Synthesis of hydrophobic carbon nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide composite films by flash light irradiation

Carbon nanotubes/graphene composites have superior mechanical, electrical and electrochemistry prop- erties with carbon nanotubes as a hydrophobicity boosting agent. Their extraordinary hydrophobic performance is highly suitable for electrode applications in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors which often employ organic electrolytes. Also the hydrophobic features enable the oil enrichment for the crude oil separation from seawater. The ever reported synthesis routes towards such a composite either involve complicated multi-step reactions, e.g., chemical vapor depositions, or lead to insufficient extru- sion of carbon nanotubes in the chemical reductions of graphene oxide, e.g., fully embedding between the compact graphene oxide sheets. As a consequence, the formation of standalone carbon nanotubes over graphene sheets remains of high interests. Herein we use the facile flash light irradiation method to induce the reduction of graphene oxides in the presence of carbon nanotubes. Photographs, micrographs, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis all indicate that graphene oxides has been reduced. And the contact angle tests confirm the excellent hydrophobic perfor- mances of the synthesized carbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide composite films. This one-step treatment represents a straightforward and high efficiency way for the reduction of carbon nanotubes/graphene oxides composites.

Flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor based on a graphene-carbon nanotube-polydimethylsiloxane composite

Flexible sensors are used widely in wearable devices, specifically flexible piezoresistive sensors, which are common and easy to manipulate.However, fabricating such sensors is expensive and complex, so proposed here is a simple fabrication approach involving a sensor containing microstructures replicated from a sandpaper template onto which polydimethylsiloxane containing a mixture of graphene and carbon nanotubes is spin coated. The surface morphologies of three versions of the sensor made using different grades of sandpaper are observed, and the corresponding pressure sensitivities and linearity and hysteresis characteristics are assessed and analyzed. The results show that the sensor made using 80-mesh sandpaper has the best sensing performance. Its sensitivity is 0.341 kPa-1in the loading range of 0–1.6 kPa, it responds to small external loading of 100 Pa with a resistance change of 10%, its loading and unloading response times are 0.126 and 0.2 s, respectively,and its hysteresis characteristic is ~7%, indicating that the sensor has high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability. Thus, the presented piezoresistive sensor is promising for practical applications in flexible wearable electronics.

EBSD characterization of Al7075/graphene nanoplates/carbon nanotubes composites processed through post-deformation annealing

The effects of the post-deformation annealing on the microstructural evolution of hot rolled Al7075 matrix composites reinforced with CNTs and GNPs were investigated.The multi-pass hot rolling was applied on the stir cast samples.Annealing was then applied to the composites at 450℃ for 4 h.Microstructural evolution was examined by SEM,EDS,and EBSD techniques.EBSD data showed that the addition of 0.87 vol.%(GNPs+CNTs)significantly inhibited the occurrence of recrystallization.Also,in the composite with 0.96 vol.%CNTs,recrystallization was partially inhibited.Whereas,in composites with 0.92 vol.%of GNPs,the occurrence of recrystallization through particle stimulated nucleation(PSN)mechanism was significantly accelerated.The volume fraction of recrystallized grains depends significantly on the occurrence of PSN in the presence of reinforcements.The intensity and type of the main components of the texture as well as the FCC fibers depend on the type of reinforcement.

Nickel Sulfide/Graphene/Carbon Nanotube Composites as Electrode Material for the Supercapacitor Application in the Sea Flashing Signal System

This work presents NiS/graphene/carbon nanotube （NiS/GNS/CNT） composites as electrode material for the supercapacitor application in sea flashing signal systems. NiS nanosheets were closely anchored on the conductive GNS-CNT networks. As a result, the NiS/GNS/CNT electrode showed a high specific capacitance of 2 377 F.g^-1 at 2 mV.s^-1 and good cycling stability compared with the pure NiS （1 599F.g^-1）. The enhanced electrochemical performances are attributed to the synergetic effect between the conductive carbon and the pseudo-capacitive NiS. The high performance supercapacitor may provide application in the sea flashing signal system.

Wide temperature range,air stable,transparent,and self-powered photodetectors enabled by a hybrid film of graphene and singlewalled carbon nanotubes

Transparent photovoltaic devices(TPVDs)have attracted increasing attention in emerging electronic devices.As the application scenarios extend,there raise higher requirements regarding the stability and operating temperature range of TPVDs.In this work,a unique preparation strategy is proposed for air stable TPVD with a wide operating temperature range,i.e.,a nanoscale architecture termed as H-TPVD is constructed that integrates a free-standing and highly transparent conductive hybrid film of graphene and single-walled carbon nanotubes(G-SWNT TCF for short)with a metal oxide NiO/TiO_(2)heterojunction.The preparation approach is suitable for scaling up.Thanks to the excellent transparent conductivity of the freestanding G-SWNT hybrid film and the ultrathin NiO/TiO_(2)heterojunction(100 nm),H-TPVD selectively absorbs the ultraviolet(UV)band of sunlight and has a transparency of up to 71%in the visible light.The integrated nanoscale architecture manifests the significant holecollecting capability of the G-SWNT hybrid film and the efficient carrier generation and separation within the ultrathin NiO/TiO_(2)heterojunction,resulting in excellent performance of the H-TPVD with a specific detectivity of 2.7×10^(10) Jones.Especially,the freestanding G-SWNT TCF is a super stable and non-porous two-dimensional film that can insulate gas molecules,thereby protecting the surface properties of NiO/TiO_(2)heterojunctions and enhancing the stability of H-TPVD.Having subjected to 20,000 cycles and storage in air for three months,the performance parameters such as photo-response signal,output power,and specific detectivity show no noticeable degradation.In particular,the as-fabricated self-powered H-TPVD can operate over a wide temperature range from −180 to 300℃,and can carry out solar-blind UV optical communication in this range.In addition,the 4×4 array H-TPVD demonstrates clear optical imaging.These results make it possible for H-TPVD to expand its potential application scenarios.

A Novel Multiscale Reinforcement by In-Situ Growing Carbon Nanotubes on Graphene Oxide Grafted Carbon Fibers and Its Reinforced Carbon/Carbon Composites with Improved Tensile Properties

In-situ growing carbon nanotubes （CNTs） directly on carbon fibers （CFs） always lead to a degraded tensile strength of CFs and then a poor fiber-dominated mechanical property of carbon/carbon composites （C/ Cs）. To solve this issue, here, a novel carbon fiber-based multiscale reinforcement is reported. To synthesize it, carbon fibers （CFs） have been first grafted by graphene oxide （GO）, and then carbon nanotubes （CNTs） have been in-situ grown on GO-grafted CFs by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. Characterizations on this novel reinforcement show that GO grafting cannot only nondestructively improve the surface chemical activity of CFs but also protect CFs against the high-temperature corrosion of metal catalyst during CNT growth, which maintains their tensile properties. Tensile property tests for unidirectional C/Cs with different preforms show that this novel reinforcement can endow C/C with improved tensile properties, 32% and 87% higher than that of pure C/C and C/C only doped with in-situ grown CNTs. This work would open up a possibility to fabricate multiscale C/Cs with excellent global performance.

Synthesis, Characterization and Gas Sensing Properties of Graphene Oxide-Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composite

Graphene oxide （GO）-multiwalled carbon nanotube （MWCNT） composite was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, micro Raman, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet-visible near infrared spectroscopy techniques. Spectral characteris- tics of cladding modified fiber optic gas sensors were studied for various concentrations of ammonia, ethanol and methanol at 27 ℃. Thickness of the gas sensing layer was controlled by varying the concentration of composite in ethanol medium （0.5 and 1 mg/mL） for three times dipping process. The O.S mg/ mL concentrated GO-MWCNT coated sensor showed 1.20, 1.40 and 1.15 times higher sensitivity than the GO coated sensor for ammonia, ethanol and methanol vapors, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibited 1.50, 1.80 and 1.80 times better sensitivity than 1 mg/mL concentrated GO-MWCNT coated sensor for ammonia, ethanol and methanol vapors, respectively. The presence of functional groups in GO increased the sen- sitivity. This is mainly attributed to the effective electron charge transfer between the composite materials and analytes.

Synergistic Effects of Carbon Nanotube(CNT)and Reduced Graphene Oxide(RGO)on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of ZK61 Alloy

The hybrid of carbon nanotube(CNT)and reduced graphene oxide(RGO)reinforced ZK61 composite was fabricated by a hot extrusion process.Compared with the raw ZK61 alloy and single-reinforced composites,the hybrid-reinforced by RGO+CNT complex exhibited significant enhancements both in mechanical and thermal performance.By adjusting the proportion of RGO and CNT in ZK61 alloy,the obtained optimum ZK61/(0.06 wt%RGO+0.54 wt%CNT)composite exhibited increase of 25.4%in yield strength,26.5%in ultimate tensile strength,104%in failure strain and 30.4%in thermal conductivity,respectively,in comparison with ZK61 alloy.The superior properties of the nano-hybrid composite are attributed to the synergetic effects of RGO and CNT,leading to a uniform dispersion and integrated structure as well as the enhanced interfacial bonding with matrix.The strengthening ability of RGO and CNT was calculated to quantify their individual contribution to the improvement in mechanical and thermal properties of the ZK61 matrix composite.The RGO+CNT hybrids provide a promising way to develop Mg matrix composites with impressive performances.

Influence of tool rotation speeds on mechanical and morphological properties of friction stir processed nano hybrid composite of MWCNT-Graphene-AZ31 magnesium

The ever-increasing demand for light weighted hard materials for transportation industries encouraged researchers to develop composites with excellent mechanical properties which can transform it into more economical and eco-friendly.Reinforcing the metals with carbonaceous nanomaterials are progressively in focus due to their excellent capability to inculcate and tailor the properties of MMCs.In the present research,a hybrid nanocomposite of MWCNT-Graphene-AZ31 Mg alloy has been developed by using variable tool rotation speeds with friction stir processing(FSP).Optimized reinforcement ratio of 1.6%vol.MWCNT and 0.3%vol.of graphene have been used with variable tool rotation speeds,whereas other processing parameters are kept constant.The developed specimens were investigated using standard testing equipment for evaluating and comparing the mechanical properties on the basis of the microstructure of the processing regions and their morphological analysis,according to the ASTM standards.The obtained results revealed an improvement of 19.72%in microhardness and 77.5% of compressive strength in comparison with the base metal AZ 31 Magnesium alloy,with a tool rotational speed of 1400rpm.The values of tensile stress and percentage area reduction were recorded as less than that of the base metal matrix,but an increasing trend has been observed in the values of both with the improvement on rotational speeds of the tool.The effectual strengthening mechanisms are analyzed on the bases of SEM images and observed that discussed and found that grain refinement strengthening is the major contributor to the strength of the nanocomposite.

A comparative study on microstructural evolution and surface properties of graphene/CNT reinforced Al6061-SiC hybrid surface composite fabricated via friction stir processing

A comparative study on the surface properties of Al-SiC-multi walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and Al-SiC-graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) hybrid composites fabricated via friction stir processing (FSP) was documented. Microstructural characterization reveals a more homogeneous dispersion of GNPs in the Al matrix as compared to CNTs. Dislocation blockade by SiC and GNP particles along with the defect-free interface between the matrix and reinforcements is also observed. Nanoindentation study reveals a remarkable ~207% and ~27% increment in surface nano-hardness of Al-SiC-GNP and Al-SiC-CNT hybrid composite compared to as-received Al6061 alloy, respectively. On the other hand, the microhardness values of Al-SiC-GNP and Al-SiC-CNT are increased by ~36% and ~17% relative to as-received Al6061 alloy, respectively. Tribological assessment reveals ~56% decrease in the specific wear rate of Al-SiC-GNP hybrid composite, whereas it is increased by ~122% in Al-SiC-CNT composite. The higher strength of Al-SiC-GNP composite is attributed to the mechanical exfoliation of GNPs to few layered graphene (FLG) in the presence of SiC. Also, various mechanisms such as thermal mismatch, grain refinement, and Orowan looping contribute significantly towards the strengthening of composites. Moreover, the formation of tribolayer by the squeezed-out GNP on the surface is responsible for the improved tribological performance of the composites. Raman spectroscopy and various other characterization methods corroborate the results.

Preparation and thermal properties of layered porous carbon nanotube/epoxy resin composite films

A floating-catalyst spray pyrolysis method was used to synthesize carbon nanotube(CNT)thin films.With the use of ammonium chloride as a pore-former and epoxy resin(EP)as an adhesive,CNT/EP composite films with a porous structure were prepared through the post-heat treatment.These films have excellent thermal insulation(0.029–0.048 W·m^−1·K^−1)at the thickness direction as well as a good thermal conductivity(40–60 Wm^−1·K^−1)in the film plane.This study provides a new film material for thermal control systems that demand a good thermal conductivity in the plane but outstanding thermal insulation at the thickness direction.

A Simple Approach to the Fabrication of Graphene-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Films on Copper Substrate by Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this study,graphene-carbon nanotube（CNT） hybrid films were directly synthesized on polycrystalline copper（Cu） substrates by thermal chemical vapor deposition（CVD） method.Graphene films were synthesized on Cu substrate at 1000 ℃ in mixture of gases:argon（Ar）,hydrogen（H2）,and methane（CH4）.Then,carbon nanotubes（CNTs） were grown uniformly on the surface of graphene/Cu films at 750 ℃ in mixture of Ar,H2.and acetylene（C2H2） gases.Ferric salt FeCl3solution deposited onto the surface of graphene/Cu substrate by spin coating method was used as precursor for the growth of the CNTs.The density and quality of the CNTs on the surface of graphene/Cu films can be controlled by varying the concentration of FeCl3salt catalyst.

Electrocatalytic performance of CNTs/graphene composited rare earth phthalocyanines(M=La,Y,Yb,Sc)

In this study,a class of rare earth composite sandwich phthalocyanines(MPcs,M=La,Y,Yb,Sc) were prepared and compounded with graphene and carbon nanotubes to obtain MPc/Gr and MPc/CNTs composites.The electrocatalytic behaviors of MPc/Gr and MPc/CNTs electrodes were further investigated.The results show that the central rare earth metal has a large influence on the electrocatalytic performance.For the MPcs/Gr samples,ScPc with the smallest ionic radius and molecular size can be more uniformly dispersed in graphene,and the hydrogen precipitation overpotential of ScPc/Gr electrode is514 mV,corresponding to a Tafel slope of 148 mV/dec,with better electrocatalytic performance than other rare earth metal phthalocyanines.As for the MPc/CNTs composites,LaPc,which has the largest ionic radius and molecular size,is more uniformly dispersed on the surface of CNTs,so that the LaPc/CNT electrode exhibits the best LSV performance with the smallest corresponding Tafel slope(176 mV/dec).The main reason is the different binding modes of MPcs molecules in Gr and CNTs.When rare earth phthalocyanine is combined with layered graphene,the smallest size of rare earth phthalocyanine(ScPc)is more easily embedded in the graphene layer,resulting in better homogeneity of the composite,larger effective contact area and better electrocatalytic performance.In contrast,when rare earth phthalocyanine is bound to carbon nanotubes in a tubular structure,it is mainly bound by attaching to the surface or being entangled by the carbon nanotubes.In this case,the rare-earth phthalocyanine molecules(LaPc)with larger layer spacing can provide more contact area with CNTs,forming a more uniform and effective composite,which eventually provides more active sites and better electrocatalytic performance.

Low-Voltage Activating, Fast Responding Electro-thermal Actuator Based on Carbon Nanotube Film/PDMS Composites

The electro-thermal actuators(ETA)are smart devices that can convert electric energy into mechanical energy under electro-heating stimulation,showing great potential in the fields of soft robotics,artificial muscle and aerospace component.In this study,to build a low-voltage activating,fast responding ETA,a robust and flexible carbon nanotube film(CNTF)with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity was adopted as the conductive material.Then,an asymmetric bilayer structured ETA was manufactured by coating a thin layer of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)with high coefficient of thermal expansion(9.3×10^(-4)℃^(−1)),low young’s modulus(2.07 MPa)on a thin CNTF(~11μm).The as-produced CNTF/PDMS composite ETA exhibited a large deformation(bending angle~324°)and high electro heating performance(351℃)at a low driving voltage of 8 V within~12 s.The actuated movement and the generated heat could be controlled by adjusting the driving voltages and showed almost the same values in 20 cycles.Furthermore,the influences of the PDMS thickness and driving voltage on CNTF/PDMS composite ETA performance were systematically investigated.The CNTF/PDMS soft robotic hand which can lift 5.1 times and crab 1.3 times of its weight demonstrated its potential capability.

Fabrication of free-standing flexible and highly efficient carbon nanotube film/PEDOT: PSS thermoelectric composites

Carbon nanotube film(CNTF)with two-dimensional CNT network structure is adopted to prepare CNTF/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)thermoelectric composites,which overcomes the disadvantages of low content,easy aggregation,and random orientation of CNTs when dispersed in polymer.A vacuum-assisted filtration method was proposed,which can uniformly and sufficiently penetrate the polymer into CNTF along thickness direction for fabrication of CNTF/PEDOT:PSS composites.A highest electrical conductivity of 806.2 S/cm at 300 K was achieved for the composites with 60 wt%PEDOT:PSS loading,which was 51.0%higher than that of the original CNTF(534.1 S/cm).A maximum power factor of 339.6 mW·m^(-1)·K^(-2) at 320 K was achieved with a corresponding Seebeck coefficient of 67.7 mV/K.This study provides a universal method for fabrication of other kinds of CNTF/conductive polymer thermoelectric composites.

Recent progress in the synthesis of graphene/CNT composites and the energy-related applications

Graphene and carbon nanotube(CNT) are representative carbon nanomaterials which have aroused numerous research interest due to their extraordinary material properties and promising application potentials,especially in the energy storage and conversion areas.However,the agglomeration happening in these materials has largely blocked their applications.Hybridization of CNT with graphene can,on one hand,prevent the agglomeration behavior,on the other hand,generate a synergistic effect between them with enhanced physical and chemical properties.There have been many studies conducted to find out the suitable approaches to synthesize graphene/CNT composites,and realize the application potentials of these structures.Based on the recent advances,this paper reviews the current research progress that has been achieved in synthesizing graphene/CNT composites,and the energy-related applications.Through this review,we aim at stimulating more significant research on this subject.

Fabrication and characterization of patterned carbon nanotube flow sensor cell

Patterned flow sensor cell consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) network and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are fabricated,based on the process of vacuum filtration,photolithography,and plasma etching.The sensor cell is a composite thin film and packaged to form a flow sensor,and then tested in different flow rates with different liquids,such as deionized (DI) water and NaCl solution.The induced-voltage increases with increasing flowing velocity and liquid concentration.The relation between induced-voltage and sensor cell conductivity is tested in the same liquid at the same flow rate.The higher the conductivity is,the higher the induced-voltage is.Some of the SWCNTs are fixed in the PDMS matrix,simultaneously some of them protrude above the composite thin film,which are exposed to the liquid and contribute to the voltage generation.The fabrication method can make the flow sensor scaled down to dimensions on the order of micrometers,which makes it suitable in very small liquid volumes.

A Versatile Method for Uniform Dispersion of Nanocarbons in Metal Matrix Based on Electrostatic Interactions

Realizing the uniform dispersion of nanocarbons such as carbon nanotube and graphene in metals, is an essential prerequisite to fully exhibit their enhancement effect in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of metal matrix composites(MMCs). In this work, we propose an effective method to achieve uniform distribution of nanocarbons in various metal flakes through a slurry-based method. It relies on the electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged nanocarbons and the positively charged metal flakes when mixed in slurry. For case study, flake metal powders(Al, Mg, Ti,Fe, and Cu) were positively charged in aqueous suspension by spontaneous ionization or cationic surface modification. While nanocarbons, given examples as carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes, pristine single-walled carbon nanotube, and carbon nanotube–graphene oxide hybrid were negatively charged by the ionization of oxygen-containing functional groups or anionic surfactant. It was found that through the electrostatic interaction mechanism, all kinds of nanocarbons can be spontaneously and efficiently adsorbed onto the surface of various metal flakes. The development of such a versatile method would provide us great opportunities to fabricate advanced MMCs with appealing properties.

碳科学技术的研究现状与发展趋势--记Carbon 2010国际碳会议

The annual world conference on carbon,Carbon 2010,was held in Clemson,USA,July 11-16,2010,and was hosted by the American Carbon Society,Clemson University,and Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films.About 410 attendees from 35 countries participated in the conference,and 510 papers were accepted for presentation,including 4 plenary lectures,5 award lectures,32 keynote lectures,214 oral presentations,and 255 posters,involving 12 topics,namely,graphenes,nanotubes and fullerenes,precursor synthesis and characterization,conversion processes,microstructure and properties,molecular modeling,novel experimental measurements,electronics and sensors,fibers and composites,biology and medicine,environment and safety,energy storage and generation,and other novel uses.Graphene-based materials,molecular simulation of porous carbon,carbon science at the interface with biological systems,and neutron irradiation damage in graphite were the subjects of the plenary lectures.Studies on nanocarbons are quite active,in particular,in the field of carbon nanotubes and graphene,and rapid progress has been made in the electrochemical properties,energy conversion and energy storage applications of these carbon materials.

A flexible CNT@nickel silicate composite film for high-performance sodium storage

Due to the sufficient ion diffusion channels provided by the large interlayer spacing, layered silicates are widely considered as potential anode materials for lithium ion and sodium ion batteries. However, due to the poor electronic conductivity, the application of layered silicates for electrochemical energy storage has been greatly limited. Carbon nanotube(CNT) film has excellent electrical conductivity and a unique interconnected network, making it an ideal matrix for composite electrochemical material. We herein report a CNT@nickel silicate composite film(CNT@NiSiO) fabricated by a SiO2-mediated hydrothermal conversion process, for sodium storage with excellent electrochemical properties. The obtained composite possesses a cladding structure with homogeneous nanosheets as the outermost and CNT film as the inner network matrix, providing abundant ion diffusion channels, high electronic conductivity, and good mechanical flexibility. Due to these merits, this material possesses an excellent electrochemical performance for sodium storage, including a high specific capacity up to 390 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1, good rate performance up to 205 mAh g-1 at 500 mA g-1, and excellent cycling stability. On this basis, this work would bring a promising material for various energy storage devices and other emerging applications.