the dielectric breakdown strength of specimens with added MgO is slow at both low and high temperatures. The dielectric breakdown strength of specimens with 0.4 wt% $SiO_2$ is the best among the specimens with added $SiO_2$, and that of specimens with 3.0 wt% and 5.0 wt% MgO is the best among those with added MgO. Moreover, the dielectric strength of specimens with 3.0 wt% MgO at high temperatures is approximately 53.3% higher than that of specimens with added $SiO_2$ at $100^{\circ}C$, and that of specimens with 5.0 wt% of MgO is approximately 59.34% higher under the same conditions. The dielectric strength of MgO is believed to be superior to that of $SiO_2$ owing to enhanced thermal radiation because the thermal conductivity rate of MgO (approximately 42 $W/m{\cdot}K$) is approximately 32 times higher than that of $SiO_2$ (approximately 1.3 $W/m{\cdot}K$). We also confirmed that the allowable breakdown strength of specimens with added MgO at $100^{\circ}C$ is within the error range when the breakdown probability of all specimens is 40%. A breakdown probability of up to 40% represents a stable dielectric strength in machinery and apparatus design.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2011

We investigated the structural, electrical and optical characteristics of thin films with ITO deposited by a low temperature RF reactive magnetron sputtering. The deposited thin films were annealed for 2 hours at various temperatures of $50^{\circ}C$, $100^{\circ}C$, $150^{\circ}C$, $200^{\circ}C$ and $250^{\circ}C$ and were analyzed by using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and 4 point probe. The films annealed at temperatures higher than $150^{\circ}C$ were found to be crystallized and their electrical resistance were decreased from $40{\Omega}cm$to $18{\Omega}cm$. The optical transmittance of the film annealed at $150^{\circ}C$ was increased by over 87% in the 450 nm ~ 900 nm wavelength range. Our results indicate that the films with ITO deposited at even a low temperature can show better optical and electrical properties through a proper heat treatment.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.140-149
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of etching surface treatment and aging treatment of zirconia on the shear bond strength between zirconia core and veneered ceramic. Four groups of zirconia-ceramic specimens were prepared; 1) NEZ group (no etching zirconia), 2) EZ group (etching zirconia), 3) ANEZ group (aging and no etching zirconia), 4) AEZ group (aging and etching zirconia). The shear bond strength between zirconia and porcelain was measured using Instron Universal Testing Machine. Surface texture with crystalline structure of zirconia surface was examined by the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with ingredient analysis. The fractured surfaces of specimens were examined to determine the failure pattern by a digital microscope. The mean${\pm}$standard deviation of shear bond strengths were $23.47{\pm}3.47$ Mpa in NEZ, $28.30{\pm}4.34$ Mpa in EZ, $21.85{\pm}4.65$ Mpa in ANEZ, $24.65{\pm}3.65$ Mpa in AEZ group, respectively, and were significantly different (p<0.05). The average shear bond strength was largest in EZ group, followed by AEZ, NEZ, and ANEZ groups. Most specimens in NEZ group showed adhesive failure and most specimens in EZ, AEZ, and ANEZ group showed mixed failure. Surface of etching treatment group (EZ and AEZ) showed complex micro-structure and irregular surface texture which may facilitate mechanical interlocking, while untreated zirconia surface presented simpler micro-structure. In conclusion, an etching treatment improved bonding strength between zirconia and porcelain by forming mechanical interlocking.