Parastichy, the spiral arrangement of plant organs, is an example of the long-range apparent order seen in biological systems. These ordered arrangements provide scientists with both an aesthetic challenge and a mathematical inspiration. Synthetic efforts to replicate the regularity of parastichy may allow for molecular-scale control over particle arrangement processes. Here we report the packing of a supramolecular truncated cuboctahedron (TCO) into double-helical (DH) nanowires on a graphite surface with a non-natural parastichy pattern ascribed to the symmetry of the TCOs and interactions between TCOs. Such a study is expected to advance our understanding of the design inputs needed to create complex, but precisely controlled, hierarchical materials. It is also one of the few reported helical packing structures based on Platonic or Archimedean solids since the discovery of the Boerdijk–Coxeter helix. As such, it may provide experimental support for studies of packing theory at the molecular level.

Liquid metal (LM)-based thermal interface materials (TIMs) have the potential to dissipate high heat loads in modern electronics and often consist of LM microcapsules embedded in a polymer matrix. The shells of these microcapsules consist of a thin LM oxide that forms spontaneously. Unfortunately, these oxide shells degrade heat transfer between LM capsules. Thus, rupturing these oxide shells to release their LM and effectively bridge the microcapsules is critical for achieving the full potential of LM-based TIMs. While this process has been studied from an electrical perspective, such results do not fully translate to thermal applications because electrical transport requires only a single percolation path. In this work, we introduce a novel method to study the rupture mechanics of beds composed solely of LM capsules. Specifically, by measuring the electrical and thermal resistances of capsule beds during compression, we can distinguish between the pressure at which capsule rupture initiates and the pressure at which widespread capsule rupture occurs. These pressures significantly differ, and we find that the pressure for widespread rupture corresponds to a peak in thermal conductivity during compression; hence, this pressure is more relevant to LM thermal applications. Next, we quantify the rupture pressure dependence on LM capsule age, size distribution, and oxide shell chemical treatment. Our results show that large freshly prepared capsules yield higher thermal conductivities and rupture more easily. We also show that chemically treating the oxide shell further facilitates rupture and increases thermal conductivity. We achieve a thermal conductivity of 16 W m −1 K −1 at a pressure below 0.2 MPa for capsules treated with dodecanethiol and hydrochloric acid. Importantly, this pressure is within the acceptable range for TIM applications.

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Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) analysis was employed to characterize hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) 32 60 19 C H O polymer film via areal density measurement on silicon-based substrates utilizing the differential PIXE concept, and compared with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) results. It is demonstrated in this paper that PIXE and RBS measurements both yield comparable results for areal densities ranging from 10 18 atom/cm 2 to several 10 19 atom/cm 2. A collection of techniques including PIXE, RBS, tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM), and contact angle analysis were used to compute surface free energy, analyze surface topography and roughness parameters, determine surface composition and areal density, and to predict the water affinity and condensation behaviors of silicates and other compounds used for high impact resistance vision ware coatings. The visor surface under study is slightly hydrophilic, with root mean square of surface roughness on the order of one nm, and surface wavelength between 200 nm and 300 nm. Water condensation can be controlled on such surfaces via polymers adsorption. HPMC polymer areal density measurement supports the analysis of the surface water affinity and topography and the subsequent control of condensation behavior. HPMC film between 10 18 atom/cm 2 and 10 19 atom/cm 2 was found to effectively alter the water condensation pattern and prevents fogging by forming a wetting layer during condensation.

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