Layered Potassium Titanium Niobate/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite as a Potassium‑Ion Battery Anode

With graphite currently leading as the most viable anode for potassium-ion batteries(KIBs),other materials have been left relatively underexamined.Transition metal oxides are among these,with many positive attributes such as synthetic maturity,longterm cycling stability and fast redox kinetics.Therefore,to address this research deficiency we report herein a layered potassium titanium niobate KTiNbO5(KTNO)and its rGO nanocomposite(KTNO/rGO)synthesised via solvothermal methods as a high-performance anode for KIBs.Through effective distribution across the electrically conductive rGO,the electrochemical performance of the KTNO nanoparticles was enhanced.The potassium storage performance of the KTNO/rGO was demonstrated by its first charge capacity of 128.1 mAh g^(−1) and reversible capacity of 97.5 mAh g^(−1) after 500 cycles at 20 mA g^(−1),retaining 76.1%of the initial capacity,with an exceptional rate performance of 54.2 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1).Furthermore,to investigate the attributes of KTNO in-situ XRD was performed,indicating a low-strain material.Ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectra further investigated the mechanism of charge storage,with the titanium showing greater redox reversibility than the niobium.This work suggests this lowstrain nature is a highly advantageous property and well worth regarding KTNO as a promising anode for future high-performance KIBs.

Preparation of Exfoliated Low-density Polyethylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites Through Melt Extrusion

The effects of ethylene vinyl acetate copelymer （EVA） as a compatibilizer on the dispersion of organically modified montmorillonite（org-MMT） into low-density polyethylene（LDPE） during melt extrusion compounding were studied. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that as compared with LDPE, EVA can intercalate more easily into the interlay gallery of org-MMT when the composites contain a low org-MMT content. Exfoliated LDPE/org-MMT nanocompesites in the presence of an EVA compatibilizer could be prepared by using a two-step melt compounding technique with a twin-screw extruder.

Preparation and Properties of Phenolic Resin/Montmorillonite Intercalation Nanocomposites

Phenolic resin/montmorillonite intercalation composites were prepared by using the methods of pressing intercalation and melt intercalation.Properties and structure of the composites were investigated by using XRD,TG and test of softening point.It is indicated that both the pressing intercalation and melt intercalation can be used to prepare the phenolic resin/organo-montmorillonite intercalation nanocomposites.Compared with phenolic resin,the intercalation nanocomposites have better heat-resistance,higher decomposition temperatures and less thermal weight-loss.However,these two intercalation methods have different effects on the softening point of the intercalation nanocomposites.Pressing intercalation almost does not affect the softening point of the intercalation nanocomposites,while melt intercalation significantly increases the softening point of the intercalation nanocomposites, probably due to the chemical actions happening in the process of melt intercalation.

Modification of Nanocomposites by Melting Intercalation of Polypropylene in Montmorillonite

The polypropylene wax modified by ultraviolet irradiation. The polypropylene-montmorillonite nanocomposiles were prepared by direct melting intercalation oj polypropylene powders. The structure of polypropylene , the polyproprlene irradiated, montmorillinote and polypropylene-montmorillonite composites were studied by XRD, 1R and DSC. The results show that the PP molecules can are oxidized during ultraviolet irradiation , melt polypropylene can intercalate into montmorillonite layer. As a result, the layered distance ( d0.01) of montmorillonite increases, and the melt absorption peak of polypropylene in layer is eliminated.

Nanocomposite Films of V_2O_5-MoO_3 Xerogel with Poly Ethylene Oxide Intercalation

Poly ethylene oxide(PEO) x-V 2O 5-MoO 3(x=0,0.5,1) films were prepared by the sol-gel method.The synthesis and structure of the films were investigated by XRD,TG-DTA,FTIR,etc.The results show that V 2O 5-MoO 3 xerogel has a layered structure and its interlayer space increased from 1.3181nm at x=0 to 1.7898nm at x=1 after the nanocomposite films were dried,and PEO in the interlayer changes the interface structure by forming hydrogen bonds with V=O bands.CV measurement indicates that the intercalation of PEO improves insertion/extration properties of Li+ ions in the interlayer.

THE NANOCOMPOSITE FILM OF POLYMER INTERCALATION IN V_2O_5 XEROGEL

The nanocomposite films were prepared by poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, intercalation in V2O5 xero-gel in sol-gel. The synthesis and state of the films are investigated by the XRD, IR, SEM, etc. The results show that V2O5, xerogel is a layered structure which arranges in c-direction. The mterlayer distance of V2O5 xerogel increases remarkably when PEO is intercalated in V2O5 xero-gel interlayer. PEO has strong interaction with V2O5 host. The surface of the films is homogeneous without holes and cracks.

Exfoliation of poly(ethylene glycol)-intercalated graphite oxide composite in water without sonication

A novel method for exfoliating graphite oxide(GrO)was implemented through the mass water absorption of a GrO–poly(ethylene glycol)(GrO–PEG)composite.The GrO–PEG composite was prepared by intercalating PEG into the lamellae of GrO,and the variation of the basal spacing was measured by X-ray diffraction analysis.The yield of graphene was measured with an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer,and the properties of graphene oxide(GO)were characterized by atomic force microscopy,transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Raman spectrometry,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Increasing intercalation time was found to improve the yield of GO,whereas increasing the PEG molecular weight had the opposite effect.The GO sheets produced from the intercalation–absorption–exfoliation process were found to be a four-layer structure.TEM and Raman analyses indicate that the graphitized structure and oxygen groups of GO were preserved during the exfoliation process.Most importantly,the results show that good-quality GO could be prepared via a mild method involving water absorption of a GrO–PEG composite.

Effect of external shearing force on exfoliation structure and properties of high-performance epoxy/clay nanocomposites

To further investigate the influence of organic modifiers （primary amine with catalytic hydrogen and quaternary alkylammonium salt） on exfoliation behavior of clay tactoids, high-speed emulsifying and homogeneous mixing（HEHM） and ball milling were used to exert external shearing force on two organic clay tactoids (termed as (（MMT）DDA) and (（MMT）DBDA), respectively), which were organically modified with DoDecyl Amine（DDA） and Dodecyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium chloride（DBDA）,respectively. The effects of external shearing force on microstructure and properties of both resultant nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffractometry（XRD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）. The results show that whether the clay tactoids are organically modified with catalytic primary amine or quaternary alkylammonium salt, the large agglomerates will not be finely dispersed or exfoliated by conventional mixing （magnetic stirring）. After being vigorously sheared by （HEHM） or ball milling, the dispersion and exfoliation of clay tactoids are increasingly promoted for both (（MMT）DDA) and (（MMT）DBDA), and the mechanical properties of the high-performance epoxy/clay nanocomposites are enhanced. For epoxy/(（MMT）DDA) nanocomposites, impact strength can be increased up to 44.5 kJ/m2 from 32.1 kJ/m2, which is about 39% higher than that of pristine matrix, and the flexural strength is enhanced by about 4%. A similar enhancement for epoxy/(（MMT）DBDA) nanocomposites has also been achieved. Improvement on thermal stability of epoxy/clay nanocomposites is dependent on the exfoliation of clay layers and molecular structure of the modifiers. The onset temperature is increased with the clay loading decreasing from 5% or higher content to 3%（mass fraction）, and the DBDA modifier with the heat-resistant benzyl may also improve the stability of epoxy/(（MMT）DBDA) nanocomposites.

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYAMIDE 11/CLAY NANOCOMPOSITES

Polyamide 11 (PA 11) is a widely used polyamide resin, but its application is limited since the impact properties, tensile strength, and thermal properties are not very satisfactory for industrial application. In order to improve the mechanical properties of PA 11, in this paper, the preparation of polyamide 11/clay nanocomposites (PACN) via in-situ intercalated polymerization was reported. SEM, TEM and XRD were employed to investigate the dispersion of clay sheet in the matrix. The results indicate that clay layers were homogeneously dispersed in PA11 matrix on a nano-scale, and an exfoliated and intercalated structure co-existed in the composites. The mechanical and thermal properties of the obtained nanocomposites were improved to certain extent by the addition of clay.

Clay-polymer Nanocomposites: Preparation, Properties, Future Applications and New Synthesis Approach of EPDM/clay Nanocomposites

The synthtic routes, materials properties and future applications of clay-polymer nanocomposites are reviewed. Nannocomposites are composite materials.that contain particles in the size rang 1-100 nm. The particles generally have a high aspect ratio and a layered structure that maximizes bonding between the polymer and particle. Adding a small quantity of these additives (0.5% ～ 5% ) can increase many of the properties of polymer materials, such as tensile characteristics, heat distortion temperature, scratch resistance, gas permeability resistance, and flame retardancy. This new type of materials may be prepared via various synthetic routes comprising exfoliation adsorption, in-situ intercalative polymerization and melt intercalation. In this paper we report the new method for preparation EPDM-clay nanocomposites. The EPDM-clay nanocomposites were prepared by using two different approaches (direct and indirect). It is found that there is no difference between both methods but the direct method is easier, its cost is lower and industrially more practical. X-ray diffraction (XRD)and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed a exfoliation structure. The mechanical properties of these nanocomposites significantly improved.

Synthesis and Characterization of Exfoliated Graphite/ABS Composites

Exfoliated graphite was prepared by chemical route and then further subjected to thermal oxidation and sonication for size reduction and increased interlayer spacing in natural flake graphite. Exfoliated graphite/ABS composites were pre-pared with varying filler concentration by solution casting method. Exfoliated graphite and composites were character-ised by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry techniques. After thermal exfoliation significant peak of graphite at 2? = 26.4? disappeared completely, confirming successful exfoliation of graphite. SEM images revealed homogeneous dispersion of exfoliated graphite in the matrix and EDAX confirmed successful reduction of graphite oxide.

EFFECT OF AMPHIPHILIC POLY (STYRENE-B-ETHYLENE OXIDE) DIBLOCK COPOLYMER INTERCALATED LAYERED SILICATE AS FILLER ON ACRYLONITRILE-BUTADIENE-STYRENE RESIN

The diblock copolymers intercalated layered silicate was prepared via a melt dispersion technique. Then the effect of intercalated hybrid as filler on acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene resin was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, stress-strain measurements in elongation.

Preparation and Properties of Organically Modified Sepiolite/High-performance Epoxy Nanocomposites

Fibrous organic sepiolites （OSEP） and novel epoxy/OSEP nanocomposites were prepared, and different methods were investigated to produce an intercalated/exfoliated structure of OSEP. Experimental results show that the modifier molecules can be easily adsorbed by the sepiolite, but the layer space （d001 of the sepiolite, linked by means of covalent bond, remains unchanged. A proper method to solve this problem appears to exert large shearing force on the original sepiolite followed by its organic modification （OSEP2）. The morphology observation shows that there are formed an even dispersion of nano-sized OSEP2 fibers in epoxy resin and a structure intercalated by epoxy molecules, which lead to significantly improved mechanical properties. Impact strength of the epoxy/OSEP2 nanocomposite increases from 32.1 kJ/m^2 to 44.4 kJ/m^2, 38.3% higher than that of pristine matrix with 3 wt% OSEP2 content. It is also noted that the flexural strength of the OSEP/epoxy composites has risen by about 3% higher than that of the pure epoxy resin.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ORGANOMONTMORILLONITE AND POLYAMIDE 66/MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES

The montmorillonites (MMTs), layered, smectite-type silicates, were premodified by two different methods prior to the polymer melt intercalation. In one case MMTs were modified with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and termed as organomontmorillonites (OMMTs); in the other case MMTs were modified by nylon, and the products were called modified montmorillonites (MMMTs). The effects of CTAB and nylon on the MMTs were investigated by using TG and WAXD. The results show that interlayer spacings of CTAB and nylon modified MMTs are larger than that of sodium MMTs. Then, polyamide 66 (PA 66)/MMT nanocomposites were obtained through the method of melt intercalation of polymers. The nanocomposites were characterized by WAXD, TEM and Molau experiments. The results indicate that the MMTs disperse homogeneously in the PA 66 matrix. The mechanical properties of nanocomposites, such as tensile properties and flexural properties, were also measured and show a tendency to increase with increase of MMT content and reach the maximum values at 5phr MMT content. The heat distortion temperature (HDT) of the nanocomposites (7 phr) is about 32 K higher than that of pure PA 66.

Lithium Insertion in Poly(ethylene oxide)/MoO_3 Xerogel Nanocomposite Films

The nanocomposite films were prepared by direct intercalation of poly(ethylene oxide) and PEO into MoO 3 xerogel via sol-gel route.The electrochromic behavior and the chemical conditions of Li + ions were investigated by cyclic voltammograms,UV-visible spectral transmittance and XPS.The results show that the cycling efficiency and the reversibility of insertion/extraction of Li + ions in (PEO) 1MoO 3·nH 2O nanocomposite film were improved.The intercalation of PEO into MoO 3 xerogel modulated the wavelength range of electrochromism and enhanced the electrochromic efficiency.Two different chemical conditions of Li + ions existing in the interlayer and interstitial positions of MoO 3 lattice were observed in MoO 3 xerogel and (PEO) 1MoO 3·nH 2O nanocomposite films.

Synthesis and Characterization of (PEO)_x^-(V_(0.85)Mo_ (0.15)_2O_5 Nanocomposite Films

PEO) x-(V 0.85Mo 0.15) 2O 5 (x=0,0.5,1.0) nanocomposite films were prepared by a modified sol-gel method.The structure of the films was analyzed by XRD,and the DC electrical conductivity.Cyclic voltammogram and optical spectral transmittance were investigated.The results show that the (V 0.85Mo 0.15) 2O 5 xerogel has a layered structure and its interlayer space increased from 1.3181 nm at x=0 to 1.7897 nm at x= 1.0.The introduction of MoO 3 improved the DC electrical conductivities of the films due to the generation of V 4+ to maintain the electrical neutrality of the oxides.PEO intercalated in the interlayer of (V 0.85Mo 0.15) 2O 5 oxides has interaction with the oxides,enhancing the amount of Li+ ions inserted into the interlayer of the oxides.Moreover,the intercalation of PEO into the interlayer of (V 0.85Mo 0.15) 2O 5 oxides improved the cathodic electrochromic property in near ultraviolet region and anodic electrochromic property in visible range.

Exfoliated multi-layered graphene anode with the broadened delithiation voltage plateau below 0.5 V

The commercial graphite(CG)is the conventional anode material for lithium ion batteries(LIBs)due to its low delithiation voltage plateau(below 0.5 V)and extraordinary durability.Nevertheless,the further promotion of energy density of LIBs is restricted by the limited capacity below 0.5 V of CG.Here,based on the supercritical CO2 exfoliation technique,the production of multi-layered graphene(MLG)is achieved from the pilot scale production line.The great merit of the exfoliated MLG anode is that the voltage plateau below 0.5 V is broadened obviously as compared to those of natural graphite and CG.Additionally,no obvious lithium dendrites are observed for MLG during the lithiation process.The large delithiation capacity under the low voltage plateau of MLG is mainly benefited from the combination of Li intercalation and boundary storage mechanism,which is further confirmed by the density functional theory calculations.The LiFePO4/MLG full cell can afford the satisfactory electrochemical property with respect to the capacity,energy density and ultralong cycling stability(90%capacity retention after 500 cycles at 2 C),significantly better than that of LiFePO4/CG.Besides,this developed technique not only dedicates to producing the high-performance anode for LIBs but also opens a door for the mass production of MLG in the industrial scale.

Graphene Oxide/Multilayer-Graphene Synthesized from Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphite and Its Influence on Mechanical Behavior of Polyurethane Composites

Graphene Oxide/Multilayer-Graphene (GO-MG) flakes were obtained using an electrochemically exfoliated graphite (GR) electrode from secondary steel-making industry performed in a two-electrode system using tungsten as the counter electrode and GR as the working electrode. The exfoliated GO-MG flakes were processed and incorporated in an elastomeric polyurethane (PU) matrix. The mechanical properties of the PU/GO-MG composites were evaluated and compared with equivalent composites made of PU/GR powder. From experimental data analysis it was concluded that GO-MG flakes were approximately composed of 67 wt% GO and 33 wt% MG. The number of layers in the graphene flakes was estimated to be between 2 and 5 sheets. PU showed a breaking stress of 570 kPa, while the PU/20wt% GR attained a maximum stress of 750 kPa as compared to PU/10wt% GO-MF composite exhibiting a breaking stress of 1060 kPa.

Dielectric Behavior of Some Vinyl Polymers/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites on the Way to Apply Them as Semiconducting Materials

Some vinyl polymers/montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared via in-situ-atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in presence of clay. Methyl methacrylate, styrene and n-butyl methacrylate were involved in the formation of such polymeric nanocomposites. Their dielectric properties were extensively studied to invest them in the a.c. power applications. Several dielectric parameters such as dielectric constant loss (ε") and a.c. conductivity (σ) were measured at both different frequencies (0.1 Hz to 100 KHz) and temperature ranged from (20℃ to 90℃). From the dielectric results, it was realized that the dielectric a.c. conductivity was enhanced by increasing the temperature for the four prepared polymer nanocomposites.