Thick-film magnetoelastic sensors vibrate mechanically in response to a time varying magnetic excitation field. The mechanical vibrations of the magnetostrictive magnetoelastic material launch, in turn, a magnetic field by which the sensor can be monitored. Magnetic field telemetry enables contact-less, remote-query operation that has enabled many practical uses of the sensor platform. This paper builds upon a review paper we published in Sensors in 2002 (Grimes, C.A.; et al. Sensors 2002, 2, 294-313), presenting a comprehensive review on the theory, operating principles, instrumentation and key applications of magnetoelastic sensing technology.

Using a rapid microwave-assisted solvothermal approach ultrafine Pt nanoparticles are synthesized and deposited in situ within high aspect ratio nanotube arrays. Adjusting the initial concentration of metal ion precursor inside the nanotube support controls the resulting Pt nanoparticle sizes. The Pt-nanoparticle/TiO₂ nanotube composite is shown to greatly promote the photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide and water vapor into methane, a behavior attributed to the homogeneous distribution of metal co-catalyst nanoparticles over the TiO₂ nanotube array surface providing a large number of active reduction sites. The novelty and flexibility of the technique, described herein, could prove useful for the deposition of metal, metal alloy, or metal oxide nanoparticles within a variety of nanotubular or nanoporous material systems with the resulting nanocomposites useful in catalysis, photocatalysis, photovoltaic, and photoelectrochemical applications.

Films of crystalline WO₃ nanosheets oriented perpendicular to tungsten substrates were grown by a surfactant-free hydrothermal method, followed by sintering. The films exhibit photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution at low overpotential.

Light-driven, electrically biased pn junction photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells immersed in an electrolyte of CO₂ saturated 1.0 M NaHCO₃ are investigated for use in generating hydrocarbon fuels. The PEC photocathode is comprised of p-type Si nanowire arrays, with and without copper sensitization, while the photoanode is comprised of n-type TiO₂ nanotube array films. Under band gap illumination, the PEC cells convert CO₂ into hydrocarbon fuels, such as methane, along with carbon monoxide and substantial rates of hydrogen generation due to water photoelectrolysis. In addition to traces of C3–C4 hydrocarbons, methane and ethylene were formed at the combined rate of 201.5 nM/cm²-hr at an applied potential of −1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The described technique provides a unique approach, utilizing earth abundant materials, for the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ with subsequent generation of higher order hydrocarbons and syngas constituents of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

We report on low-cost, all solution fabrication of efficient air-stable nanostructured thin film photovoltaics comprised of n-type Sb₂S₃ chemically deposited onto TiO₂ nanowire array films, forming coaxial Sb₂S₃/TiO₂ nanowire hybrids vertically oriented from the SnO₂:F coated glass substrate, which are then intercalated with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) for hole transport and enhanced light absorption.