NIMS Monographs – serie

This book provides comprehensive coverage of smart biomaterials and their potential applications, a field that is developing at a very rapid pace. Because smart biomaterials are an emerging class of biomaterials that respond to small changes in external stimuli with large discontinuous changes in their physical properties, they have been designed to act as an “on–off” switch for, among others, bio separation, immunoanalysis, drug delivery technologies, gene therapy, diagnostics, bio sensors and artificial muscles. After an introduction to the topic and the history of smart biomaterials, the author gives the reader an in-depth look at the properties, mechanics, and characterization of smart biomaterials including hydrogels, particles, assemblies, surfaces, fibers and conjugates. Information on the wide range of applications for these materials follows, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, diagnostics, biosensors, bio separation and actuators. In addition, recent advances in shape memory biomaterials as active components of medical devices are also presented.

In this book, advanced steel technologies mainly developed at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, for structure control, mechanical properties, and the related mechanisms are introduced and discussed. NIMS has long worked on developing advanced steel techniques, namely, producing advanced steels by using only simple alloying elements such as carbon, manganese, and silicon, and also by utilizing steel scrap. The hope is that this approach will lead to a technology of a so-called steel-to-steel recycling process, with the ultimate goal of a recycling process such as an automotive-steel-to-automotive-steel recycling process to take the place of the current cascade-type recycling system. The main idea is to utilize ultra-grain refining structures and hetero structures as well as martensite structures. In particular, the focus of this book is on tensile strength and toughness of advanced steels from both the fundamental and engineering points of view. Fundamentally,a unique approach to analysis is taken, based on fracture surface energy as effective grain size is employed to better understand the mechanism of property improvement. From the engineering point of view, in fracture toughness such factors as crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) of advanced steels are evaluated in comparison with those of conventional steels.

This book describes the fiber fuse phenomenon that causes a serious problem for the present optical communication systems. High-power light often brings about catastrophic damage to optical devices. Silica glass optical fibers with ultralow transmission loss are not the exception. A fiber fuse appears in a heated region of the fiber cable delivering a few watts of light and runs toward the light source destroying its core region. Understanding this phenomenon is a necessary first step in the development of future optical communication systems. This book provides supplementary videos and photographs to help understand what occurs in the fiber, including the classification of its propagation mode and self-pumping effect. These findings are good references for other optical devices exposed to ultrahigh-power light such as laser emitters.

Oxide materials are good candidates for replacing Si devices, which are increasingly reaching their performance limits, since the former offer a range of unique properties, due to their composition, design and/or doping techniques.  The author introduces a means of selecting oxide materials according to their functions and explains metal/oxide interface physics. As he demonstrates, material development is the key to matching oxide materials to specific practical applications.In this book, the investigation and intentional control of metal/oxide interface structure and electrical properties using data obtained with non-destructive methods such as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray reflectometry (XRR) are discussed. Further, it shows how oxide materials can be used to support the development of future functional devices with high-k, ferroelectric, magnetic and optical properties. In closing, it explains optical sensors as an application of metal Schottky contact and metal/oxide resistive random access memory structure.

This book displays how optical (absorption, emission, and magnetic circular dichroism) spectra of phthalocyanines and related macrocyclic dyes can be varied from their prototypical ones depending on conditions. As these compounds can be involved in colorful chemistry (which might be driven by impurities in solvents), their spectra behave like the sea-god Proteus in their mutability. Therefore, those who have been engaged with phthalocyanines for the first time, including even educated professional researchers and engineers, may have been embarrassed by the deceptive behavior of their compounds and could have, in the worst cases, given up their projects. This book is aimed not merely at reviewing the optical spectra, but also at helping such people, particularly beginners, to figure them out by showing some examples of their prototypical spectra and their variations in several situations. For the purpose of better understanding, the book also provides an introduction to their theoretical backgrounds as graphically as possible and without mathematicization for readers who are weak in mathematics.

In this book, improvements in the heat resistance of silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramics using grain boundary control and in plasticity at high temperatures using grain size control in order to reduce the cost of shaping Si3N4 are described. The heat resistance of Si3N4 is improved by mixing a slight amount of sintering additive as an impurity into the original material powder. The author presents his findings on the high heat resistance of Si3N4. The author also develops a new fabrication method for Si3N4 nano-ceramics that produces high plastic formability. The method developed offers two improved points in grinding and sintering processes. The author found that the plastic formability of Si3N4 nanoceramics is dependent on load stress; the results of his research are detailed in this book.

This book introduces the principles and techniques of crystal growth by the flux method, which is arguably the most useful way to obtain millimeter- to centimeter-sized single crystals for physical research. As it is possible to find an appropriate solvent (“flux”) for nearly all inorganic materials, the flux method can be applied to the growth of many crystals ranging from transition metal oxides to intermetallic compounds. Both important principles and experimental procedures are described in a clear and accessible manner. Practical advice on various aspects of the experiment, which is not readily available in the literature, will assist the beginning graduate students in setting up the lab and conducting successful crystal growth. The mechanisms of crystal growth at an elementary level are also provided to better understand the techniques and to help in assessing the quality of the crystals. The book also contains many photographs of beautiful crystals with important physical properties of current interest, such as high-temperature superconductors, strongly correlated electronic systems, topological insulators, relaxor ferroelectrics, low-dimensional quantum magnets, non-linear optical materials, and multiferroics.

This book introduces the synthesis, electrochemical and photochemical properties, and device applications of metallo-supramolecular polymers, new kinds of polymers synthesized by the complexation of metal ions and organic ditopic ligands. Their electrochemical and photochemical properties are also interesting and much different from conventional organic polymers. The properties come from the electronic intra-chain interaction between the metal ions and the ligands in the polymer chain. In this book, for example, the electrochromism that the Fe(II)-based metallo-supramolecular polymer exhibits is described: the blue color of the polymer film disappears by the electrochemical oxidation of Fe(II) ions to Fe(III) and the colorless film becomes blue again by the electrochemical reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). The electrochromism is explained by the disappearance/appearance of the metal-to-ligand charge transfer absorption. The electrochromic properties are applicable to display devices suchas electronic paper and smart windows.

This book covers a wide range of topics on work function and band alignment, from the basics to practical examples. Work function and band alignment determine electric properties at the interface including surfaces, such as electron emission, the Schottky barrier height, and ohmic contact. Basic physics is used to systematically explain how to adjust and measure work function and how to modify the band alignment required for controlling work function in functional materials and electrodes. Methods introduced in the book help to improve device performance and to solve the problems of controlling the voltage and efficiency of devices in a great variety of applications, including electronic devices, optical devices such as displays, and energy devices such as solar cells and batteries. Understanding the technical methods necessary for controlling work function and band alignment can help to solve problems such as non-ohmic contact at source–electrode or drain–electrode interfaces in metal–oxide–silicon structures, which directly contributes to improving power saving and reducing heat generation in computers.

This book is the first publication to widely introduce the contributions of nanoarchitectonics to the development of functional materials and systems. The book opens up pathways to novel nanotechnology based on bottom-up techniques. In fields of nanotechnology, theoretical and practical limitations are expected in the bottom-up nanofabrication process. Instead, some supramolecular processes for nano- and microstructure formation including molecular recognition, self-assembly, and template synthesis have gained great attention as novel key technologies to break through expected limitations in current nanotechnology. This volume describes future images of nanotechnology and related materials and device science as well as practical applications for energy and biotechnology. Readers including specialists, non-specialists, graduate students, and undergraduate students can focus on the parts of the book that interest and concern them most. Target fields include materials chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, nanotechnology, and even biotechnology.

A profound secret of nature hidden in ice water in a glass cup is revealed in this book. The author teaches a simple method for understanding the complex properties of water through the concept of polyamorphism. Polyamorphism is the existence of two kinds of liquid water, leading to a discontinuous transition between them. Currently, this two-water scenario is controversial in the scientific community because definitive experimental proof is difficult. However, a growing number of researchers believe there is adequate circumstantial evidence for the scenario. This introductory book focuses experimental thermodynamic data of liquid water, supercooled water, and amorphous solid water at various pressures and temperatures, and demonstrates how the two-water scenario initially evolved experimentally. The book explains the importance of polyamorphism in comprehending liquid water.

This book presents natural minerals used as inorganic materials, and inorganic materials exchanging cations or anions in natural minerals for other ions not found in nature. In addition, composites such as natural mineral materials that interact with organic molecules or polymers are introduced according to how they are used.Readers can refer to this volume as a guidebook to search for specific inorganic materials, and, if they wish, can consult any part of it at random. The book will be especially helpful and of interest to both scientists and engineers.

This book describes the details of the research and development of nickel-saving high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel and high nitrogen steel (HNS) with excellent corrosion resistance in the sea. This resistance was realized by using nitrogen (N), one of the ubiquitous elements, as an alloying element. By using N it is possible to save nickel (Ni), a national strategic substance in Japan, to be partially reduced or to be totally free. Not only basic information about low nickel HNS but also its promising application to bipolar plates of solid polymer fuel cells are provided. Reduction of Ni ions in the cell environment can be expected to extend the life of the fuel cell. Furthermore, there is discussion of the serendipitous application and impact of nickel-free HNS in the field of biomaterials as an anti-nickel allergy material, leading to its development for coronary stents.The book includes an explanation of how to develop extremely high corrosion-resistance steel by controlling its level of oxygen. For researchers and engineers involved in the development and evaluation of corrosion-resistant materials in particular, this book is extremely helpful for understanding the details of the development of those materials.