In this paper we report new excitation method of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) at air/gold interface with electrospun nanofibers. Nanofibers of polyvinylpirrolidone were electrospun onto the surface of a gold film. The observations by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy indicated that the average diameters of the nanofibers were about 300 nm and average sizes of pores were about 30-40 μm. Optical response of the nanofibers on gold surface was investigated by polarized reflection absorption spectroscopy (RAS). The RAS spectrum with p-polarized light showed two absorption bands while the spectrum with s-polarized light only one band. One is a band at about 520 nm that also found in the spectrum with s-polarized light. Another is a broad band in the near-infrared region which found only with p-polarized light. The peak intensity of the latter band increases with increase of incident angle of the polarized light and the peak wavelength of the band shifted to longer wavelength. These responses suggested that SPP at air/gold interface was excited with the scattering light from the electrospun nanofibers. We also found that the peak wavelength of the absorption band in near-infrared region changed with the increase of the amount of the nanofibers. This may be due to the fact that the sizes of the pores on gold surface became smaller than the propagation length of SPP, which resulted in scattering and interference of SPP.

This paper presents a new programmable particle manipulation using a lab-on-a-display platform, which is a kind of optoelectrofluidic platform applying a liquid crystal display (LCD) as a display device for generating virtual electrodes in optoelectronic tweezers. The reconfigurable virtual electrodes in the lab-on-a-display are more advantageous than other devices which apply the micro-patterned electrodes, because we can freely control the size and position of electrodes as well as the voltage conditions, which affect the particle movements such as concentration and separation of particles. Due to its simple structures, cheap manufacturing costs, and high performances, this new LCD-based optoelectrofluidic platform can be applied to the interactive manipulation of polystyrene microspheres and blood cells. In addition, a method to discriminate normal oocytes for in vitro fertilization is demonstrated by combining the gravity effect with the optically induced positive dielectrophoresis (DEP). The discrimination performance can be enhanced due to the reduction of friction forces acting on the oocytes which are relatively large and heavy cells being affected by the gravity field. With the same device, we also demonstrate the size-dependent microparticle separation as well as the local concentration and assembly of microparticles originated from the image-driven AC electrokinetics such as DEP and AC electroosmosis. The particle movements result from the frequency-dependent behavior according to the particle diameter. This novel technique can be applied to rapidly concentrate, separate and pattern micro-/nanoparticles and biomolecules in many biological and chemical applications.

Hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite silica with surfactant � cetylpyridinium chloride with the polyphase structure, having a high electrorheological activity, is synthesized using sol-gel method. Physical-mechanical characteristics of dispersions based on mineral oil and synthesized powder with the concentration of 20 and 30 % by weight are investigated. The results of the shear stress measurements versus the strength of the dc and ac (frequency 50 Hz) electric fields (0 � 3.5 kV/mm) at Couette shear (shear rate 8 � 390 s) and yield stress in the range of temperatures 20 � 97 �C are presented. The comparative analysis of the results obtained with the results for the powder of the hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite silica/ polyethylene glycol is carried out.

Thermal-stable, conductive, and flexible carbon fabric (CF), which is composed of thin carbon fibers prepared by electrospinning, was used for the substrate of carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitter arrays. The field emitter arrays were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The current density-electric field characteristics revealed that the CNT field emitter arrays on CF produced a higher current density at a lower turn-on voltage compared to ones on a Si substrate. This emitter integrated with a gate electrode based on hierarchy-structured carbon materials, CNTs on CF, can be used for light sources, displays, and other electronic devices.