Facile preparation of core-shell Si@Li4Ti5O12 nanocomposite as large-capacity lithium-ion battery anode

As a promising alternative anode material,silicon(Si)presents a larger capacity than the commercial anode to achieve large capacity lithium-ion batteries.However,the application of pure Si as anode is hampered by limitations such as volume expansion,low conductivity and unstable solid electrolyte interphase.To break through these limitations,the core-shell Si@Li4Ti5O12nanocomposite,which was prepared via in-situ self-assembly reaction and decompressive boiling fast concentration method,was proposed in this work.This anode combines the advantages of nano-sized Si particle and pure Li4Ti5O12(LTO)coating layer,improving the performance of the lithium-ion batteries.The Si@Li4Ti5O12 anode displays a high initial discharge/charge specific capacity of 1756/1383 m Ahg^-1 at 500 mAg^-1(representing high initial coulombic efficiency of 78.8%),a large rate capability(specific capacity of 620 mAhg^-1 at4000 mAg^-1),an outstanding cycling stability(reversible specific capacity of 883 mAhg^-1 after 150 cycles)and a low volume expansion rate(only 3.3% after 150 cycles).Moreover,the synthesis process shows the merits of efficiency,simplicity,and economy,providing a reliable method to fabricate large capacity Si@Li4Ti5O12nanocomposite anode materials for practical lithium-ion batteries.

Application of Monodisperse Thermo-Responsive Composite Microgels with Core-Shell Structure Based on Au@Ag Bimetallic Nanorod as Core in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Substrate

The monodisperse Au@Ag bimetallic nanorod is encapsulated by crosslinked poly( N-isopropylacrylamide)( PNIPAM) to produce thermo-responsive composite microgel with well-defined core-shell structure( Au@ Ag NR@ PNIPAM microgel)by seed-precipitation polymerization method using butenoic acid modified Au @ Ag NRs as seeds. When the temperature of the aqueous medium increases from 20℃ to 50℃,the localized surface plasmon resonance( LSPR) band of the entrapped Au @ Ag NR is pronouncedly red-shifted because of the decreased spatial distances between them as a result of shrinkage of the microgels,leading to their plasmonic coupling. The temperature tunable plasmonic coupling is demonstrated by temperature dependence of the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy( SERS) signal of 1-naphthol in aqueous solution. Different from static plasmonic coupling modes from nanostructured assembly or array system of noble metals,the proposed plasmonic coupling can be dynamically controlled by environmental temperature. Therefore, the thermo responsive hybrid microgels have potential applications in mobile LSPR or SERS microsensors for living tissues or cells.

Study of Mechanical Properties of Raffia Palm Fibre/Groundnut Shell Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites

The mechanical properties of raffia palm fibre and groundnut shell particulate/epoxy (RPF/GSP/E) hybrid composites have been studied. Raffia palm fibres were treated with 10% NaOH solution at room temperature, and groundnut shell particulate of different sizes;75 μ, 150 μ and 300 μ were also chemically treated with 10% NaOH solution at room temperature. The hybrid composite was produced by hand lay-up technique with (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) reinforcements of raffia palm fibre and ground nut shell particulate in the ratio of 1:1. The treated fibres were taken with required weight fractions laid into the mould of size 200 × 150 × 5 mm3. Groundnut shell particulates were also taken with the required weight fraction, mixed with epoxy resin and the mixture was stirred thoroughly before pouring into the mould. Care was taken to avoid formation of air bubbles during pouring and the produced composite was cured under a load of 25 kg for 24 hours before it was removed from the mould. Effects of loading on the tensile, flexural and impact properties of the composite were evaluated. The significant findings of the results were that: tensile strength varied from 1.88 MPa to 9.56 MPa;Modulus of rupture (MOR) varied from 1.92 MPa to 41.6 MPa. While the modulus of elasticity, (MOE) values were in the range of 131.1 MPa to 4720 MPa and impact strength varied from 0.3 kJ/m2 to 1.6 kJ/m2. From the results obtained, the optimum mechanical properties were obtained at 40% loading of RPF/300 μ GSP/E composite. Considering these results, the composite material can be considered as an alternative material for use in automotive interior panels such as boot liner, side and door panels, rear storage shelf and roof cover.

Fabrication of hierarchical MXene-based AuNPs-containing core-shell nanocomposites for high efficient catalysts

MXene is a new type of layered two-dimensional transition metal carbide materials differing from graphene, demonstrating intriguing chemical/physical properties. Here the chemical modification of MXene and next fabrication of core-shell MXene-COOH@(PEI/PAA)_n composites have been investigated. The obtained MXene-based composites were treated with gold nanoparticles to form MXene—COOH@(PEI/PAA)_n@AuNPs nanocomposites, and their catalytic properties for nitro-compounds were studied. The prepared nanocomposites demonstrated good catalytic activity and reproducibility, showing potential applications in composite catalysts and environmental fields.

Analytical modeling and vibration analysis of fiber reinforced composite hexagon honeycomb sandwich cylindrical-spherical combined shells

This study analyzes and predicts the vibration characteristics of fiberreinforced composite sandwich(FRCS)cylindrical-spherical(CS)combined shells with hexagon honeycomb core(HHC)for the first time based on an analytical model developed,which makes good use of the advantage of the first-order shear deformation theory(FSDT),the multi-segment decomposition technique,the virtual spring technology,the Jacobi-Ritz approach,and the transfer function method.The equivalent material properties of HHC are firstly determined by the modified Gibson’s formula,and the related energy equations are derived for the HHC-FRCS-CS combined shells,from which the fundamental frequencies,the mode shapes,and the forced vibration responses are solved.The current model is verified through the discussion of convergence and comparative analysis with the associated published literature and finite element(FE)results.The effects of geometric parameters of HHC on the dynamic property of the structure are further investigated with the verified model.It reveals that the vibration suppression capability can be greatly enhanced by reducing the ratio of HHC thickness to total thickness and the ratio of wall thickness of honeycomb cell to overall radius,and by increasing the ratio of length of honeycomb cell to overall radius and honeycomb characteristic angle of HHC.

Synthesis of MOR/SAPO-11 Composite Molecular Sieve via Seed Crystallization for n-Alkane Hydroisomerization

n-Alkane isomerization is a critical reaction that can affect parameters in oil refining, such as the gasoline octane number and diesel oil solidifying point. In this study, a catalyst support, mordenite (MOR)/silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO)-11 composite zeolite with core/shell structure, was synthesized by hydrothermal method with MOR acting as the seed for crystallization. The crystal structure, elemental composition, surface area, pore volume, and acidity of the catalyst was thoroughly characterized. In addition, the catalytic performance of the as-obtained Pt/MOR/SAPO-11 in the hydroisomerization of n-dodecane was tested. The results indicated that the properties and catalytic performance of the composite molecular sieve were quite different from those of the pure zeolites and physical mixture of MOR and SAPO-11 (MOR+SAPO-11). Compared with the physical mixture, MOR and SAPO-11 were more tightly bound in MOR/SAPO-11 because of chemical bonding. Moreover, the acidity and pore structure were favorable to the catalytic hydroisomerization of n-dodecane. Pt/MOR/SAPO-11 exhibited higher isomerization activity than the Pt-loaded pristine MOR and MOR+SAPO-11. Thus, the core-shell composite molecular sieve has promising industrial applications as the catalyst support.

Preparation and properties of PAn/ATTP/PE conductive composites

Polyaniline/Attapugite/ PE(PAn-ATTP/PE)composites containing particles with core-shell structure were obtained via the two-step blending processs. The experimental condition is as follows: Organo-attapulgite and PAn was obtained by modifying attapulgite with laury benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt and, then added to PE. The electrical conductivity, structure and properties of the composites were studied. Under the function of shear stress, core-shell structure particles with ATTP as the core and PAn as the shell were formed in the composites. The structure of PAn-ATTP/PE composites were characterized by FTIR,XRD,SEM, etc, respectively. The effects of concentration of doping agent on the conductivity and mechanical property of the composites were investigated. The mechanical properties and impact fracture surface of the ternary composites were studied by means of the tensile tester, SEM, etc. The results show that polyaniline encapsulated ATTP enhances the strength of the PE. And the conductivity of PAn-ATTP/PE composites of is improved effectively when polyaniline encapsulated ATTP is added. The composite have good conductivity when 10% polyaniline encapsulated ATTP is added.

EFFECT OF PROCESSING METHOD ON THE IMPACT STRENGTH OF POM/TPU/CaCO_3 TERNARY COMPOSITES

Polyoxymethylene （POM）/elastomer/filler ternary composites were prepared, in which thermoplastic polyurethane （TPU） and inorganic filler, namely, CaCO3, were used to achieve balanced mechanical properties of POM. The dispersion and phase morphology of POM/elastomer/filler composites were found to depend largely on processing method, CaCO3 content in masterbatch and the filler size. Two processing methods were employed to prepare POM/elastomer/filler ternary composites. One is called the one-step method, in which elastomer and the filler directly melt blended with POM matrix. The other is called the two-step method, in which the elastomer and the filler were mixed to get masterbatch first, which was then melt blended with pure POM of different content. The effect of phase morphology and processing method on impact strength was investigated. It was found that the two-step method results in an increase in impact strength but not for the one-step method. Additionally, the impact strength of POM ternary composites decreases with the increase in the size of CaCO3 particles.

Mechanism of Enhanced Dielectric Properties of SiC/Ni Nanocomposites

Dielectric properties of SiC/Ni nanocomposites prepared by a simple and facile electroless plating approach at X band are investigated. Compared to the original SiC nanopartieles （SiCp）, the real part of the permittivity, ε＇, and the dielectric loss tangent tang δe of SiC/Ni nanocomposites are clearly enhanced by about 31% and 33%, respectively. The effective equations for complex permittivity of SiC/Ni nanoeomposites are proposed. We also calculate ε＇ and tan δe of SiC/Ni nanoeomposites and the calculated results are well consistent with the measured data.

Facile synthesis and performance of polypyrrole-coated sulfur nanocomposite as cathode materials for lithium/sulfur batteries

In situ chemical oxidation polymerization of pyrrole on the surface of sulfur particles was carried out to synthesize a sulfur/polypyrrole （SIPPy） nanocomposite with core-shell structure. The composite was characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical measurements. XRD and FTIR results showed that sulfur well dispersed in the core-shell structure and PPy structure was successfully obtained via in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole on the surface of sulfur particles. TEM observation revealed that PPy was formed and fixed to the surface of sulfur nanoparticle after polymerization, developing a well-defined core-shell structure and the thickness of PPy coating layer was in the range of 20-30 nm. In the composite, PPy worked as a conducting matrix as well as a coating agent, which confined the active materials within the electrode. Consequently, the as prepared SIPPy composite cathode exhibited good cycling and rate performances for rechargeable lithium/sulfur batteries. The resulting cell containing SIPPy composite cathode yields a discharge capacity of 1039 mAh·g^-1 at the initial cycle and retains 59% of this value over 50 cycles at 0.1 C rate. At 1 C rate, the SIPPy composite showed good cycle stability, and the discharge capacity was 475 mAh·g^-1 after 50 cycles.

Impeding anion exchange to improve composition stability of CsPbX3（X= Cl, Br） nanocrystals through facilely fabricated Cs4Pb6 shell

Inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals(NCs)with superior photoelectric properties are expected to have excellent performance in many fields.However,the anion exchange changes their features and is unfavorable for their applications in many fields.Hence,impeding anion exchange is important for improving the composition stability of inorganic lead halide perovskite NCs.Herein,CsPb X3(X=Cl,Br)NCs are coated with Cs4PbX6 shell to impede anion exchange and reduce anion mobility.The Cs4PbX6 shell is facily fabricated on CsPbX3 NCs through high temperature injection method.Anion exchange experiments demonstrate that the Cs4 PbX6 shell completely encapsulates CsPbX3 NCs and greatly improves the composition stability of CsPbX3 NCs.Moreover,our work also sheds light on the potential design approaches of various heterostructures to expand the application of CsPbM3(M=Cl,Br,I)NCs.

Electromagnetic Performance Analysis of Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet Tubular Machine with Hybrid Cores

The performance of traditional flux switching permanent magnet tubular machine(FSPMTM)are improved by using new material and structure in this paper.The existing silicon steel sheet making for all mover cores or part of stator cores are replaced by soft magnetic composite(SMC)cores,and the lamination direction of the silicon steel sheet in stator cores have be changed.The eddy current loss of the machine with hybrid cores will be reduced greatly as the magnetic flux will not pass through the silicon steel sheet vertically.In order to reduce the influence of end effect,the unequal stator width design method is proposed.With the new design,the symmetry of the permanent magnet flux linkage has been improved greatly and the cogging force caused by the end effect has been reduced.Both 2-D and 3-D finite element methods(FEM)are applied for the quantitative analysis.

STUDIES ON SYNTHESIS OF SILICA SOL-ORGANIC POLYMER COMPOSITE EMULSION

An emulsion of polystyrene/poly (butylacrylate-methyl methacrylate acrylic acid) core/shell latex particles (PS/P (BA-MMA-AA)) has been prepared by use of three synthetic methods. The effects of synthetic methods on the distribution of carboxyl groups in latex particles were studied. The results show that the seed emulsion polymerization in which the pre-emulsified monomers were added by dropping method to the second stage is the best technique for obtaining the optimum distribution of carboxyl groups on the surface of the latex particles. Furthermore, by using PS/P (BA-MMA-AA), a type of novel composite emulsion of silica sol-PS/P (BA-MMA-AA) was synthesized with the above method. By observation through transmission EM, the morphology of the latex particles obtained shows that a composite structure has been formed between silica sol particles and organic polymer particles.

PREPARATION OF POLYSTYRENE/SiO_2 COMPOSITE NANOPARTICLES BEARING SULFONIC GROUPS ON THE SURFACE VIA EMULSION COPOLYMERIZATION USING A POLYMERIZABLE EMULSIFIER

Functionalized PS/SiO_2 composite nanoparticles bearing sulfonic groups on the surface were successfully synthesized via emulsion copolymerization using a polymerizable emulsifierαolefin solfonate(AOS).As demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy,well-defined core-shell PS/SiO_2 composite nanoparticles with a diameter of 50 nm were obtained.Sulfonic groups introduced onto the surface of the composite nanoparticles were quantified by FTIR,and can be controlled to some exten...

Antistatic coating material consisting of poly (butylacrylate-co-styrene) core-nickel shell particle

A transparent and antistatic coating material consisting of polymer core-metal shell particle was prepared. As a polymer core, poly(butylacrylate-co-styrene)s ([P(BA-co-sty)s]) with various compositions of butylacrylate and styrene were synthesized by emulsion polymerization. And the effect of comonomer composition on the thermal property of polymer core particle was investigated. By electroless plating method, the nickel particles were formed and deposited on the surface of P(BA-co-Sty) particles to form P(BA-co-Sty) core-nickel shell composite particles. SEM observation confirms that the nickel particles with size of 15 nm are distributed on the surface of the polymer core particles. The surface resistance of P(BA-co-Sty) core-nickel shell composite is 0.8×108Ω/cm2, enough to act as antistatic coating material.

Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Containing Electrospun Fibers for Nerve Regeneration:A Comparison Between Core–Shell Structured and Preblended Composites

Advanced biomaterial-based strategies for treatment of peripheral nerve injury require precise control over both topological and biological cues for facilitating rapid and directed nerve regeneration.As a highly bioactive and tissue-specifc natural material,decellularized extracellular matrix(dECM)derived from peripheral nerves(decellularized nerve matrix,DNM)has drawn increasing attention in the feld of regenerative medicine,due to its outstanding capabilities in facilitating neurite outgrowth and remyelination.To induce and maintain sufcient topological guidance,electrospinning was conducted for fabrication of axially aligned nanofbers consisting of DNM and poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL).Core–shell structured fbers were prepared by coaxial electrospinning using DNM as the shell and PCL as the core.Compared to the aligned electrospun fbers using preblended DNM/PCL,the core–shell structured fbers exhibited lower tensile strength,faster degradation,but considerable toughness for nerve guidance conduit preparation and relatively intact fbrous structure after long-term degradation.More importantly,the full DNM surface coverage of the aligned core–shell fbers efectively promoted axonal extension and Schwann cells migration.The DNM contents further triggered neurite bundling and myelin formation toward nerve fber maturation and functionalization.Herein,we not only pursue a multi-functional scafold design for nerve regeneration,a detailed comparison between core–shell structured and preblended electrospinning of DNM/PCL composites was also provided as an applicable paradigm for advanced tissue-engineered strategies using dECM-based biomaterials.

Halloysite‒gold core‒shell nanosystem synergistically enhances thermal conductivity and mechanical properties to optimize the wear-resistance of a pheonlic-PBO/PTFE textile composite liner

Polymer-textile liner composites have potential applications in aerospace applications for reducing the abrasion damage of moving parts during operation owing to their self-lubrication,light weight,and high loading capacity.Herein,Au nanoparticles(AuNPs)are successfully loaded into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes(HNTs)to construct an HNTs‒Au peasecod core‒shell nanosystem to optimize the wear resistance of phenolic resin-based poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole)(PBO)/polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)textile composites.Transmission electron microscope(TEM)characterization reveals that the AuNPs are well-dispersed inside the HNTs,with an average diameter of 6‒9 nm.The anti-wear performance of the HNTs and Au-reinforced PBO/PTFE composites is evaluated using a pin-on-disk friction tester at 100 MPa.Evidently,the addition of HNTs‒Au induces a 27.9%decrease in the wear rate of the composites.Possible anti-wear mechanisms are proposed based on the analyzed results of the worn surface morphology and the cross-section of the tribofilm obtained by focused ion beam transmission electron microscopy.

An Explosive Organic/Inorganic Hybrid: Synthesis and Thermal Property of Octa(2,4-dinitrophenyl)silsesquioxane

Octaphenylsilsesquioxane(OPhS) was prepared by a modifying method and a new core-shell nanocomposite, octa(2,4-dinitrophenyl)silsesquioxane, [(R_2PhSiO_ 1.5)_8, R=—NO_2, ODNPhS], was synthesized by nitration of OPhS in a mixed acid solution of nitric and sulfuric acids at about 60 ℃. Their molecular structures were determined by DRIFTS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectra analysis. The thermal analysis shows that ODNPhS is an explosive that detonates at about 420 ℃.

Preparation and characterization of cross-linked β-cyclodextrin polymer/Fe_3O_4 composite nanoparticles with core-shell structures

Cross-linkedβ-cyclodextrin polymer/Fe3O4 composite nanoparticles with core-shell structures were prepared via cross linking reaction on the surface of carboxymethylβ-cyclodextrin（CM-β-CD） modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles inβ-cyclodextrin alkaline solution by using epichlorohydrin as crosslinking agent.The morphology,structure and magnetic properties of the prepared composite nanoparticles were investigated by transmission electron microscopy（TEM）,Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectrometry,X-ray diffraction（XRD） measurement,thermogravimetric analysis（TGA） and Vibrating sample magnetometry （VSM）,respectively.

Facile fabrication of core-shell Ni3Se2/Ni nanofoams composites for lithium ion battery anodes

Due to the highly porous structure,large specific surface area,and 3 D interconnected metal conductive network,nanoporous metal foams have attracted a lot of attention in the field of energy conversion and storage,especially lithium-ion batteries,which are ideal for current collectors.In this work,we develop a facile approach to fabricate core-shell Ni3Se2/Ni nanofoams composites.The Ni3Se2/Ni composites make full use of both the advantages of metal conductive network and core-shell structure,resulting in a high capacity and superior rate performance.In addition,the composites can be directly converted into electrode by a simple mechanical compression,which is more convenient than traditional casting method.What’s more,this material and its structure can be extended to other devices in the field of energy conversion and storage.