This study incorporates the formation of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) via a hydrothermal approach, recording the first-time use of castor leaves as a natural precursor. The used precursor offers various benefits including novelty, abundance, elemental composition, and biocompatibility. CQDs were further characterized with multiple techniques including high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, Zeta analysis, and optical spectroscopy. They are fundamentally composed of carbon (71.37%), nitrogen (3.91%), and oxygen (24.73%) and are nearly spherical, and uniformly distributed with an average diameter of 2.7 nm. They possess numerous interesting characteristics like broad excitation/emission bands, excitation-sensitive emission, marvelous photostability, reactivity, thermo-sensitivity, etc. A temperature sensor (thermal sensitivity of 0.58% C− 1) with repeatability and reversibility of results is also demonstrated. Additionally, they were found selective and sensitive to ions in aqueous solutions. So, they are also utilized as a fluorescent probe for metal ion ( Fe3+) sensing. The lowest limit of detection (LOD) value for the current metal ion sensor is 19.1 μM/L.

Complex structure constituting of several layers of heteroatom-doped N-CDs are used as a main sensing film along with aluminum electrodes in conductometric gas sensing system for sensitive and selective monitoring of CO2 and CO gases diluted with normal air, which are extensively prevalent in the atmosphere primarily due to the industrial revolution, locomotives, and numerous natural phenomena’s and the limit of detection (LOD) turned out to be 400 ppm and 30 ppm, respectively, with 20% relative humidity at 30 °C and pressure 1 (atm) which are good for healthy air quality checks. The sensor performance was satisfactory and bidirectional at ambient room temperature (30 °C) and pressure (1 atm) conditions but the relative humidity (50%) at 30 °C had a detrimental impact on the sensing responses, therefore intermittent heating at 80 °C for several minutes between the sensing responses was provided to the sensing chip or one should use gas filter membranes to block humidity, thereby maintaining its constant performance with great ease and accuracy. The cyclic voltammetry revealed well-defined oxidation and reduction peaks, with excellent stability and reversibility. In a nutshell, heteroatom-doped N-CDs’ nanocomposite material can revolutionize in a better environmental pollution monitoring by sensing gases in an extensively lesser response and recovery times.

The gas response characteristic toward C2H5OH has been demonstrated in terms of copper-vacancy concentration, hole density, and microstructural factors for undoped/Li(I)-doped CuO thin films prepared by sol-gel method. For the films, both concentrations of intrinsic copper vacancies and electronic holes decrease with increasing calcination temperature from 400 to 500 to 600 oC. Li(I) doping into CuO leads to the reduction of copper-vacancy concentration and the enhancement of hole density. The increase of calcination temperature or Li(I) doping concentration in the film increases both optical band gap energy and Cu2p binding energy, which are characterized by UV-vis-NIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The overall hole density of the film is determined by the offset effect of intrinsic and extrinsic hole densities, which depend on the calcination temperature and the Li(I) doping amount, respectively. The apparent resistance of the film is determined by the concentration of the structural defects such as copper vacancies, Li(I) dopants, and grain boundaries, as well as by the hole density. As a result, it is found that the gas response value of the film sensor is directly proportional to the apparent sensor resistance.

최근 도시 내 급격한 기상 변화로 인한 자연재해가 심각한 사회적 문제로 대두되고 있다. 도시의 자연 환경 변화에 대한 효과적인 예측과 대처를 위해서는 신뢰성 있는 기상 자료의 확보가 매우 중요하다. 이러한 맥락에서 본 연구는 도시의 기상 환경 중 기온에 초점을 맞춰, 보다 정확한 기온 추정을 위한 대안적 방법을 제시하였다. 특히, 시공간 해상도와 정확성을 높이기 위해 원격탐사 자료와 지형 기반 공간 보간법을 결합한 기온 추정 방법을 제시하였으며, 기존의 여러 추정 방법들과 비교·평가함으로써 제시된 추정법의 적용가능성을 검토하였다. 분석 결과, 각 추정 기법을 통한 기온 결과는 기온 추정값의 범위에 있어서는 유사한 결과를 보였지만 기온의 공간적 분포 특성은 매우 상이하게 나타났다. 특히, 원격탐사 자료를 활용하여 추정된 기온 분포는 토지피복 유형에 따른 차이를 잘 보여주며, 본 연구에서 제시한 추정 기법의 결과는 고도에 따른 기온차를 보다 뚜렷하게 보여줬다. 추정의 정확도에 있어서는 원격탐사 자료와 지형 기반 공간 보간법을 결합한 기온 추정 기법이 높은 정확도를 보여줬다. 종합적으로 본 연구에서 제시한 기온 추정 기법은 토지피복 유형과 고도에 따른 기온 변화를 잘 나타내는 동시에 원격탐사 자료를 활용한 기존의 기온 추정 기법들에 비해 정확도가 높아 기온 분포도와 같이 연속적 공간의 기온값을 정확하게 표현하는 데 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (FRCCs)는 시멘트 복합체에 혼입한 전도성 섬유로 인해 전기 전도성을 가진다. 이러한 특성은 전기적 응답 계측을 통하여 별도의 센서 설치가 필요 없는 구조물의 균열 모니터링을 가능하게 한다. 하지만 전기적 응답은 균열 발생뿐 만 아니라 온도의 변화에도 민감하게 변화하기 때문에 온도 요인은 전기적 응답 계측을 통한 균열 탐지를 방해하는 요소로 작용할 수 있다. 더욱이 전기적 응답을 측정하기 위한 탐침의 개수가 증가 할수록 원하지 않은 접촉 노이즈가 발생하기 때문에 이 논문에서는 탐침의 개수를 줄이기 위해 자체적인 자가센싱 임피던스 회로를 설계하였다. FRCC의 균열 발생과 온도 변화가 임피던스에 미치는 영향성은 자가센싱 임피던스 회로를 이용해 실험적으로 측정되었으며, 실험 결과, 임피던스 응답은 균열 발생보다 온도 변화에 더 민감하게 변화됨을 알 수 있었다.

In order to understand the relation between the distribution of sea surface temperature and heavy snowfall over western coast of the Korean peninsula, several numerical assessments were carried out. Numerical model used in this study is WRF, and sea surface temperature data were FNL(National Center for Environment Prediction-Final operational global analysis), RTG(Real Time Global analysis), and OSTIA(Operational Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Ice Analysis). There were produced on the basis of remote sensing data, such as a variety of satellite and in situ observation. The analysis focused on the heavy snowfall over Honam districts for 2 days from 29 December 2010. In comparison with RTG and OSTIA SST data, sensible and latent heat fluexes estimated by numerical simulation with FNL data were higher than those with RTG and OSTIA SST data, due to higher sea surface temperature of FNL. General distribution of RTG and OSTIA SST showed similar, however, fine spatial differences appear in near western coast of the peninsula. Estimated snow fall amount with OSTIA SST was occurred far from the western coast because of higher SST over sea far from coast than that near coast. On the other hand, snowfall amount near coast is larger than that over distance sea in simulation with RTG SST. The difference of snowfall amount between numerical assessment with RTG and OSTIA is induced from the fine difference of SST spatial distributions over the Yellow sea. So, the prediction accuracy of snowfall amount is strongly associated with the SST distribution not only over near coast but also over far from the western coast of the Korean peninsula.