Electrodeposition of Ni-SiC nanocomposite film

The point of zero charge(PZC) of SiC nanoparticles was determined by means of standard potentiometric titration method, while the influences of the main technological parameters on the microstructure of electrodeposited Ni-SiC composite film were studied and optimized. The results show that high bath pH value favors SiC nanoparticles negatively charged and high bath temperature promotes them positively charged. Under the experimental conditions, sodium dodecyl-glycol is proven to be an effective surface modification anionic surfactant for SiC nanoparticles. The results also show that the optimized Ni-SiC composite film is composed of the nanoparticles with the average grain size in the nanometer range (100 nm), and SiC nanoparticles disperse into the nickel matrix uniformly.

Using Electrodeposition of Carboxylated Chitosan for Green Preparation of Copper Nanoclusters and Nanocomposite Films

On the basis of coordinated electrodeposition of carboxylated chitosan(CCS),we presented a green method to prepare Cu NCs and Cu NCs/CCS nanocomposite films.The method shows a range of benefits,such as the convenient and eco-friendly process,mild conditions,and simple post-treatment.The experimental results reveal that a homogeneous deposited film(Cu NCs/CCS nanocomposite film)is generated on the Cu plate(the anode)after electrodeposition,which exhibits an obvious red florescence.The results from TEM observation suggest there are nanoparticles(with the average particle size of 2.3 nm)in the deposited film.Spectral analysis results both demonstrate the existence of Cu NCs in the deposited film.Moreover,the Cu NCs/CCS film modified electrode is directly created through electrodeposition of CCS,which enables promising application in the electrochemical sensing.By means of fluorescence properties of Cu NCs,the Cu NCs/CCS film also owns the potential in fluorescence detection.Therefore,this work builds a novel method for the green synthesis of Cu NCs,meanwhile it offers a convenient and new electrodeposition strategy to prepare polysaccharide-based Cu NCs nanocomposites for uses in functional nanocomposites and bioelectronic devices.

Preparation and Fluorescence Properties of Co-doped Nanocomposite Film Based on Supra Molecular Structure

A novel materials design procedure based on the co-doping of metal nanoparticle and azo dye compound （MNPADC） is developed to improve the properties of functional molecules. The synthesized materials were characterized by transmission electron micrograph （TEM）, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra （UV-Vis） and fluorescence spectra （FS）. It was found that the fluorescence intensity of methyl orange （MO） was enhanced by 5 times in the aqueous composite system doped with silver nanoparticles whereas it was reduced by 15% and 20% in composite films with co-mixing and coating structures, respectively. The results indicate that the properties of functional molecules can be greatly improved in composite film with supra molecular structure and that the procedure presented here is effective.

Improvement of wear and corrosion resistance of AZ91 magnesium alloy by applying Ni-SiC nanocomposite coating via pulse electrodeposition

To improve the surface properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy, Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings with various SiC contents were pulse electrodeposited in modified Watts baths containing SiC nano-particles with the concentration of 0-15 g/L. The morphology of the coatings was studied by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The SiC content of the coatings was measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） analyzer. Microhardness measurement of the coatings showed up to 600% enhancement for the sample produced from the bath with 15 g/L SiC. The corrosion behavior of the coated AZ91 alloy was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization method. The results reveal a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance, that is, the corrosion current density decreases from 0.13 mA/cm2 for uncoated specimen to 1.74x10-6 mA/cm2 for the sample coated from the bath containing 15 g/L SiC and the corrosion potential increases from -1.6 V for uncoated specimen to -0.31 V for the sample coated from the bath. The wear resistance of both coated and uncoated samples was evaluated by pin-on-disc tribotester. The results show that the wear volume loss of coated sample is 8 times less than the bare alloy.

Nanocomposite TiC/a-C：H film prepared on titanium aluminium alloy substrates by PSII assistant MW-ECRCVD

Thin films of titanium carbide and amorphous hydrogenated carbon have been synthesized on titanium aluminium alloy substrates by PSII assisted MW-ECRCVD with a mirror field. The microstructure, chemical composition and mechanical property were investigated. Using XPS and TEM, the films were identified to be a-C：H film containing TiC nanometre grains （namely, the so-called nanocomposite structure）. The size of TiC grains of nanocomposite TiC/DLC film is about 5 nm. The nanocomposite structure has obvious improvement in the mechanical properties of DLC film. The hardness of a-C：H film with Ti is enhanced to 34 G Pa~ while that of a-C：H film without Ti is about 12 G Pa, and the coherent strength is also obviously enhanced at the critical load of about 35N.

Optimization of Laser Ablation Technology for PDPhSM Matrix Nanocomposite Thin Film by Artificial Neural Networks-particle Swarm Algorithm

A new thermal ring-opening polymerization technique for 1, 1, 3, 3-tetra-ph enyl-1, 3-disilacyclobutane （TPDC） based on the use of metal nanoparticles produced by pulsed laser ablation was investigated. This method facilitates the synthesis of polydiphenysilylenemethyle （PDPhSM） thin film, which is difficult to make by conventional methods because of its insolubility and high melting point. TPDC was first evaporated on silicon substrates and then exposed to metal nanoparticles deposition by pulsed laser ablation prior to heat treatment.The TPDC films with metal nanoparticles were heated in an electric furnace in air atmosphere to induce ring-opening polymerization of TPDC. The film thicknesses before and after polymerization were measured by a stylus profilometer. Since the polymerization process competes with re-evaporation of TPDC during the heating, the thickness ratio of the polymer to the monomer was defined as the polymerization efficiency, which depends greatly on the technology conditions. Therefore, a well trained radial base function neural network model was constructed to approach the complex nonlinear relationship. Moreover, a particle swarm algorithm was firstly introduced to search for an optimum technology directly from RBF neural network model. This ensures that the fabrication of thin film with appropriate properties using pulsed laser ablation requires no in-depth understanding of the entire behavior of the technology conditions.

Layered Foam/Film Polymer Nanocomposites with Highly Efficient EMI Shielding Properties and Ultralow Reflection

Lightweight,high-efficiency and low reflection electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding polymer composites are greatly desired for addressing the challenge of ever-increasing electromagnetic pollution.Lightweight layered foam/film PVDF nanocomposites with efficient EMI shielding effectiveness and ultralow reflection power were fabricated by physical foaming.The unique layered foam/film structure was composed of PVDF/SiCnw/MXene(Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx)composite foam as absorption layer and highly conductive PVDF/MWCNT/GnPs composite film as a reflection layer.The foam layer with numerous heterogeneous interfaces developed between the SiC nanowires(SiCnw)and 2D MXene nanosheets imparted superior EM wave attenuation capability.Furthermore,the microcellular structure effectively tuned the impedance matching and prolonged the wave propagating path by internal scattering and multiple reflections.Meanwhile,the highly conductive PVDF/MWCNT/GnPs composite(~220 S m^(−1))exhibited superior reflectivity(R)of 0.95.The tailored structure in the layered foam/film PVDF nanocomposite exhibited an EMI SE of 32.6 dB and a low reflection bandwidth of 4 GHz(R<0.1)over the Kuband(12.4-18.0 GHz)at a thickness of 1.95 mm.A peak SER of 3.1×10^(-4) dB was obtained which corresponds to only 0.0022% reflection efficiency.In consequence,this study introduces a feasible approach to develop lightweight,high-efficiency EMI shielding materials with ultralow reflection for emerging applications.

Novel preparation of NaA/carbon nanocomposite thin films with high permeance for CO_2/CH_4 separation

Novel NaA/carbon nanocomposite thin films were successfully prepared on a porous α-Al2O3 substrate by incorporating nanosized NaA zeolite into novolak-type phenolic resin. The prepared films were characterized by XRD, SEM and single gas permeation tests. The NaA zeolite/carbon nanocomposite thin films exhibited that the ideal separation factor of CO2/CH4 was 28.4 and the carbon dioxide flux was 3.39 ×10^-7 mol/（Pa m^2 s） at room temperature and under a pressure difference of 100 kPa, which was two orders of magnitude higher than that of pure carbon membrane prepared at the same procedures and conditions as those of composite films. From the SEM images, the films were continuous and highly intergrown. Compared with carbon membranes, the thickness of nanocomposite films was drastically decreased, which was helpful to reduce the diffusion resistance and increase the flux of gas permeance.

Substrate temperature dependence of chemical state and magnetoresistance characteristics of Co–TiO2 nanocomposite films

Co−TiO2 nanocomposite films were prepared via magnetron sputtering at various substrate temperatures.The films comprise Co particles dispersed in an amorphous TiO2 matrix and exhibit coexisting ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic properties.When the substrate temperature increases from room temperature to 400℃,Co particles gradually grow,and the degree of Co oxidation significantly decreases.Consequently,the saturation magnetization increases from 0.13 to 0.43 T at the same Co content by increasing the substrate temperature from room temperature to 400℃.At a high substrate temperature,conductive pathways form among some of the clustered Co particles.Thus,resistivity rapidly declines from 1600 to 76μΩ·m.The magnetoresistive characteristic of Co−TiO2 films is achieved even at resistivity of as low as 76μΩ·m.These results reveal that the obtained nanocomposite films have low Co oxidation,high magnetization and magnetoresistance at room temperature.

Effect of Substrate on CuS/PVA Nanocomposite Thin Films Deposited on Glass and Silicon Substrate

Transition metal chalcogenide nanocomposite thin films deposited by chemical routes are currently attracting wide attention being inexpensive, simple and have utility for large area applications. The role of substrate becomes very important in film deposition as well as in controlling their properties due to strain induced properties modification and lattice mismatch. CuS/PVA nanocomposite thin films were successfully deposited on glass and silicon substrates using sol-gel technique. Thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-visible (UV-VIS) and Raman spectroscopy. Structural data confirm the amorphous nature of as grown films which transform into crystalline films after annealing at 200°C. The degree of crystallinity seems to be better in film deposited on silicon substrate in comparison to those grown over glass substrate with average crystallite sizes &#8773;?4.00 nm and 7.00 nm for films deposited on glass and silicon substrate respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images in dynamic as well as contact modes display nanoparticles embedded in polymer network. The films surface roughness parameters quantitatively estimated from AFM micrographs are compared. Raman spectra show a sharp peak at &#8773;474 cm&macr;1 assigned to S-S stretching mode of S2 ions in films grown on both substrates and associated as due to presence of hexagonal (covellite) crystal structure. Optical band gaps of thin film on glass and silicon substrate are 2.10 eV and 2.02 eV respectively. The effect of substrate on the measured properties is discussed.

Electro-conductive Nanocrystalline Cellulose Film Filled with TiO_2-ReducedGraphene Oxide Nanocomposite

Imparting electro-conductive properties to nanocellulose-based products may render them suitable for applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and energy storage devices. In the present work, an electro-conductive nanocrystalline cellulose （NCC） film filled with TiO2-reduced-graphene oxide （TiO2-RGO） was developed. Initially, graphene oxide （GO） was prepared using the modified Hummers method and thereafter photocatalytically reduced using TiO2 as a catalyst. Subsequently, an electro-conductive NCC film was prepared via vacuum filtration with the as-prepared TiO2-RGO nanocomposite as a functional filler. The TiO2-RGO nanocomposite and the NCC/TiO2-RGO film were systematically characterized. The results showed that the obtained TiO2-RGO nanocomposite exhibited reduced oxygen-containing group content and enhanced electro-conductivity as compared with those of GO. Moreover, the NCC flm flled with TiO2-RGO nanocomposite displayed an electro-conductivity of up to 9.3 S/m and improved mechanical properties compared with that of the control. This work could provide a route for producing electro-conductive NCC flms, which may hold signifcant potential as transparent ？exible substrates for future electronic device applications.

Preparation and characterization of oil-soluble In_2O_3 nanoparticles and In_2O_3–SnO_2 nanocomposites and their calcined thin films

Oil-soluble In2O3 nanoparticles and In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites were prepared in oleylamine via decomposition of metal acety- lacetonate precursors. Thin films of In2O3 and In2O3-SnO2 were obtained by spin-coating solutions of the oil-soluble In2O3 nanoparticles and In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites onto substrates and then calcining them. Transmission electron microspectroscopy, scanning electron mi- crospectroscopy, atomic force microspectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible absorption, and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to investigate the properties of the nanoparticles and thin films. The In2O3 nanoparticles were cubic-phased spheres with a diame- ter of-8 nm; their spectra exhibited a broad emission peak centered at 348 nm. The In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites were co-particles composed of smaller In2O3 particles and larger SnO2 particles; their spectra exhibited a broad emission peak at 355 nm. After the In2O3-SnO2 nano- composites were calcined at 400℃, the obtained thin films were highly transparent and conductive, with a thickness of 30-40 nm; the sur- faces of the thin films were smooth and crack-free.

Photocatalytic activity of ferric oxide/titanium dioxide nanocomposite films on stainless steel fabricated by anodization and ion implantation

A simple surface treatment was used to develop photocatalytic activity for stainless steel. AISI 304 stainless steel specimens after anodization were implanted by Ti ions at an extracting voltage of 50 kV with an implantation dose of 3 × 10^15 atoms.cm-2 and then annealed in air at 450℃ for 2 h. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructure was characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue solution was carried out under ultraviolet light. The corrosion resistance of the stainless steel was evaluated in NaCl solution （3.5 wt%） by electrochemical polarization curves. It is found that the Ti ions depth profile resembles a Gaussian distribution in the implanted layer. The nanostructured Fe203/TiO2 composite film exhibits a remarkable enhancement in photocatalytic activity referenced to the mechanically polished specimen and anodized specimen. Meanwhile, the annealed Ti-implanted specimen remains good corrosion resistance.

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.

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.

Preparation of Surfactants Directed PANI/In_2O_3 Nanocomposite Thin Films and Its NH_3-Sensing Properties

Polyaniline/indium oxide （PANI/In2O3） nanocomposite thin films have been prepared in water-dispersed medium with the presence of different surfactants by an in-situ self-assembly technique. A cationic surfactant TTAB （tetradecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide） and a non-ionic surfactant tween-20 （poly （ethylene oxide） （20） sorbitan monolaurate） are used as additives. The nanocomposites and thin films are characterized by Fourier transform infrared （FTIR）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively. The optical properties reveal the interaction between PANI/In2O3 nanocomposites and surfactants, and PANI/In2O3 thin films prepared in the presence of surfactants exhibits the finer nanofiber than the surfactants free PANI/In2O3 thin film. The ammonia （NH3） gas-sensing characteristic of PANI/In2O3 thin films and the effect of different surfactants on the gas-sensing property are studied. The results indicated that the film processed in the presence of TTAB has the highest gas sensitivity among all the prepared films.

EFFECT OF MONTMORILLONITE ADDITION ON MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATIONS OF POLYIMIDE NANOCOMPOSITE FILMS

Tensile deformation and fracture characteristics of polyimide/montmorillonite nanocomposite films are investigated to enhance the particular mechanical properties and understand the effective factors in dominating the mechanical properties of nanocomposites, such as the nanolayer, matrix and nanolayer/matrix interface. How to contribute to the mechanical properties of nanocomposite film is a very complex problem. In this paper, these factors are analyzed based on the addition amount and fracture mechanics. The results indicate that the specimen at 20 wt% MMT breaks prematurely with a fracture strength （σb = 78 MPa） much lower than that （σb = 128 MPa） at the 1 wt% MMT. However, the Young＇s modulus （3.2 GPa） of the former is higher than that （1.9 GPa） of the latter. Fractography also indicates that the brittle cracking formed in high content addition is the main cause of failure but microscopically ductile fracture morphology still exists locally. And for the trace element addition, the smaller threading slipping veins are evenly distributed on the entire fracture section of these films. Therefore, these characteristics would presumably be associated with both the concentration effects of size of nanocomposite sheets and the increasing deformation harmony in nanolayers.

Synthesis of Metal/Poly(diphenylsilylenemethylene) Nanocomposite Thin Films by Pulsed Laser Ablation

A new technique to synthesize poly（diphenylsilylenemethylene） （PDPhSM） matrix nanocomposite thin films containing metal nanoparticles such as Ni, AI, Zn, and W produced by pulsed laser ablation has been developed. First, 1,1,3,3-tetra- phenyl-1,3-disilacyclobutane （TPDC） films were deposited on 4 cm2 silicon substrates cut from c-Si wafers by conventional vacuum evaporation under a pressure of 4.0×10^-3 Pa; then metal nanoparticles were deposited onto the TPDC films by pulsed laser ablation; finally the TPDC films with metal nanoparticles were heated in an electric furnace in an air atmosphere at 553 K for 10 rain to induce ring-opening polymerization of TPDC. The results indicate that it is easy to synthesize metal/ PDPhSM nanocomposite thin films by pulsed laser ablation. The morphologies and size of metal nanoparticles are closely related to the kinds of metal. Also, the polymerization efficiency depends on the kinds of metal nanoparticles deposited on the TPDC monomer films by pulsed laser ablation. In addition, The laser ablated metal nanoparticles penetrate into the TPDC monomer films during pulsed laser ablation while the DC sputtered metal nanoparticles just lay on the surface of TPDC films.

Optical and Mechanical Properties of CMCNF-dispersed MMT/CMC-Na Nanocomposite Films: Influence of the Degree of Substitution of CMCNFs

Carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibril(CMCNF)is an effective green dispersant to prepare well-dispersed monolayer montmorillonites(MMTs)in water,thereby facilitating the preparation of a high-performance MMT/polymer nanocomposite film.However,not enough attention has been paid to correlating the degree of substitution(DS)of CMCNFs with the mechanical and optical properties of the final nanocomposite films.In this study,a series of homogeneous monolayer MMT nanoplatelet dispersions was prepared initially using CMCNFs with different DS as a dispersant,and the as-prepared CMCNF-dispersed MMT dispersions were then mixed with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC-Na)to fabricate nacre-like nanocomposite films with different contents of MMTs through self-assembly.The layered nanostructure and optical and mechanical properties of the asprepared CMCNF-dispersed MMT/CMC-Na nanocomposite films were investigated,which demonstrated that CMCNFs with lower DS have a positive effect on their optical and mechanical properties.This study sheds light on the preparation of MMT-based nanocomposite films with superior optical and mechanical properties.

Preparation and Characterization of Maltose-Pendant Polymer/Mica Nanocomposites and Their Application to Oxygen Gas Barrier Films

Maltose-pendant polymer/mica nanocomposites were prepared by a solution intercalation method. For organic composite part, 1) maltose-pendant polymer (homopolymer) and 2) the copolymer of maltose-pendant monomer and a small amount of N,N-Dimethylamino propylacrylamide, methyl chloride quartenary were used. The morphological studies (XRD and FE-SEM) revealed that the hybrid of maltose-pendant polymer was a conventional phase separated composite. On the other hand, the hybrid using the copolymer exhibited exfoliated structure. Both the conventional composite of maltose-pendant polymer and the nanocomposite of copolymer were applied to a coating material for oxygen gas barrier layer on a nylon-6 film, and oxygen transmission rates of the films were evaluated. Maltose-pendant polymer had a good oxygen barrier property under dry condition, and the barrier property under wet condition was improved by the hybridization with mica. In contrast, the barrier property of copolymer was slightly inferior to that of maltosependant polymer. However, under dry condition, it can be seen that the nanocomposite of copolymer improves the barrier property more effectively than the case of conventional composite of maltose-pendant polymer.