Biosensor Using Graphene-Based Materials
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Monitoring glucose is critical for diabetics, but doing so requires patients to prick their fingers multiple times a day to obtain a drop of blood. The aim of this project, different aspects of which have been under way for four years, was to make sensors sensitive enough to measure glucose in saliva or tears, where it appears in a much lower concentration than in blood. The material of choice was graphene, a special type of carbonous material that is very strong and highly conductive and has a large surface-to-volume ratio, which enhances the surface loading of the desired biomolecules. The graphene was used to manufacture electrodes, replacing more expensive materials like platinum and gold. The two AIMS2 students working on this project examined the electrode microstructure and conducted multiple electrochemical tests to evaluate the electrodes. They found that the graphene-based electrodes showed increased active surface area and good charge transfer, which will significantly improve the material’s ability to function as a sensor.

Active Materials and Morphing Structures

When birds fly in different weather conditions, their bodies change shape accordingly. For aircraft encountering different conditions, however, the only current option is mechanical action—moving the ailerons on the wings. There have been no dramatic changes to the technology used to design and build aircraft for the last 25 to 30 years, but smart materials capable of morphing promise to change that in the future, improving energy efficiency and reducing noise levels. Composite materials, electroactive polymers and shape memory polymers are all possible candidates for morphing aircraft designs, and the Department of Defense, NASA, Boeing and Airbus are all very interested in the potential of these materials. Their hope is that a morphing shape will be implemented in aircraft structures in the next 15 to 20 years. In this study, one AIMS2 student studied piezoelectric actuators that respond to applied voltage by bending or distorting and applied these to the wings of micro air vehicles.

Additive Manufacturing Process for Metallic Components

Additive manufacturing, which takes a CAD file and sends it to a 3D printer to generate the part a designer wants, is a new, fast, efficient way to make sophisticated parts. The advantage of the technology is that unlike conventional techniques such as casting or forging, there is no waste and no extra work to form the desired shape, which can assume any geometry. 3D printers with laser capability incorporated are able to process metallic materials, such as titanium, for aircraft applications. The AIMS2 student working on this project took part in an internship at a Camarillo company called CalRAM, where he gained experience with cutting-edge electron beam melting (EBM) technology. The equipment can create solid metal components directly from a CAD model, ideal for molding tools and prototypes. “The students are majoring in manufacturing engineering, so it is important for them to be exposed to that, which is the future of manufacturing,” says Bavarian. “Right now all government agencies are promoting the U.S. as superior to the rest of the world in these types of manufacturing processes. It’s a way to maintain competitiveness in manufacturing.”