The dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in liquid plays an important role in fundamental research and applied science. The most common technique applied to disperse CNTs is ultrasonication. The surfactants used for CNT dispersion are ethanol, sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS), dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DATB), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (NaDDBS). This paper presents the dispersion of denatured CNTs by using a dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The DMF is adsorbed on the surface of the nanotubes by a hydrophobic or π–π interaction. Ultrasonication helps DMF debundle the nanotubes by Coulombic or hydrophilic interaction, allowing the Van der Waals forces among the individual nanotubes to be overcome. UV–Vis spectra of dispersed CNTs in solution showed a maximum at 260 nm and decreased from UV to near IR. The vibration properties of the carbon samples were characterized with Raman spectroscopy, which illustrated the D and G bands of denatured CNTs at 1354 and 1581 cm−1, respectively, different from the values of 1352 cm−1 and 1580 cm−1, respectively, for undenatured CNTs. Finally, the interaction between surfactants and nanotubes was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

This work presents the results of the successful preparation of Pd nanoparticles by the polyol method and the proposed techniques of controlling their size and shape. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilized Pd nanoparticles of various shapes with the largest sizes in the forms of octahedrons (24 nm), tetrahedrons (22 nm) and cubes (20 nm) have been obtained by alcohol reduction in ethanol with the addition of a hydrochloric acid catalyst. Moreover, PVP–Pd nanoparticles of well-controlled spherical shapes have also been prepared by a modified polyol method. PVP–Pd nanoparticles of cubic, octahedral, tetrahedral and spherical shapes with well-controlled size achieved by using ethylene glycol (EG) as reductant and various inorganic species were also fabricated. In particular, Pd nanorods with sizes of 47 nm and 16 nm formed due to the anisotropic growth mechanism of Pd nanoparticles were found. At the same time, tetrahedral particles of sharp shapes of 120 nm and 70 nm sizes have been observed. A high concentration of inorganic species was used to control the size and shape of the Pd nanoparticles, leading to the appearance of various irregular sizes and shapes. There was evidence of the very sharp corners and edges of tetrahedral and octahedral Pd nanoparticles or others that were formed in the clustering and combination of the seeds of smaller particles.

Optical spectrometers and sensors have gained enormous importance in metrology and information technology, frequently involving the question of size, resolution, sensitivity, spectral range, efficiency, reliability, and cost. Nanomaterials and nanotechnological fabrication technologies have huge potential to enable an optimization between these demands, which in some cases are counteracting each other. This paper focuses on the visible and near infrared spectral range and on five types of optical sensors (optical spectrometers): classical grating-based miniaturized spectrometers, arrayed waveguide grating devices, static Fabry–Pérot (FP) filter arrays on sensor arrays, tunable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) FP filter arrays, and MEMS tunable photonic crystal filters. The comparison between this selection of concepts concentrates on (i) linewidth and resolution, (ii) required space for a selected spectral range, (iii) efficiency in using available light, and (iv) potential of nanoimprint for cost reduction and yield increase. The main part of this review deals with our own results in the field of static FP filter arrays and MEMS tunable FP filter arrays. In addition, technology for efficiency boosting to get more of the available light is demonstrated.

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Auxetic cellular solids in the forms of honeycombs under blast load have great potential in a diverse range of applications, including core material in sandwich plates composite components. Based on Reddy’s first-order shear deformation plate theory, this paper presents an analysis of the nonlinear dynamic response and vibration of sandwich plates with negative Poisson’s ratio in auxetic honeycombes on elastic foundations subjected to blast and mechanical loads. A three-layer sandwich plate is considered discretized in the thickness direction by using analytical methods (stress function method, approximate solution), Galerkin method, and fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The results show the effects of geometrical parameters, material properties, mechanical and elastic foundations on the nonlinear dynamic response, and vibration of sandwich plates.