Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetite/Carbon Nanocomposite Thin Films for Electrochemical Applications

Stable colloidal suspension of magnetite/starch nanocomposite was prepared by a facile and aqueous-based chemical precipitation method, Magnetite/carbon nanocomposite thin films were subsequently formed upon carbonization of the starch component by heat treatment under controlled conditions. The initial content of native sago starch as the carbon source was found to affect the microstructure and electrochemical properties of the resulted magnetite/carbon nanocomposite thin films, A specific capacitance of 124 F/g was achieved for the magnetite/carbon nanocomposite thin films as compared to that of 82 F/g for pure magnetite thin films in Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte.

Nacre-inspired Zirconia/Carbon Nanocomposites with High Strength and Toughness

Inspired by structures of natural shells,zirconia-carbon nanocomposites were obtained by using natural chitin from shrimp shells as templates via the sol-gel route in this study.Chitin was dispersed in the water and chelated with the zirconia precursors by amidogen.After a heat treatment for carbonization,nacre-like structures of carbon-zirconia nanocomposites were successfully synthesized.Due to the toughening mechanism of tetragonal zirconia,the mechanical properties of carbon-zirconia composites are further improved.The as-received zirconia/carbon nanocomposite with best mechanical property has a hardness of 5.88GPa and an elastic modulus of 80.6 GPa,which is even stronger than natural shells.This work might facilitate a versatile platform for developing green nanocomposites with reasonably good mechanical properties.

Nickel Oxide/Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite for Electrochemical Capacitance

A nanocomposite of nickel oxide/carbon nanotubes was prepared through a simple chemical precipitation followed by thermal annealing. The electrochemical capacitance of this electrode material was studied. When the mass fraction of CNTs (carbon nanotubes) in NiO/CNT composites increases, the electrical resistivity of nanocomposites decreases and becomes similar to that of pure CNTs when it reaches 30%. The specific surface area of composites increases with increasing CNT mass fraction and the specific capacitance reaches 160 F/g under 10 mA/g discharge current density at CNT mass fraction of 10%.

Carbonaceous Nanofibers-titanium Dioxide Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Use as a Platform for Removal of Dye Pollutants

A mild chemistry route was developed to prepare carbonaceous nanofibers-titanium dioxide(CNF-TiO_2) nanocomposites for removal of dye pollutants. In the process of the template-directed hydrothermal carbonization(HTC), ultrathin Te nanowires were adopted as templates and glucose as the carbon source, and TiO_2 was decorated on CNF via the hydrolysis of tetrabutyltitanate in the presence of CNF in ethanol. The as-prepared materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray(EDX) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). SEM and TEM observations displayed that TiO_2 nanoparticles were anchored on the CNF. EDX and XRD data confirmed that the assynthesized samples were CNF-TiO_2, and TiO_2 belonged to anatase titania. Taking advantage of combined benefits of carbonaceous nanofibers and titanium dioxide, these CNF-TiO_2 nanocomposites exhibited higher removal efficiency in a short time and showed good reusability. It was showed that over 97% of Rhodamine B could be removed in 15 min without generating the solid and liquid wastes. The removal efficiency of dyes was still over 80% after reuse in five cycles. All the results demonstrate that the as-prepared CNF-TiO_2 composites are effective materials for fast and effective removal of dye pollutants and thus can provide a new platform for dye decontamination.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical determination of metronidazole based on polydopamine/carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites modified GCE

An ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor based on polydopamine/carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs à COOH) nanocomposites modified glassy carbon electrode(GCE) was presented in this work, which has been developed for highly selective and highly sensitive determination of an antimicrobial drug, metronidazole. The preparation of polydopamine/MWCNTs–COOH nanocomposites/GCE sensor is simple and possesses high reproducible, where polydopamine can be coated on the surface of MWCNTs–COOH via a simple electropolymerization process. Under optimized conditions, the proposed sensor showed ultrasensitive determination for metronidazole with a wide linear detection range from5 to 5000 mmol/dm^3 and a low detection limit of 0.25 mmol/dm^3(S/N=3). Moreover, the proposed sensor has been successfully applied for the quantitative determination of metronidazole in real drug samples. This work may provide a novel and effective analytical platform for determination of metronidazole in application of real pharmaceutical and biological samples analysis.

Effects of Size and Surface Modification of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes on Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane-based Nanocomposites

Polyurethanes/multi-walled carbon nanotube （PU/CNT） composites were prepared with a help of ultrasonically dispersing CNT in the traditional procedure of synthesizing polyurethane. In this case, the various loading levels, sizes and surface-modified groups were considered to regulate the mechanical performances of the PU/CNT nanocomposites. Moreover, the structure and mechanical properties of all the PU/CNT nanocomposites were investigated by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and tensile testing. The experimental results showed that a moderate loading-level of 0.1wt% and a diameter of 10-15 nm for CNT could produce the maximum tensile strength and elongation while it was worth noting that the surface carboxylation of CNT could further enhance the tensile strength and elongation of the PU/CNT nanocomposites.

Effect of nanocomposite pour point depressant EVAL/CNT on flow properties of waxy crude oil

The nanocomposite EVAL-CNT was produced by chemical grafting in the solution system through the esterification of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVAL) and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (O-MWCNT), and its structural properties were characterized. The improvement of the rheological properties of the waxy oil system by the novel pour point depressant was investigated using macroscopic rheological measurements and microscopic observations. The results showed that EVAL-CNT nanocomposite pour point depressant (PPD) could significantly reduce the pour point and improve the low temperature fluidity of crude oil and had better performance than EVAL-GO at the same addition level. The best effect was achieved at the dosing concentration of 400 ppm, which reduced the pour point by 13 ℃ and the low-temperature viscosity by 85.4%. The nanocomposites dispersed in the oil phase influenced the precipitation and crystallization of wax molecules through heterogeneous crystallization templates, which led to the increase of wax crystal size and compact structure and changed the wax crystal morphology, which had a better effect on the rheological properties of waxy oil.

Selective reduction of carbon dioxide into amorphous carbon over activated natural magnetite

Natural magnetite formed by the isomorphism substitutions of transition metals,including Fe,Ti,Co,etc.,was activated by mechanical grinding followed by H2 reduction.The temperature-programmed reduction of hydrogen(H2-TPR)and temperature-programmed surface reaction of carbon dioxide(CO2-TPSR)were carried out to investigate the processes of oxygen loss and CO2 reduction.The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS).The results showed that the stability of spinel phases and oxygen-deficient degree significantly increased after natural magnetite was mechanically milled and reduced in H2 atmosphere.Meanwhile,the activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction into carbon were enhanced.The deposited carbon on the activated natural magnetite was confirmed as amorphous.The amount of carbon after CO2 reduction at 300°C for 90 min over the activated natural magnetite was 2.87wt%higher than that over the natural magnetite.

Microstructure and tensile properties of magnesium nanocomposites fabricated using magnesium chips and carbon black

In this study,carbon black(0,0.01,0.03 and 0.08 wt%)and AZ31(Mg-3Al-lZn)magnesium chips were used to fabricate carbon black-reinforced magnesium matrix composites with extrusion or a combination of extrusion and high-ratio differential speed rolling.After hot pressing at 693 K and extrusion at 623 K with an extrusion ratio of 22,the magnesium chips coated with carbon black were soundly bonded into a bulk composite material.The grain sizes of the extruded materials were similar with a size of 48.2-51.5|im despite the difference in the amount of carbon black.The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased from 177 to 191 MPa and from 240 to 265 MPa,respectively,as a result of the addition of 0.01%carbon black;however,a further increase in the strength was marginal with additional carbon black.The same trend was observed in the strain hardening behavior.The tensile elongation increased by to the addition of 0.01%carbon black(from 15.8%to 17.4%)due to the increased work hardening effect,but decreased with additional carbon black due to its agglomeration and poor dispersion at higher concentration.After high-ratio differential speed rolling(HRDSR)on the extruded materials and subsequent annealing,the AZ31 and AZ31 composites had a similar fine grain size of 16.3-17.9 p.m.The annealed HRDSR composites showed the best mechanical properties at a higher content of carbon black(0.03%)compared to that(0.01%)for the extruded composites.This resulted from the enhanced dispersion effect of the carbon black due to the high shear flow induced during the HRDSR process.The extruded composites exhibited the three distinct hardening stages(stage II,stage III and stage IV),while the annealed HRDSR composites mainly displayed the stage III hardening.The addition of carbon black increased the strain hardening rate at all the strain hardening stages in both of the extruded and annealed HRDSR materials.At the initial hardening stage,the strain hardening rates of the extruded composites were higher than those of the annealed HRDSR composites,but this became reversed at the later stage of hardening.Possible explanations for this observation were discussed.The strength analysis suggests that dislocation-carbon black interaction by Orowan strengthening and dislocation generation due to a difference in thermal expansion between matrix and carbon black are the major strengthening mechanisms.

Preparation and Supercapacitive Properties of Fe_2O_3/Active Carbon Nanocomposites

Fe2O3/active carbon（Fe2O3/AC） nanocomposites were readily fabricated by pyrolyzing Fe3＋ impregnated active carbon in a nitrogen atmosphere. The as-prepared composites were studied by X-ray powder diffraction（XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. The capacitive property of the composites was investigated by cyclic voltammetry（CV） and galvanostatic charge-discharge test. Physical characterizations show that the γ-Fe2O3 fine grains dispersed in the AC well, with a mean size of 21.24 nm. Electrochemical tests in 6 mol/L KOH solutions indicate that the as-prepared nanocomposites exhibited improved capacitive properties. The specific capacitance（SC） of Fe2O3/AC nanocomposites was up to 188.4 F/g that was derived from both electrochemical double-layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance, which was 78% larger than that of pristine AC. A symmetric capacitor with Fe2O3/AC nanocomposites as electrode showed an excellent cycling stability. The SC was only reduced by a factor of 9.2% after 2000 cycles at a current density of 1 A/g.

New amperometric glucose biosensor by entrapping glucose oxidase into chitosan/nanoporous ZrO_2/multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite film

A new nanocomposite material for construction of glucose biosensor was prepared. The biosensor was formed by entrapping glucose oxidase(Gox) into chitosan/nanoporous ZrO2/multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite film. In this biosensing thin film, the multiwalled carbon nanotubes can effectively catalyze hydrogen peroxide and nanoporous ZrO2 can enhance the stability of the immobilized enzyme. The resulting biosensor provides a very effective matrix for the immobilization of glucose oxidase and exhibits a wide linear response range from 8 μmol/L to 3 mmol/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.994 for the detection of glucose. And the response time and detection limit of the biosensor are determined to be 6 s and 3.5 μmol/L, respectively. Another attractive characteristic is that the biosensor is inexpensive, stable and reliable.

Atomic insights into synergistic effect of pillared graphene by carbon nanotube on the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to explore the underlying synergistic mechanism of pillared graphene or non-covalent connected graphene and carbon nanotubes(CNTs) on the mechanical properties of polyethylene(PE) nanocomposites. By constructing the pillared graphene model and CNTs/graphene model, the effect of the structure, arrangement and dispersion of hybrid fillers on the tensile mechanical properties of PE nanocomposites was studied. The results show that the pillared graphene/PE nanocomposites exhibit higher Young’s modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break than non-covalent connected CNTs/graphene/PE nanocomposites. The pull-out simulations show that pillared graphene by CNTs has both large interfacial load and long displacement due to the mixed modes of shear separation and normal separation. Additionally, pillared graphene can not only inhibit agglomeration but also form a compact effective thickness(stiff layer), consistent with the adsorption behavior and improved interfacial energy between pillared graphene and PE matrix.

An Approach for Preparation of Excellent Antiwear PTFE Nanocomposites by Filling As-prepared Carbon Nanotubes/Nanorods(CNT/CNR)Mixed Nano-Carbon Material

The one-dimensional carbon nanotubes/nanorods(CNT/CNR)mixed nano-carbon material was successfully prepared by halloysite nanotubes(HNTs)as the template for the first time,in which CNT was formed through PVA modification in internal surface of HNTs and CNR was obtained by nanocasting PVA in hollow nanostructure of HNTs.The CNT of the mixture with flexible structure has ca.20 nm in pore diameter and ca.500 nm in length,whereas the CNR with hard and solid structure shows ca.30 nm in diameter and ca.2μm in length.For application as fillers,the CNT/CNR mixed nano-material is used to reinforce the properties of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE).The mechanical and tribological properties of PTFE nanocomposites were intensively examined by a series of testing.The ring-on-ring counterface was used to evaluate the tribological behavior of the nanocomposites.The results showed that the volume wear rate of the CNT/CNR-reinforced PTFE nanocomposite after being filled with 0.3%of CNT/CNR was only 1/700 of that of the pure PTFE under a load of 200 N and a rotary speed of 200 r/min,while other mechanical and tribological performance was comparable to the performance of pure PTFE,which exhibited a desirable application prospect.

Earth-abundant magnetite with carbon coatings as reversible cathodes for stretchable zinc-ion batteries

Earth-abundant magnetite(Fe_(3)O_(4))as cathode materials in aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)is limited by its very low capacity and poor cycling.Here,a combined strategy based on carbon coating and electrolyte optimization is adopted to improve the performance of Fe_(3)O_(4).The Zn-Fe_(3)O_(4)@C batteries display specific capacities of 93 mAh g^(−1) and 81%capacity retention after 200 cycles.Such performance is attributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and structural stability of Fe_(3)O_(4)@C nanocomposites with suppressed iron dissolution.Experimental analysis reveals that the charge storage is contributed by diffusion-limited redox reactions and surface-controlled pseudocapacitance.A stretchable Zn-Fe_(3)O_(4)@C battery is further fabricated,showing stable performance when it is bent or stretched.Fe_(3)O_(4) is a promising cathode material for cost-effective,safe,sustainable and wearable energy supplies.

Effect of carbon nanotube and silicon carbide on microstructure and dry sliding wear behavior of copper hybrid nanocomposites

Microstructure and tribological properties of copper-based hybrid nanocomposites reinforced with copper coatedmultiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silicon carbide (SiC) were studied. Carbon nanotube was varied from 1% to 4% withsilicon carbide content being fixed at 4%. The synthesis of copper hybrid nanocomposites involves ball milling, cold pressing andsintering followed by hot pressing. The developed hybrid nanocomposites were subjected to density, grain size, and hardness tests.The tribological performances of the nanocomposites were assessed by carrying out dry sliding wear tests using pin-on-steel disctribometer at different loads. A significant decrease in grain size was observed for the developed hybrid composites when comparedwith pure copper. An improvement of 80% in the micro-hardness of the hybrid nanocomposite has been recorded for 4% carbonnanotubes reinforced hybrid composites when compared with pure copper. An increase in content of CNTs in the hybridnanocomposites results in lowering of the friction coefficient and wear rates of hybrid nanocomposites.

Preparation of poly(propylene carbonate)/organophilic rectorite nanocomposites via direct melt intercalation

The completely degradable nanocomposites comprised of poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC) and organo-modified rectorite (OREC) were prepared by direct melt intercalation. The structure and mechanical properties of PPC/OREC nanocomposites were investigated. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results show that the galleries distance of OREC is increased after PPC and OREC melt intercalation, which indicates that PPC molecular chain has intercalated into the layers of OREC. The PPC/OREC nanocomposites with lower OREC content show an increase in thermal decomposition temperature compared with pure PPC. The tensile strength and impact strength of PPC/OREC nanocomposites are improved. When the mass fraction of OREC is 4%, the tensile strength and impact strength of the PPC/OREC nanocomposite increase by 22.86% and 48.58% respectively, compared with pure PPC.

Nanocomposite Polymer Hydrogels Reinforced by Carbon Dots and Hectorite Clay

Herein, two nanoparticles with different dimensions, spherical carbon dots (C-dots) and sheetlike hectorite clay, were used as physical crosslinkers to fabricate C-dots-clay-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)nanocompositehydrogels (coded as C-dots-clay-PNIPAm hydrogels). The mechanical properties, fluorescence features and thermal-responsive properties of the C-dots-clay-PNIPAm hydrogels were evaluated. The experimental results indicate that synergistic effects of C-dots and hectorite clay nanoparticles are able to significantly enhance mechanical properties of the hydrogels. The hydrogels can be stretched up to 1730%with strength as high as 250 kPa when the C-dots concentration is 0.1wt%and the clay concentration is 6wt%. The hydrogels exhibit complete self-healing through autonomic reconstruction of crosslinked network a damaged interface. The hydrogels show favorable thermal-responsive properties with the volume phase transition around 34℃. In addition, the hydrogels are endowed with fluorescence features that are associated with C-dots in the hydrogels. It can be expected that the as-fabricated C-dots-clay-PNIPAm hydrogels are promising for applications in sensors, biomedical carriers and tissue engineering.

Chemical, mechanical, and thermal expansion properties of a carbon nanotube-reinforced aluminum nanocomposite

In the present study,the chemical and mechanical properties and the thermal expansion of a carbon nanotube（CNT）-based crystalline nano-aluminum（nano Al） composite were reported.The properties of nanocomposites were tailored by incorporating CNTs into the nano Al matrix using a physical mixing method.The elastic moduli and the coefficient of thermal expansion（CTE） of the nanocomposites were also estimated to understand the effects of CNT reinforcement in the Al matrix.Microstructural characterization of the nanocomposite reveals that the CNTs are dispersed and embedded in the Al matrix.The experimental results indicate that the incorporation of CNTs into the nano Al matrix results in the increase in hardness and elastic modulus along with a concomitant decrease in the coefficient of thermal expansion The hardness and elastic modulus of the nanocomposite increase by 21%and 20%,respectively,upon CNT addition.The CTE of CNT/A1 nanocomposite decreases to 70%compared with that of nano Al.

A comparative study of polymer nanocomposites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets

Featuring exceptional mechanical and functional performance, MWCNTs and graphene(nano)platelets(GNPs or Gn Ps;each platelet below 10 nm in thickness) have been increasingly used for the development of polymer nanocomposites. Since MWCNTs are now cost-effective at US$30 per kg for industrial applications, this work starts by briefly reviewing the disentanglement and surface modification of MWCNTs as well as the properties of the resulting polymer nanocomposites. GNPs can be made through the thermal treatment of graphite intercalation compounds followed by ultrasonication;GNPs would have lower cost yet higher electrical conductivity over 1,400 S cmthan MWCNTs. Through proper surface modification and compounding techniques, both types of fillers can reinforce or toughen polymers and simultaneously add anti-static performance. A high ratio of MWCNTs to GNPs would increase the synergy for polymers. Green, solvent-free systhesis methods are desired for polymer nanocomposites. Perspectives on the limitations, current challenges and future prospects are provided.

Electrophoretically deposited binder-free 3-D carbon/sulfur nanocomposite cathode for high-performance Li–S batteries

In the present study,the electrophoretic deposition method was successfully applied as a binder-free and scalable approach to deposit carbonaceous nanomaterials on carbon fiber paper(CFP)for cathode applications in Li-S batteries.The microstructural studies of the EPD-CNT film using scanning electron microscopy(SEM)revealed the formation of a crack-free and porous layer of CNTs being uniformly distributed on the CFP surface.The EPD:CFP/CNT/S cathode delivered a capacity around 2.2 times higher than that obtained in the absence of the EPD-CNT film(CFP/S cell)after 50 cycles and a capacity of935 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C.The EPD method was then employed to fabricate layer-by-layer structures where the EPD-CNT film was decorated with carbon black particles.The initial capacity as well as the reversible capacity after 100 cycles was further increased by the EPD:CFP/CNT/KB/S layer-by-layer structure to 1473 and 1033 mAh g^-1,respectively,indicating effective suppression of the shuttle effect.In addition,the rate performance of CFP/S was improved by depositing the EPD-CNT and EPD-CNT/carbon black architectures on CFP surface,and even further enhanced through the co-deposition of CNT and Pt nanoparticles by EPD,delivering a specific capacity of around 730 mAh g^-1 at 1 C.Finally,the cathodes fabricated by EPD were observed to outperform those made by the conventional casting method in terms of cycling performance,internal resistance,and polarization.This difference was ascribed to the non-uniform microstructure of the Cast-CNT film,which resulted in poor interfacial connection between the CNT agglomerates,hindering uniform sulfide/sulfur deposition during cycling.The obtained results suggested that the binder-free C/S nanocomposite cathode made by EPD is key to further enhance the specific capacity and energy density of Li-S batteries.