Devices using electroactive polymer-supported carbon material can be exploited as alternatives to conventional electromechanical actuators in applications where electromechanical actuators have some serious deficiencies. One of the numerous examples is precise microactuators. In this paper, we show for first time the dilatometric effect in nanocomposite material actuators containing carbide-derived carbon (CDC) and polytetrafluoroetylene polymer (PTFE). Transducers based on high surface area carbide-derived carbon electrode materials are suitable for short range displacement applications, because of the proportional actuation response to the charge inserted, and high Coulombic efficiency due to the EDL capacitance. The material is capable of developing stresses in the range of tens of N cm^-2. The area of an actuator can be dozens of cm², which means that forces above 100 N are achievable. The actuation mechanism is based on the interactions between the high-surface carbon and the ions of the electrolyte. Electrochemical evaluations of the four different actuators with linear (longitudinal) action response are described. The actuator electrodes were made from two types of nanoporous TiC-derived carbons with surface area (S_A) of 1150 m² g^-1 and 1470 m² g^-1, respectively. Two kinds of electrolytes were used in actuators: 1.0 M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF₄) solution in propylene carbonate and pure ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (EMITf). It was found that CDC based actuators exhibit a linear movement of about 1% in the voltage range of 0.8 V to 3.0 V at DC. The actuators with EMITf electrolyte had about 70% larger movement compared to the specimen with TEABF₄ electrolyte. Full article

The leading cause of oral pain and tooth loss is from caries and their treatment include restoration using amalgam, resin, porcelain and gold, endodontic therapy and extraction. Resin composite restorations have grown popular over the last half a century because it can take shades more similar to enamel. Here, we discuss the history and use of resin, comparison between amalgam and resin, clinical procedures involved and finishing and polishing techniques for resin restoration. Although resin composite has aesthetic advantages over amalgam, one of the major disadvantage include polymerization shrinkage and future research is needed on reaction kinetics and viscoelastic behaviour to minimize shrinkage stress. Full article

Heterogeneous photocatalysis offer many possibilities for finding appropiate environmentally friendly solutions for many of the the problems affecting our society (i.e., energy issues). Researchers are still looking for novel routes to prepare solid photocatalysts able to transform solar into chemical energy more efficiently. In many developing countries, biomass is a major energy source, but currently such countries lack of the technology to sustainably obtain chemicals and/or fuels from it. The Roadmap for Biomass Technologies, authored by 26 leading experts from academia, industry, and government agencies, has predicted a gradual shift back to a carbohydrate-based economy. Biomass and biofuels appear to hold the key to satisfy the basic needs of our societies for the sustainable production of liquid fuels and high value-added chemicals without compromising the scenario of future generations. In this review, we aim to discuss various design routes for nanostructured photocatalytic solid materials in view of their applications in the selective transformation of lignocellulosic biomass to high value-added chemicals. Full article