Cerium oxide nanoparticles have been utilized widely nowadays in cancer research. It has been suggested by many studies that these nanoparticles are capable of having dual antioxidant behavior in healthy and cancer microenvironment; where in physiological condition, they act as antioxidant and do not affect the healthy cells, while in tumor-like condition; they act as an oxidase, and result in a selective killing for the cancer cells. In this experiment, the interaction of nanoceria with glioblastoma and healthy astrocyte cells was examined, and further correlated with the in vitro cytotoxic effects of various nanoceria concentrations (100 and 300 µg/ml) and exposure times (12, 24, and 48 hours). Electron microscopes were used to investigate the cellular-NPs interactions, and to examine the related cytotoxic effects in combination with trypan blue and propidium iodide viability assays. Our data suggest the following results. First, the two cell lines demonstrated capability of taken up the ceria through endocytosis pathway, where the NPs were recognized engulfed by double membrane vesicles at various regions over the cellular cytoplasm. Secondly, cerium oxide nanoparticles were found to affect the glioblastoma cells, but not so severely the corresponding healthy astrocytes at the various concentrations and incubation times, as revealed by the viability assays and the electron microscopy analysis. Thirdly, the viability of the glioblastoma cells after the treatment displayed a declined trend when increasing the ceria concentrations, but did not show such dependency with regard to the different time points. In all cases, the healthy astrocyte cells showed slight alterations in mitochondrial shape which did not influence their viability. Among the various nanoceria concentrations and exposure times, the most efficient dose of treatment was found to be with a concentration of 300 µg/ml at a time point of 24-hour, where higher reduction on the viability of glioblastoma cells was achieved, with minimal toxicity to the healthy astrocyte cells.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles have been proposed as an anticancer agent, thanks to their ability of tuning the redox activity in accordance to different conditions, which lead to selective roles on healthy and cancer cells. Recent evidence suggested the ability of these nanoparticles to be toxic against cancer cells, while confer protection from oxidative stress, toward healthy cells. The main focus of this study was to determine the ultrastructural effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles over multiple incubation time of 1, 3, and 7 days on breast healthy and cancer cells. Cellular characterizations were carried out using electron microscopes, both transmission and scanning electron microscopes, while the viability assessments were performed by propidium iodide and trypan blue viability assays. The obtained results of the viability assays and electron microscopy suggested higher toxic effects on the cancer cell line viability by using a nanoceria dose of 300 μg/mL after 1 day of treatment. Such effects were shown to be preserved at 3 days, and in a longer time point of 7 days. On the contrary, the healthy cells underwent less effects on their viability at time point of 1 and 7 days. The 3 days treatment demonstrated a reduction on the number of cells that did not correlate with an increase of the dead cells, which suggested a possible initial decrease of the cell growth rate, which could be due to the high intracellular loading of nanoparticles. To conclude, the overall result of this experiment suggested that 300 μg/mL of CeO2 nanoparticles is the most suitable dose, within the range and the time point tested, which induces long-lasting cytotoxic effects in breast cancer cells, without harming the normal cells, as highlighted by the viability assays and ultrastructural characterization of electron microscopy analysis.

In this dissertation, the results of detailed investigation of the seven unique art objects are presented. The presented results show that complex apllying of the instrumental analytical methods of OM, FTIR, SEM/EDX, XRD, μXRD and µRS is accurate and efficient way to identify composition of works of art and archaeological finds of glass, pigments or describe their technology. IR spectroscopy has been successfully applied to determine pigments and some pigment mixtures in painting‘s ground, paint layers, and destruction products in archaeological glass. The SEM/EDX analysis successfully can be used in determining the main elements of the paint samples at different cross-section points perform a qualitative analysis of the pigments (cinnabar, lead white, chalk, smalt et. al. ), in some cases, to discuss the features of the production of pigments. The SEM/EDX provided a possibility to examine three archaeological glass beads. According to the elemental composition, microstructure, and the specific features in different areas of the glass was defined nature of the destruction of glass. XRD and μXRD analysis successfully can be used in determining the crystalline phases in the paint and archaeological glass samples. Identify following pigments and their mixtures: calcite CaCO3, carbon, lead tin yellow type I Pb2SnO4, lead tin yellow type II PbSn03, hydrocerussite 2PbCO3 ∙ Pb (OH)2, cerussite PbCO3, Egyptian blue CaCuSi4O10, gypsum CaSO4 ∙ 2H2O, anhydrite CaSO4, huntite Mg3Ca(CO3)4... [to full text] / Septynių unikalių, didelę istorinę ir meninę vertę turinčių objektų – trijų XVII ir XVIII a. paveikslų, Senovės Egipto sarkofago bei trijų archeologinių stiklo karolių iš Kernavės-Kriveikiškių kapinyno – tyrimams sėkmingai pritaikyti OM, FTIR, SEM/EDX, XRD, μXRD ir µRS analizės metodai. Konstatuota, kad taikant kompleksinius tyrimus galima tiksliai ir efektyviai identifikuoti kūrinių medžiagas, charakterizuoti jų sandarą, apibūdinti technologijas. IR spektroskopija sėkmingai panaudota identifikuojant tapybos grunto ir dažų sluoksnių neorganinius tapybos pigmentus ir jų mišinius bei stiklo korozijos produktus. Parodyta, kad IR spektroskopija gali būti sėkmingai panaudota identifikuojant istorines restauravimo medžiagas. SEM/EDX analizės metodu nustatyta tapybos elementinė sudėtis, identifikuoti cinoberio, švino baltojo, kreidos, smaltos, suriko ir kt. pigmentai. SEM/EDX analizės metodu ištirti trys archeologiniai stiklo karoliai. Pagal elementinės sudėties skirtumus ir specifinius mikrostruktūros bruožus nustatytas stiklo destrukcijos pobūdis. XRD ir μXRD analizės metodais sėkmingai identifikuoti šie pigmentai ir/ar jų mišiniai: kalcitas CaCO3, anglis, I tipo Pb–Sn geltonasis Pb2SnO4, II tipo Pb–Sn geltonasis PbSn03, hidrocerusitas 2PbCO3∙Pb(OH)2, cerusitas PbCO3, Egipto mėlynasis CaCuSi4O10, gipsas CaSO4∙2H2O, anhidritas CaSO4, huntitas Mg3Ca(CO3)4, dolomitas CaMg(CO3)2. Pirmą kartą μRS metodu identifikuotas II tipo švino alavo geltonasis pigmentas, archeologiniam stiklui... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Septynių unikalių, didelę istorinę ir meninę vertę turinčių objektų – trijų XVII ir XVIII a. paveikslų, Senovės Egipto sarkofago bei trijų archeologinių stiklo karolių iš Kernavės-Kriveikiškių kapinyno – tyrimams sėkmingai pritaikyti OM, FTIR, SEM/EDX, XRD, μXRD ir µRS analizės metodai. Konstatuota, kad taikant kompleksinius tyrimus galima tiksliai ir efektyviai identifikuoti kūrinių medžiagas, charakterizuoti jų sandarą, apibūdinti technologijas. IR spektroskopija sėkmingai panaudota identifikuojant tapybos grunto ir dažų sluoksnių neorganinius tapybos pigmentus ir jų mišinius bei stiklo korozijos produktus. Parodyta, kad IR spektroskopija gali būti sėkmingai panaudota identifikuojant istorines restauravimo medžiagas. SEM/EDX analizės metodu nustatyta tapybos elementinė sudėtis, identifikuoti cinoberio, švino baltojo, kreidos, smaltos, suriko ir kt. pigmentai. SEM/EDX analizės metodu ištirti trys archeologiniai stiklo karoliai. Pagal elementinės sudėties skirtumus ir specifinius mikrostruktūros bruožus nustatytas stiklo destrukcijos pobūdis. XRD ir μXRD analizės metodais sėkmingai identifikuoti šie pigmentai ir/ar jų mišiniai: kalcitas CaCO3, anglis, I tipo Pb–Sn geltonasis Pb2SnO4, II tipo Pb–Sn geltonasis PbSn03, hidrocerusitas 2PbCO3∙Pb(OH)2, cerusitas PbCO3, Egipto mėlynasis CaCuSi4O10, gipsas CaSO4∙2H2O, anhidritas CaSO4, huntitas Mg3Ca(CO3)4, dolomitas CaMg(CO3)2. Pirmą kartą μRS metodu identifikuotas II tipo švino alavo geltonasis pigmentas, archeologiniam stiklui... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In this dissertation, the results of detailed investigation of the seven unique art objects are presented. The presented results show that complex apllying of the instrumental analytical methods of OM, FTIR, SEM/EDX, XRD, μXRD and µRS is accurate and efficient way to identify composition of works of art and archaeological finds of glass, pigments or describe their technology. IR spectroscopy has been successfully applied to determine pigments and some pigment mixtures in painting‘s ground, paint layers, and destruction products in archaeological glass. The SEM/EDX analysis successfully can be used in determining the main elements of the paint samples at different cross-section points perform a qualitative analysis of the pigments (cinnabar, lead white, chalk, smalt et. al. ), in some cases, to discuss the features of the production of pigments. The SEM/EDX provided a possibility to examine three archaeological glass beads. According to the elemental composition, microstructure, and the specific features in different areas of the glass was defined nature of the destruction of glass. XRD and μXRD analysis successfully can be used in determining the crystalline phases in the paint and archaeological glass samples. Identify following pigments and their mixtures: calcite CaCO3, carbon, lead tin yellow type I Pb2SnO4, lead tin yellow type II PbSn03, hydrocerussite 2PbCO3 ∙ Pb (OH)2, cerussite PbCO3, Egyptian blue CaCuSi4O10, gypsum CaSO4 ∙ 2H2O, anhydrite CaSO4, huntite Mg... [to full text]

Le projet de maîtrise était axé sur l’utilisation de traitements multivariables afin d’analyser adéquatement des ensembles de données provenant d’imagerie spectrale. Ce mémoire met premièrement en relief la particularité des détecteurs utilisés dans les microscopes, ainsi que les caractéristiques du bruit dans les données acquises. L’analyse en composantes principales est une méthode qui se trouve dans plusieurs méthodologies de traitements de données d’imagerie spectrale. Celle-ci comprend certains désavantages, dont l’impossibilité d’extraire de réels spectres et des distributions de concentrations des composés en présence dans l’échantillon. La résolution multivariée de courbes – moindres carrés alternatifs est une méthodologie qui a été popularisée dans les années 2000. Celle-ci permet de contrer les désavantages de l’analyse en composantes principales en extrayant des spectres physiquement cohérents et en créant des cartes de concentrations associées à ces spectres. Cependant, ce mémoire démontre que cette méthode est inefficace lorsque les données ont un très faible ratio signal sur bruit et que plusieurs composants sont à extraire. Des améliorations à la résolution multivariée de courbes – moindres carrés alternatifs sont donc apportées. Notamment, la caractéristique du bruit des données, connue et documentée à la suite de nombreuses études, est utilisée afin d’améliorer la convergence de l’algorithme vers la bonne solution. Ce mémoire démontre que ces améliorations sont appliquées avec succès sur des ensembles de données d’imagerie spectrale provenant de spectrométrie photoélectronique X, d’analyse dispersive en énergie et de spectroscopie des pertes d’énergie.

Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta (BSCF) and SrCo0.48Fe0.12Ti0.4O3-delta (SCFT) were synthesised by co-precipitation. BSCF was pressed and sintered at 1100℃ for 10 hours to pellets (relative density: 93%) from which X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed single Pm-3m phase (a=3.9782 A). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed clear equiaxed grains (grain size 33 ± 16 micro metre). The pellets were decomposed in 7 ± 1 % CO2/N2 at 800℃ for 1 to 30 minutes. XRD confirmed secondary phases: R-3mH phase (a=b=5.1397 A, c=9.4847 A) and Fm-3m phase (a=4.2490 A). Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) ascribed R-3mH and Fm-3m phases to the surface and part of the cross-section precipitates, respectively as revealed by SEM. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed the compositions of R-3mH and Fm-3m phases to be Ba0.65±0.03Sr0.35±0.03CO3 (BSC) and CoO, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and EDX revealed the structure (15R, R3m and R-3mH) and composition (Ba0.20Sr0.10Co0.59Fe0.10Ox) of lamellar precipitates in cross-section, suggesting Ba and Sr diffuse from the lamellae to BSC. A unique orientation relation (BSCF {111} // BSC {0001}) was uncovered by EBSD. TEM revealed high symmetry contact planes of lamellae and BSCF, suggesting nucleation energy governs decomposition. Fresh BSCF pellets were decomposed in N2 at 800℃. Fm-3m and P63/mmc phases were confirmed by XRD and lamellae were observed by SEM, followed by decomposition in 7±1 % N2/CO2 at 800℃. XRD revealed higher weight % of BSC and CoO. SEM revealed BSC preferring lamellae, hence hexagonal phases accelerated BSC formation. BSCF pellets were dip coated in SCFT propan-2-ol suspension (3:10), followed by sintering at 1165℃ for 10 hours. XRD revealed a Pm-3m phase (a=3.885 A) and SEM revealed a grain size of 65 ± 9 micro metre and open porosity of 1.6 ± 1 %. They were annealed in 7 ± 1 % CO2/N2 at 800℃. XRD revealed no secondary phases, suggesting enhanced stability. However, oxygen permeability was reduced (1.2 ml/cm2 to 0.8 ml/cm2) because the coating composition changed to Ba0.20Sr0.27Co0.40Fe0.10Ti0.04Ox; this was revealed by EDX.

In a high competitive market, the development of new alloys, new applications, price pressure and increases in product forces quality wire manufacturers to ask for increased mechanical characteristics without losing conductivity. As a particular example, development of new copper alloys such as CuZr, CuSn, CuMg and CuAg have been developed for automotive cables. Continuous extrusion is currently the most prevalent manufacturing technology in terms of chemical composition, mechanical properties and electrical properties, resulting in the production of high quality rods. However, continuous casting has good potential to also be adapted to the mass production of various copper alloy wires. Comparison of the continuous casting process to other thermal methods such as continuous extrusion highlighted that, in general, the mechanical properties of continuous cast materials are lower than that of material from thermomechanical methods. However, continuously cast alloys rods are cheap to produce and simple to manufacture. So, the key aims of this research were (a) to increase the understanding of the solidification behaviour of some industrially important continuously cast non-ferrous alloys, (b) to define an increased range of alloys and downstream processing techniques which could be performed using continuous casting technology, (c) to determine improved continuous casting process validation capabilities and (d) to define new capabilities in terms of casting equipment. The majority of this PhD thesis was focused on improving the current continuous casting technologies and development of casting capability of a range of copper and non-copper alloys. The analysis in this PhD thesis illustrated that the metallurgical and mechanical properties of components mainly produced by continuous casting are acceptable, and that this method could be a replacement production method for materials such as lead alloys and various copper alloy rod, e.g. CuMg and CuAg. However, in the case of Deoxidized High Phosphorus (DHP) copper tubes, the performance of the as-cast material was significantly lower than that of from extrusion or planetary rolling process. This PhD thesis also makes comment on the parameters controlling the solidification process in order to improve the quality of as cast alloys rods/tubes. Using specific casting parameters, a significant difference based on tensile strength and elongation percentage has been illustrated, and it was found that these parameters could improve the mechanical properties of continuously cast copper rods and tubes. This significant difference is as a result only of the change in casting parameters, with no difference in the chemical composition of the material, or the general method of production. These parameters were (1) water flow rate, (2) casting speed, (3) pull distance, (4) melt temperature, (5) cleanout cycle, (6) continuous casting direction and (7) super-cooler size. The new knowledge created and understanding gained during the course of this research improved the company’s capability in the marketplace, enabling it to supply equipment with improved competitive capabilities and the potential to enter new markets, leading to sales growth in existing sectors and significant longer-term growth into new technically challenging application areas.

ANDRADE, Nádia Ferreira de. Os efeitos da temperatura sobre a oxidação de nanotubos de carbono. 2010. 106 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2010. / Submitted by Edvander Pires (edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-10-15T18:38:50Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_nfandrade.pdf: 8775604 bytes, checksum: 52e5270a1d9edc625ab64487b7ce9af5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edvander Pires(edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-10-21T20:40:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_nfandrade.pdf: 8775604 bytes, checksum: 52e5270a1d9edc625ab64487b7ce9af5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-21T20:40:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_nfandrade.pdf: 8775604 bytes, checksum: 52e5270a1d9edc625ab64487b7ce9af5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Carbon nanotubes exhibit remarkable physico-chemical properties which have been exploited for applications ranging from materials science to biology. However, most of the aplications requires the chemical modification of the nanotubes in order to exploit their maximum potential. In this context, the development of protocols for treatment and purification is very important. The purpose of this study is to contribute for the understand on how the change of a particular purification parameter, temperature, affects the physico-chemical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) during the purification. One gram (1g) of MWNTs (Ctube 100, CNT Co. Ltd., Incheon - South Korea) were subjected to a reflux with nitric acid 9 mol/L for 12 hours at temperatures 25°C, 75°C, 125°C and 175°C. After refluxed, the samples were cooled down in a heat bath, filtered in vacuum condition using a PTFE membrane of 0, 2 µm and washed with deionized water until the neutral pH of the filtrate was reached. Afterwards, the oxidized MWCNTs were dried in vacuum for 48 h. The experimental techniques used in this work to perform the samples characterization provide results that allow to get information from macro and surface characteristics to those associated with the atomic level. Thermal stability was analyzed by TGA measurements, since many of the functional groups created during the treatment are thermally unstable. Oxidation resulting from treatment introduces polar groups on the surface of MWNTs thus creating the electrostatic stability required for a stable dispersion in aqueous medium. The stability was evaluated for each sample by zeta potential measurements. The amount and type of catalytic residues present in the samples before and after treatment were analyzed by means of EDX and UV-VIS. Techniques confocal Raman spectroscopy measurements allowed the specific analysis of the structural defects created on the surface of the tubes as a consequence of oxidation process. It was found that Raman experiments should be performed on may points of the sample in order to access their average properties. The adsorption capacity of the surface of each sample after treatment, were inspected through specific surface area measurements (BET method). By comparing the results of different techniques it was possible to access the effects of temperature on the treatment on the relevant physico-chemical properties thus allowing us to have well characterized samples that will be useful for further studies in biorelated areas. / Os nanotubos de carbono apresentam extraordinárias propriedades físico-químicas que têm sido exploradas para aplicações que vão desde a ciência de materiais até a biologia. No entanto, a maioria das aplicações requer modificações químicas dos nanotubos de modo a explorar ao máximo seu potencial. Neste contexto, o desenvolvimento de protocolos de tratamento e de purificação é muito importante. O objetivo deste estudo é contribuir para o entendimento de como a mudança de uma variável específica, a temperatura, afeta as propriedades físico-químicas dos nanotubos de carbono de paredes múltiplas (MWNTs) durante a purificação. Um grama (1g) de MWNTs (Ctube 100, CNT Co. Ltd., Incheon - Coréia do Sul) foram submetidos a um refluxo de ácido nítrico 9 mol/L por 12 horas em temperaturas de 25ºC, 75ºC, 125ºC e 175ºC. Após o refluxo, as amostras foram resfriadas em um banho térmico, filtradas em condições de vácuo com uma membrana de PTFE de 0, 2 µm e lavadas com água deionizada até que o pH neutro do filtrado foi atingido. Por último, os MWNTs oxidados foram secos em vácuo durante 48 h. As técnicas utilizadas neste trabalho para a realização das caracterizações forneceram resultados que tratam desde características macro e de superfície até as associadas ao nível atômico. A estabilidade térmica foi analisada por meio de medidas de TGA, uma vez que muitos dos grupos funcionais criados no tratamento são termicamente instáveis. A oxidação resultante do tratamento introduz grupos polares na superfície dos MWNTs e assim cria a estabilidade eletrostática necessária para uma dispersão estável em meio aquoso. A estabilidade foi avaliada para cada amostra por meio de medidas de potencial zeta. A quantidade e o tipo de resíduos catalíticos presentes nas amostras antes e depois do tratamento foram analisados através de medidas de EDX e UV-VIS. Medidas de espectroscopia Raman Confocal permitiram a análise específica dos defeitos estruturais criados sobre a superfície dos tubos, em conseqüência do processo de oxidação. Constatou-se que os experimentos Raman devem ser realizados sobre muitos pontos para poder acessar as propriedades médias das amostras. A capacidade de adsorção da superfície de cada amostra após o tratamento foi inspecionada através de medidas de área superficial específica (método BET). Ao comparar os resultados de diferentes técnicas, foi possível acessar os efeitos da temperatura do tratamento sobre as propriedades físico-químicas relevantes, permitindo assim a obtenção de amostras bem caracterizadas que serão úteis para futuros estudos em áreas biorrelacionadas.

Over the last five years hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have attracted strong interest in the solar cell community as a result of their high power conversion efficiency and the solid opportunity to realise a low-cost as well as industry-scalable technology. Nevertheless, several aspects of this novel class of materials still need to be explored and the level of our understanding is rapidly and constantly evolving, from month to month. This dissertation reports investigations of perovskite solar cells with a particular focus on their local chemical composition. The analytical characterisation of such devices is very challenging due to the intrinsic instability of the organic component in the nanostructured compounds building up the cell. STEM-EDX (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) was employed to resolve at the nanoscale the morphology and the elemental composition of the devices. Firstly, a powerful procedure, involving FIB (Focus Ion Beam) sample preparation, the acquisition of STEM-EDX maps and the application of cutting edge post-processing data techniques based on multivariate analysis was developed and tested. The application of this method has drastically improved the quality of the signal that can be extracted from perovskite thin films before the onset of beam-induced transformations. Morphology, composition and interfaces in devices deposited by using different methodologies and external conditions were then explored in detail by combining multiple complementary advanced characterisation tools. The observed variations in the nanostructure of the cells were related to different photovoltaic performance, providing instructive indications for the synthesis and fabrication routes of the devices. Finally, the main degradation processes that affect perovskite solar cells were probed. STEM-EDX was used in conjunction with the application of in situ heating, leading to the direct observation of elemental species migration within the device, reported here for the first time with nanometric spatial resolution. Further analyses, involving a set of experiments aimed to study the effects of air exposure and light soaking on the cells, were designed and performed, providing evidence of the main pathways leading to the drastic drop in the device performance.

abstract: ABSTRACT Along with the fast development of science and technology, the studied materials are becoming more complicated and smaller. All these achievements have advanced with the fast development of powerful tools currently, such as Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and so on. SiTiO3 thin film, which is grown on Si (100) single crystals, attracts a lot of interest in its structural and electronic properties close to its interface. Valence EELS is used to investigate the Plasmon excitations of the ultrathin SrTiO3 thin film which is sandwiched between amorphous Si and crystalline Si layers. On the other hand, theoretical simulations based on dielectric functions have been done to interpret the experimental results. Our findings demonstrate the value of valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy in detecting a local change in the effective electron mass. Recently it is reported that ZnO-LiYbO2 hybrid phosphor is an efficient UV-infrared convertor for silicon solar cell but the mechanism is still not very clear. The microstructure of Li and Yb co-doped ZnO has been studied by SEM and EDX, and our results suggest that a reaction (or diffusion) zone is very likely to exist between LiYbO2 and ZnO. Such diffusion regions may be responsible for the enhanced infrared emission in the Yb and Li co-doped ZnO. Furthermore, to help us study the diffusion zone under TEM in future, the radiation damage on synthesized LiYbO2 has been studied at first, and then the electronic structure of the synthesized LiYbO2 is compared with Yb2O3 experimentally and theoretically, by EELS and FEFF8 respectively. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering 2013