Grain Size and Wettability of TiO_2/SiO_2 Photocatalytic Composite Thin Filing

The uniform transparent TiO2/SiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films are prepared by sol-gel method on the soda lime glass substrates, and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the addition of SiO2 to TiO2 thin films can suppress the grain growth of TiO2 crystal, increase the hydroxyl content on the surface of TiO2 films, lower the contact angle for water on TiO, films and enhance the hydrophilic property of TiO2 films. The super-hydrophilic TiO2/SiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films with the contact angle of 0((o) under bar) are obtained by the addition of 10%-20% SiO2 in mole fraction.

A phase inversion based sponge-like polysulfonamide/SiO_2 composite separator for high performance lithium-ion batteries

In this work,a sponge-like polysulfonamide(PSA)/SiO_2 composite membrane is unprecedentedly prepared by the phase inversion method,and successfully demonstrated as a novel separator of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Compared to the commercial polypropylene(PP) separator,the sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite possesses better physical and electrochemical properties,such as higher porosity,ionic conductivity,thermal stability and flame retarding ability.The LiCoO_2/Li half-cells using the sponge-like composite separator demonstrate superior rate capability and cyclability over those using the commercial PP separator.Moreover,the sponge-like composite separator can ensure the normal operation of LiCoO_2/Li half-cell at an extremely high temperature of 90 °C,while the commercial PP separator cannot.All these encouraging results suggest that this phase inversion based sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite separator is really a promising separator for high performance LIBs.

Preparation of hollow B–SiO2@TiO2 composites and their photocatalytic performances for degradation of ammonia-nitrogen and green algae in aqueous solution

Hollow B–SiO2@TiO2 composites were prepared by the wet chemical deposition method starting from TiCl4 and hollow B–SiO2 microspheres.TiO2 layers composed of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were coated on the surfaces of the hollow B–SiO2 microspheres probably through the formation of Ti—O—Si and Ti—O—B bonds.A great number of—OH groups were also present at the TiO2 coating layers.The presence of Ti—O—Si bonds and Ti—O—B bonds resulted in the formation of defects in the TiO2 coating layers,which decreased the band gap of the TiO2 coating layers to ca.3.0 eV and endowed the TiO2 coating layers with visible light absorption performance.The buoyancy hollow B–SiO2@TiO2 composites exhibited high photocatalytic activities for the degradation of ammonia-nitrogen and green algae.The conversion of ammonia-nitrogen reached 65%when the degradation of ammonia-nitrogen(43 mg·L-1 at pH value of 8)was catalyzed by the B–SiO2@TiO2(100:10)composite under the simulated solar light irradiation at 35°C for 660 min.The green algae(5 mg·L-1)were almost completely degraded over the B–SiO@TiO2(100:20)photocatalyst under the visible light irradiation at 35°C for 510 min.

Preparation of Supermacroporous Composite Cryogel Embedded with SiO_2 Nanoparticles

Supermacroporous composite cryogels embedded with SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by radical cryogenic copolymerization of the reactive monomer mixture of acrylamide（AAm） and N,N-methylene-bis-acrylamide（MBAAm） containing SiO2 nanoparticles（mass ratios of nanoparticles to the monomer AAm from 0.01 to 0.08） under the freezing-temperature variation condition in glass columns.The properties of these composite cryogels were measured.The height equivalent to theoretical plate（HETP） of the cryogel beds at different liquid flow rates was determined by residence time distribution（RTD） using tracer pulse-response method.The composite cryogel matrix embedded with the mass fraction of SiO2 nanoparticles of 0.02 presented the best properties and was employed in the following graft polymerization.Chromatographic process of lysozyme in the composite cryogel grafted with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid（AMPSA） was carried out to evaluate the protein breakthrough and elution characteristics.The chromatography can be carried out at relatively high superficial velocity,i.e.,15 cm·min-1,indicating the satisfactory mechanical strength due to the embedded nanoparticles.

Effect of catalyst on structure of(PEO)_8LiClO_4-SiO_2 composite polymer electrolyte films

(PEO)8LiClO4-SiO2 composite polymer electrolytes(CPEs)were prepared by in-situ reaction,in which ethyl-orthosilicate(TEOS)was catalyzed by HCl and NH3.H2O,respectively.The ionic conductivity,the contact angle and the morphology of inorganic particles in the CPEs were investigated by AC impedance spectra,contact angle method and TEM.The conductivities of acid-catalyzed CPE and alkali-catalyzed CPE are 2.2×10-5and 1.1×10-5S/cm respectively at 30℃.The results imply that the catalyst plays an important role in the structure of in-situ preparation of SiO2,and influences the surface energy and conductivity of CPE films directly.Meanwhile,the ionic conductivity is related to the surface energy.

烧结温度对SiO_(2f)/SiO_(2)陶瓷基复合材料的微观结构和力学性能的影响

通过系统研究烧结温度对SiO_(2f)/SiO_(2)陶瓷基复合材料的密度、孔隙率、微观形貌、拉伸性能、弯曲性能及韧性的影响,获得了高强高韧性复合材料。随着烧结温度升高,材料密度升高;而孔隙率先降后升,归因于基体的收缩增加,且在850℃下收缩严重产生了微裂纹。微观形貌结果表明:随着烧结温度升高,收缩增加,SiO_(2)基体由粗糙变得光滑;基体由颗粒黏接状转变为陶瓷熔融状;且纤维与基体结合由弱变强。随着烧结温度的升高,拉伸强度逐渐降低。拉伸性能主要取决于复合材料的韧性。随着烧结温度升高,弯曲强度先升后降,并在700℃取得最高值71 MPa。只有在基体具备一定强度前提下,韧性才能充分发挥作用。在650℃~750℃烧结温度制度下,复合材料可实现拉伸性能、弯曲性能与韧性的最优化。

High-temperature oxidation behavior of CeO_2-SiO_2/Ni-W-P composites

Ni-W-P matrix composites containing CeO2 and SiO2 nano-particles were prepared on common carbon steel surface by means of pulse electrodeposition,and the high-temperature oxidation behavior was investigated.The results show that when the oxidation time is controlled in 1 h,oxidation kinetics curve between oxidation mass gain rate and oxidation temperature of CeO2-SiO2/Ni-W-P composites accords with the index increasing law.When the oxidation temperature is controlled at 300℃,the kinetics curve between oxidation mass gain rate and oxidation time accords with the linear increasing law.The composites as-deposited are in the amorphous state and turn into the crystal state at 400℃.The microstructures of oxidation film on the composites will change from the compact state to the loose state with increasing oxidation temperature to 800℃.They are still continuous and compact,and there are no crackle,strip and falling-out.CeO2 and SiO2 nano-particles co-deposited into Ni-W-P alloy can improve the high-temperature oxidation resistance.

Fabrication and characterization of SiO_(2(f))/Si)_3N_4 composites

A silicon dioxide fiber-reinforced silicon nitride matrix （SiOJSi3N4） composite used for radomes was prepared by chemical vapor infiltration （CVI） process using the SiCl4-NH3-H2 system. The effects of the process conditions, including infiltration temperature, infiltration time, and gas flux were investigated. The energy dispersion spectra （EDS） result showed that the main elements of this composite contained Si, N, and O. The X-ray diffraction （XRD） results indicated that phases of the composite before and after treatment at 1350℃ were all amorphous. A little fiber pull-out was observed on the cross section of the composite by scan electron microscope （SEM）. As a result, the composite exhibited good thermal stability, but an appropriate interface was necessary between the fiber and the matrix.

The effects of radiation damage on power VDMOS devices with composite SiO_2-Si_3N_4 films

Total dose effects and single event effects on radiation-hardened power vertical double-diffusion metal oxide semiconductor（VDMOS） devices with composite SiO2-Si3N4 film gates are investigated.The relationships among the important electrical parameters of the samples with different thickness SiO2-Si3N4 films,such as threshold voltage,breakdown voltage,and on-state resistance in accumulated dose,are discussed.The total dose experiment results show that the breakdown voltage and the on-state resistance barely change with the accumulated dose.However,the relationships between the threshold voltages of the samples and the accumulated dose are more complex,and not only positively drift,but also negatively drift.At the end of the total dose experiment,we select the group of samples which have the smaller threshold voltage shift to carry out the single event effect studies.We find that the samples with appropriate thickness ratio SiO2-Si3N4 films have a good radiation-hardening ability.This method may be useful in solving both the SEGR and the total dose problems with the composite SiO2-Si3N4 films.

Optical and Magnetic Properties of Fe_2O_3/SiO_2 Nano-composite Films

Fe2O3/SiO2 nano-composite films were prepared by sol-gel technique combining heat treatment in the range of 100-900 ℃. The particle size was observed by FE-SEM. Optical properties of the films were investigated by UV-visible spectra. Structural and magnetic characteristics were investigated through FT-IR and VSM. The transparency of the Fe2O3/SiO2 nano-composite films decreased with the content of the Fe2O3. Water and organic solvent in the films were evaporated with heat treatment, so the transparency of the films was enhanced under high temperature. It is also found that the saturation magnetization （Ms） of the films increases with the temperature. As the content of the Fe2O3 increases, when the content of the Fe2O3 is around 30wt%, the Ms of the films has a maximum value.

Synthesis of CdTe/SiO_2 Composites and Their Fluorescence Properties

Thioglycolic acid（TGA）-stabilized CdTe nanocrystals（NCs） were prepared with sodium tellurite as tellurium source,which avoids the cumbersome processes associated with H2Te or NaHTe sources.Fluorescent CdTe/SiO2 composites were synthesized by a sol-gel method without the exchange of surface ligands.The phase structure of CdTe NCs was investigated by X-ray diffractometry.For comparison,some characterizations were done for both the CdTe NCs and the composites.CdTe NCs and CdTe/SiO2 composites were characterized with TEM,digital camera and fluorescence spectrophotometer.The stability of CdTe NCs and the composites were investigated in phosphate-buffered saline（PBS） buffer and the fluorescent properties of the composites were discussed in detail.

Nafion/SiO_2 Nanocomposites:High Potential Catalysts for Alkylation of Benzene with Linear C_9-C_(13) Alkenes

High surface area Nafion/SiO2 nanocomposites with nano-sized Nafion resin particles entrapped and dispersed within the highly porous silica matrix exhibited significantly enhanced activity, high selectivity and long-term stability for the alkylation of benzene with linear C9-C13 alkenes owing to the increased accessibility of Nafion resin-based acid sites to reactants.

Nanoindentation Study on Mechanical Properties of Nano-SiO2/Dental Resin Composites

The micro/nano-scale indentation tests were performed to explore the performance of bisphenol-α-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) dental resin composites. The effect of the filling content of nano-SiO2 particles on the mechanical properties of the dental composites was studied as well. The experimental results showed that the incorporation of the nano-SiO2 particles at low concentrations (up to 10 wt.%) can apparently increase the hardness and elastic modulus of the dental rein composites. The plasticity index indicates a best elastic recovery capability at a proper amount (4 wt.%) of the nanoparticles. Combined with the infrared spectrum, the mechanical enhancement mechanisms of the dental resin composites were analyzed.

Structural Characteristics and Photocatalytic Activity of Ambient Pressure Dried SiO2/TiO2 Aerogel Composites by One-step Solvent Exchange/Surface Modification

An ambient pressure synthesis of SiO2/TiO2 binary aerogel was prepared through the low-cost precursors of titanium tetrachloride（TiCl4） and sodium silicate（Na2O·nSiO2）.After gelation,solvent exchange and surface modification were performed simultaneously and the modified gel was finally dried under ambient pressure.Microstructural analyses by transmission electron microscope（TEM） indicate that fabricated SiO2/TiO2 aerogel composite shows similar sponge-like nanostructure as silica aerogel,and the Brunauer-EmmettTeller（BET） analysis shows that the specific surface area of the composite reaches 605 m^2/g,and the average pore size is 9.7 nm.Such binary aerogel exhibits significant photocatalytic performance in this paper for treating model pollutant of methyl orange（MO）,and the decolorizing efficiency of MO is detected as 84.9%after 210 mins exposure to UV light irradiation.Degraded gel suspends in the water so as to separate from solution for reuse,and after 4 times recycling,70%degradation efficiency can be easily reached when composite catalyzed system is exposed for 210 mins under UV irradiation.

Fracture Mechanism of 3D, Five-directional Braided (SiO_2)_f /SiO_2 Composites Prepared by Silicasol-infiltration-sintering Method

Three-dimensional （3D） five-directional braided （SiO2）/SiO2 composites were prepared by silicasol-infiltration-sintering （SIS） method. The flexural properties and microstructures were studied. The flexural strength and flexural elastic modulus were found to be 73 MPa and 12 GPa, respectively. The results of stress vs deflection curve and SEM examinations revealed that the fracture mechanism of 3D, five-directional braided （SiO2）/SiO2 composite was a mixture mode of ductile and brittle. The ductile mode was attributed to the weak bonding strength of fiber/matrix at low temperature. The brittle fracture might be caused by the propagation of micro defect or crack, which existed in the as-prepared composites for the ten-cycle process.

Influence of heat treatment on microstructures and micro-hardness of n-SiO2/Ni composite coating

The n-SiO2/Ni composite electro-brush plating coating was prepared on the 1045 steel substrate. SEM and TEM were utilized to analyze the surface and cross-section morphologies or the microstructures of the composite coating before and after heat treatment, as well as a micro-hardness tester was used to measure the micro-hardness before and after heat treatment. The results show that the entrance of nano SiO2 particles into composite coating makes the micro-hardness higher. After heat treatment, due to the obstruction to growth of Ni crystals from nano particles, the composite coating still possesses a higher micro-hardness than that of common Ni-base coating.

The influence of ablation products on the ablation resistance of C/C-SiC composites and the growth mechanism of SiO_2 nanowires

Ablation under oxyacetylene torch with heat flux of 4186.8（10%kW/m2 for 20 s was performed to evaluate the ablation resistance of C/C-SiC composites fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration（CVI） combined with liquid silicon infiltration（LSI） process.The results indicated that C/C-SiC composites present a better ablation resistance than C/C composites without doped SiC.The doped SiC and the ablation products SiO2 derived from it play key roles in ablation process.Bulk quantities of SiO2 nanowires with diameter of 80 nm-150 nm and length of tens microns were observed on the surface of specimens after ablation.The growth mechanism of the SiO_2 nanowires was interpreted with a developed vapor-liquid-solid（VLS） driven by the temperature gradient.

Photocatalytic and Thermal Insulating Performances of Fiber Reinforced Hierarchical TiO_2/SiO_2 Xerogel Composites Synthesized by Ambient Drying Route

Silica( SiO_2) based aerogel/xerogel materials have been received ever-growing attentions for versatile applications. However,the widespread applications are narrowed by the inert properties,fragile and brittle natureof silica materials and cumbersome preparation processes. In this paper,titania( TiO_2) was introduced into SiO_2 matrix to form photocatalytic hybrid gels. The TiO_2/SiO_2 composites were then reinforced by the impregnation of various fibrillary reinforcements,such as glass,mullite mineral and ceramic fibers. The properties of the composites were studied systematically in terms of fiberstability,microstructure,chemical interaction and thermal conductivity. The final xerogel composites displayed improved monolithic geometry,satisfied thermal conductivity(0. 09-0. 25 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)) and optimized photocatalytic performance(85% removal of model pollutant of methyl orange( Mo)),which could be expected to be a feasible route to multi-functional building facades in the future.

Benzylation of Aromatic Compounds with Benzyl Chloride Catalyzed by Nafion/SiO_2 Nanocomposite Catalyst

In the presence of Nafion/SiO2 nanocomposite catalyst, the benzylation of aromatic compounds with benzyl chloride proceeded to afford diphenylmethane derivatives in high yields. The catalyst showed high catalytic activity not only for electron-rich aromatic compounds, but also for electron-poor aromatic compounds. Under identical conditions, the self-benzylation of benzyl chloride, and dibenzylation and/or multi-benzylation of aromatic compounds were negligible.

Sol-Gel Preparation of TiO2/SiO2 Nanocomposites and Their Application in Self- cleaning Textiles

The present study involves the preparation of TiO 2/ SiO 2nanocrystals and their application in self-cleaning wool-polyester fabrics.The TiO 2/ SiO 2nanocrystals were successfully synthesized and deposited onto wool-polyester fabrics using the low-temperature sol-gel technique.The as-prepared nanocomposites and the nanocomposites coated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction( XRD) and scanning electron microscopy( SEM),respectively.The XRD and SEM results showed that the single-phase anatase nanocrystallites were formed and loaded on the fabric surface successfully.The photocatalytic activities of TiO 2-coated and TiO 2/ SiO 2-coated wool-polyester fabrics were measured by studying photodegradation of methylene blue dye.Comparison of the photocatalytic activity of the coated samples reveals superiority of TiO 2/ SiO 2modified sample with respect to that of pure TiO 2modified sample.Our observations indicate that by applying this technique to the fabrics,self-cleaning materials can be designed for practical application.