MXene-based hybrid materials for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical H_(2) generation

The conversion of solar energy to produce clean hydrogen fuel through water splitting is an emerging strategy for efficiently storing solar energy in the form of solar fuel.This aligns with the increasing global demand for the development of an ideal energy alternative to fossil fuels that does not emit greenhouse gases.Electrochemical(EC) and photoelectrochemical(PEC) water splitting technologies have garnered significant attention worldwide for advanced hydrogen solar fuel production in recent decades.To achieve sustainable green H_(2) production,it is essential to create efficient catalyst materials that are low-cost and can replace expensive noble metal-based catalysts.These characteristics make them an ideal catalyst material for the process.Two-dimensional MXenes with M_(n+1)X_(n) structure have been identified as a promising option for EC and PEC water splitting due to their superior hydrophilicity,metal-like conductivity,large surface area,and adjustable surface chemistry.Here,we present a summary of recent advancements in the synthesis and performance enhancement methods for MXene hybrid materials in hydrogen production through EC and PEC water splitting.Furthermore,we examine the challenges and insights associated with the rational design of MXene-based hybrid materials to facilitate efficient water splitting for sustainable solar fuel production.

Synthesis and characterization of hybrid organic-inorganic materials based on EA-MAn-APTES and silica

Poly (EA-MAn-APTES)/silica hybrid materials were successfully prepared fromEthyl acrylate (EA), maleic anhydride (MAn) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the presence of acoupling agent 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES),by free-radical solution polymerization and insitu sol-gel process. The mass fraction of TEOS varied from 0 to 25%. The hybrid materials werecharacterized by the methods of FT-IR spectra, solvent extraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) andthermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measuring apparatus to get their structures, gel contents,morphologies, particle sizes and thermal performances. The results show that the covalent bonds arebetween organic and inorganic phases, gel contents in the hybrid materials are much higher, theSiO_2 phase is well dispersed in the polymer matrix, silicon dioxide exist at nanoscale in thecomposites and have excellent thermal stability.

SYNTHESIS OF MESOPOROUS POLY(STYRENE-co-MALEIC ANHYDRIDE)/SILICA HYBRID MATERIALS VIA A NONSURFACTANT-TEMPLATED SOL-GEL PROCESS

Mesoporous poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)/silica hybrid materials have been prepared. The synthesis was achieved by the HCl-catalyzed sol-gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer in the presence of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as a coupling agent and citric acid as a nonsurfactant template or pore-forming agent, followed by ethanol extraction. Characterization results from nitrogen sorption isotherms and powder X-ray diffraction indicate that polymer-modified mesoporous materials with large specific surface areas (e.g. 900 m(2)/g) and pore volumes (e.g. 0.6 cm(3)/g) could be prepared. As the citric acid concentration is increased, the specific surface areas, pore volumes and pore diameters of the hybrid materials increase.

Nanocellulose-Graphene Hybrids: Advanced Functional Materials as Multifunctional Sensing Platform

Naturally derived nanocellulose with unique physiochemical properties and giant potentials as renewable smart nanomaterials opens up endless novel advanced functional materials for multi-sensing applications.However,integrating inorganic functional two-dimensional carbon materials such as graphene has realized hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite materials with precisely tailored properties and multi-sensing abilities.Altogether,the affinity,stability,dispersibility,modification,and functionalization are some of the key merits permitting their synergistic interfacial interactions,which exhibited highly advanced multifunctional hybrid nanocomposites with desirable properties.Moreover,the high performance of such hybrids could be achievable through green and straightforward approaches.In this context,the review covered the most advanced nanocellulose-graphene hybrids,focusing on their synthetization,functionalization,fabrication,and multi-sensing applications.These hybrid films exhibited great potentials as a multifunctional sensing platform for numerous mechanical,environmental,and human bio-signals detections,mimicking,and in-situ monitoring.

Status and Opportunities of Zinc Ion Hybrid Capacitors: Focus on Carbon Materials, Current Collectors, and Separators

Zinc ion hybrid capacitors(ZIHCs), which integrate the features of the high power of supercapacitors and the high energy of zinc ion batteries, are promising competitors in future electrochemical energy storage applications. Carbon-based materials are deemed the competitive candidates for cathodes of ZIHC due to their cost-effectiveness, high electronic conductivity, chemical inertness, controllable surface states, and tunable pore architectures. In recent years, great research efforts have been devoted to further improving the energy density and cycling stability of ZIHCs. Reasonable modification and optimization of carbon-based materials offer a remedy for these challenges. In this review, the structural design, and electrochemical properties of carbon-based cathode materials with different dimensions, as well as the selection of compatible, robust current collectors and separators for ZIHCs are discussed. The challenges and prospects of ZIHCs are showcased to guide the innovative development of carbon-based cathode materials and the development of novel ZIHCs.

SYNTHESIS AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF VINYL POLYMERINORGANIC HYBRID AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS

We describe the sol-gel synthesis of a new family of organic-inorganic hybrid materials, in which various vinyl polymers are covalently bonded to and uniformly distributed in inorganic oxide matrices. The materials can be tailored to have both good toughness and hardness while maintaining excellent optical transparency. Doping the sol-gel metal oxides with optically active compounds such as D-glucose results in new optical rotatory composite materials. Removal of the dopant compounds from the composites affords mesoporous oxide materials; which represents a new, nonsurfactant-templated route to mesoporous molecular sieves. We have successfully immobilized a series of enzymes and other bioactive agents in mesoporous materials. Catalytical activities of the enzyme encapsulated in mesoporous materials were found to be much higher than those encapsulated in microporous materials.

Characteristic evaluation of Al_2O_3/CNTs hybrid materials for micro-electrical discharge machining

The characteristic evaluation of aluminum oxide （A1203）/carbon nanotubes （CNTs） hybrid composites for micro-electrical discharge machining （EDM） was described. Alumina matrix composites reinforced with CNTs were fabricated by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition method. A1203 composites with different CNT concentrations were synthesized. The electrical characteristic of A1203/CNTs composites was examined. These composites were machined by the EDM process according to the various EDM parameters, and the characteristics of machining were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM）. The electrical conductivity has a increasing tendency as the CNTs content is increased and has a critical point at 5% A1203 （volume fraction）. In the machining accuracy, many tangles of CNT in A1203/CNTs composites cause violent spark. Thus, it causes the poor dimensional accuracy and circularity. The results show that conductivity of the materials and homogeneous distribution of CNTs in the matrix are important factors for micro-EDM of A1203/CNTs hybrid composites.

The Evaluation of the Dietary Habits Influence on the Microhardness of Gingiva-Coloured Composite and Acrylic Denture Base Materials

Purpose: The study investigated the impact of dietary habits, specifically soda, milk kefir, water kefir, almond milk, and distilled water (control) consumption, on the microhardness of gingiva-coloured composite and acrylic denture bases. Methods: Materials included gingiva-coloured composite (Fusion Universal G1), acrylic (Imicryl), and subdivided Procryla group. Subgroups comprised 15 and 30-minute heat polymerized (Pro15, Pro30), and 1 wt% (Pro1Z) and 3 wt% (Pro3Z) zirconium added groups. Immersed in beverages for 1, 7, and 14 days, pH and microhardness were assessed. SEM examined random samples. Statistical analysis used repeated measures ANOVA, and post hoc tests (p Results: The gingiva-coloured composites displayed noteworthy time-associated microhardness changes (p 0.05). Despite variable pH levels in beverages, no substantial group interaction effects were observed (p > 0.05). Initial microhardness rankings shifted after a 14-day immersion. Conclusions: Gingiva-coloured composite exhibited the highest microhardness pre- and post-immersion, followed by Procryla30 and Imicryl groups. .

Hybrid graded element model for transient heat conduction in functionally graded materials

This paper presents a hybrid graded element model for the transient heat conduction problem in functionally graded materials （FGMs）. First, a Laplace transform approach is used to handle the time variable. Then, a fundamental solution in Laplace space for FGMs is constructed. Next, a hybrid graded element is formulated based on the obtained fundamental solution and a frame field. As a result, the graded properties of FGMs are naturally reflected by using the fundamental solution to interpolate the intra-element field. Further, Stefest＇s algorithm is employed to convert the results in Laplace space back into the time-space domain. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is assessed by several benchmark examples. The results demonstrate well the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

Simple hybrid dithiafulvenes-triphenylamine systems as dopant-free hole-transporting materials for efficient perovskite solar cells

Two extended hybrid conjugated systems based on a triphenylamine(TPA) core with two and three peripheral 1,4-dithiafulvenes(DTF) units coded WH-2 and WH-3 as hole-transporting materials(HTMs) applied in perovskite solar cells(PSCs) are synthesized by facile one-step reaction in good yield over 75%. DTF unit as electron donor can enhance the electron donating ability and the fusion of benzenic ring of TPA with DTF unit may lead to reinforced intermolecular interactions in the solid state. In addition,WH-2 and WH-3 exhibit a pyramid shape containing partial planarity and quasi three-dimensionality features, which is also conducive to enhancing the π-π stacking of molecules in the solid state. The above-mentioned structural characteristics make the two HTMs have good hole mobilities. As a result,WH-2 and WH-3 obtained the high intrinsic hole mobilities of 4.69 × 10^(-4)and 2.18 × 10^(-3)cm^(2)V^(-1)s^(-1)respectively. Finally, the power conversion efficiencies(PCEs) of PSCs with WH-2 and WH-3 as cost-effective dopant-free HTMs are 15.39% and 19.22% respectively and the PCE of PSC with WH-3 is on a par with that of PSC with Li-TFSI/t-BP doped Spiro-OMe TAD(19.67%).

Syntheses and Structures of Three Hybrid Materials Using Vanadium Polyoxoanions and Macrocyclic Copper Complex as Building Blocks

The reactions of the four-coordinated macrocyclic copper complex [CuL]（ClO4）2（L = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane） with NH4VO3 under different conditions gave three inorganic-organic hybrid materials of [CuL][VO3]2·2.33H2O（1）, [CuL]3[V（10）O（28）]·8H2O（2） and [Cu L]3[V6O（18）]·8H2O（3）. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that three diverse vanadium polyoxoanions, [V6O（18）]6- ring, [V（10）O（28）]6- cluster, and [V（12）O（35）]^10- ring, were isolated from the same reactant NH4VO3 under different conditions. The [CuL]^2＋ bridges the [V10O28]6- clusters to form a two-dimensional sheet in 2, and link the [V6O（18）]^6- rings in 1 and [V（12）O（35）]^10- rings in 3 into three-dimensional frameworks, respectively.

Universal memory based on phase-change materials:From phase-change random access memory to optoelectronic hybrid storage

The era of information explosion is coming and information need to be continuously stored and randomly accessed over long-term periods,which constitute an insurmountable challenge for existing data centers.At present,computing devices use the von Neumann architecture with separate computing and memory units,which exposes the shortcomings of“memory bottleneck”.Nonvolatile memristor can realize data storage and in-memory computing at the same time and promises to overcome this bottleneck.Phase-change random access memory(PCRAM)is called one of the best solutions for next generation non-volatile memory.Due to its high speed,good data retention,high density,low power consumption,PCRAM has the broad commercial prospects in the in-memory computing application.In this review,the research progress of phase-change materials and device structures for PCRAM,as well as the most critical performances for a universal memory,such as speed,capacity,and power consumption,are reviewed.By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of phase-change optical disk and PCRAM,a new concept of optoelectronic hybrid storage based on phase-change material is proposed.Furthermore,its feasibility to replace existing memory technologies as a universal memory is also discussed as well.

Study on Vector Magnetic Properties of Magnetic Materials Using Hybrid Hysteresis Model

This paper presents a method to study the vector magnetic properties of magnetic materials under alternating and rotational magnetic field using 2-D vector hybrid hysteresis model.Combining Preisach model and Stoner-Wohlfarth(S-W)model,the vector hybrid hysteresis model is established for magnetic materials.The alternating and rotational hysteresis properties are calculated under different excitation frequency,respectively.And the computed results are compared with the experimental measurement ones.It is shown that the vector model can simulate the alternating and rotational magnetic properties effectively under low magnetization fields and low excitation frequency.

Organic electro-optic polymer materials and organic-based hybrid electro-optic modulators

High performance electro-optic modulator,as the key device of integrated ultra-wideband optical systems,have be-come the focus of research.Meanwhile,the organic-based hybrid electro-optic modulators,which make full use of the advant-ages of organic electro-optic(OEO)materials(e.g.high electro-optic coefficient,fast response speed,high bandwidth,easy pro-cessing/integration and low cost)have attracted considerable attention.In this paper,we introduce a series of high-perform-ance OEO materials that exhibit good properties in electro-optic activity and thermal stability.In addition,the recent progress of organic-based hybrid electro-optic devices is reviewed,including photonic crystal-organic hybrid(PCOH),silicon-organic hy-brid(SOH)and plasmonic-organic hybrid(POH)modulators.A high-performance integrated optical platform based on OEO ma-terials is a promising solution for growing high speeds and low power consumption in compact sizes.

Pure Membrane,Pseudo Membrane,and Semi Membrane Shell Theories of Hybrid Anisotropic Materials

Pure,pseudo and semi membrane theories may sound similar but totally different theories as well as its behavior.The differences are more significant when it comes to hybrid anisotropic materials,namely laminated shell wall thickness.The nomenclatures and classifications have been existed centuries for isotropic material shells since Donnell and Vlasov era.The methods of formulation of the theories are unique and never been used by others except by the authors.Governing differential equations are uniquely formulated for each theory by use of asymptotic expansion method which has never been used by others for isotropic or anisotropic materials.Longitudinal(L)and circumferential(Πor l)length scale were introduced during the course of asymptotic expansion method and the different theories among membrane theory are apparently classified.Characteristic behaviors of each theory are shown.

Synthesis and Characterization of Two New Photochromic Inorganic-organic Hybrid Materials Based on Keggin-type Polyoxometalates

Two new photochromic inorganic-organic hybrid materials formed from Keggin-type polyoxometalates（POMs） and metronidazole （C6H9N3O3, MNZ）, formulated as H3PMo12OaO-3MNZ·3H2O （1） and H3PW12O40.3MNZ·3H2O（2）, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, electronic spectra, electron spin resonance （ESR） spectra and thermogravi-metry-differential thermal analysis （TG-DTA）. Reflectance spectra show the presence of weak intermolecular charge transfer between the organic and inorganic moieties in the solid state. The photochromic properties were studied by solid diffuse reflectance spectra and ESR spectra, and the photochromic reactions were found to exhibit first-order kinetics. TG-DTA showed that two hybrid materials have similar thermal behavior.

SYNTHESIS OF HYBRID MESOPOROUS POLYSTYRENE-SILICA MATERIALS WITH NON-SURFACTANT CITRIC ACID AS TEMPLATE VIA SOL-GEL PROCESS

Hybrid mesoporous polystyrene-silica materials were successfully prepared through HCl-catalyzed sol-gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and triethoxysilyl-functionalized polystyrene obtained via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene, in the presence of citric acid (CA) as non-surfactant template or pore-forming agent and followed by ethanol extraction to remove template molecules. The materials were characterized by infrared spectroscopy OR), N-2 adsorption-desorption measurements, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that the materials prepared with 50 wt%-60 wt% template contents have average pore sizes of 2-3 nm and large surface areas (ca. 886 m(2)/g) as well as high pore volumes (ca. 0.53 cm(3)/g). The mesoporosity arises from interconnected channels and pores with disordered arrangements. The pore diameters and pore volumes increase as the template content is increased. The pore diameters show a little change upon heating at 200degreesC overnight. However, the materials do not have good hydrothermal stability.

pH-Dependent Assembly of Hybrid Materials Based on Molybdates and Copper/imidazole Complexes

Three novel inorganic-organic hybrid materials, [Cu（imi）2（H2O）（MoO4）]n 1, [Cuz（imi）3（MoO4）E]n.nH2O 2 and [Cu3（imi）2（OH）2（MoO4）2]n 3 （imi = imidazole）, were synthesized and characterized by X-ray single-crystal structure determination. 1 crystallizes in orthorhombic, space group Pca21 with a = 13.382（4）, b = 8.527（2）, c = 9.622（3）A, V = 1098.0（5） A^3 Z = 4, C6H10CuMoN4O5, Mr = 377.66, Dc = 2.285 g/cm^3, F（000） = 740,μ（MoKa） = 3.095 mm^-1, the final R = 0.0256 and wR = 0.0722 for 1896 observed reflections with I 〉 2σ（I）. 2 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P2t/c with a= 11.170（2）, b = 7.8244（15）, c = 22.631（4）A, β = 115.790（7）°, V = 1780.9（6）A^3 Z = 4, C9H14Cu2Mo2N6O9, Mr = 669.24, Dc= 2.496 g/cm^3, F（000）=1295,μ（MoKa） = 3.792 mm^-1, the final R = 0.0225 and wR = 0.0615 for 3838 observed reflections with I 〉 2σ（I）. 3 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P21/c with a = 5.5599（19）, b = 23.771（8）, c = 7.3044（18）A , β = 129.356（16）°, V = 746.5（4）A^3, Z = 2, C6H10Cu3Mo2N4O10, Mr = 680.71, Dc = 3.029 g/cm^3, F（000） = 650,μ（MoKa） = 5.900 mm^-1, the final R = 0.0215 and wR = 0.0524 for 1620 observed reflections with I 〉 2σ（I）.

A New Method to Study the Sol-gel Transition Process of Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Materials

The sol-gel transition process of PMMA/SiO2 hybrid materials was first studied by means of the dynamic torsional vibration method. The different stages of the transition can be described by the change of torque. The temperature-dependent measurement of the gel time（ tg ） gives the possibility to determine the apparent activation energy.（ Ea ） of this transition according to Flory＇s gelation theory. The non-equilibrium thermodynamic fluctuation theory was used to predict the transition behavior. The isothermal transition experiments on hybrid sols with different TEOS（tetraethyl orthosilicate） contents were carried out. The results show that the Ea of a hybrid sol is higher than that of a non- hybrid sol of a TEOS-water-ethanol system. The increasing of TEOS content in a hybrid sol has no obvious effect on the Ea value, but it can enhance the sol-gel .reaction rate.

Rapid Preparation and Characterization of Graphene/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Materials

In this work,a stable,large area sandwich structure of material consisted of carboxylic multiwall carbon nanotubes(c-MWCNTs) and polymer-modified graphene(G) via a self-assembly process was prepared.Positively charged nanomaterial of polymer-modified graphene were prepared via in situ reduction of graphite oxide in the presence of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)(PDDA).Then c-MWCNTs were added into the water-soluble PDDA-modified graphene to form hybrid carbon material via sequential electrostatic self-assembly.Transmission electron microscope(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) were used to characterize those hybrid materials.From the figures we can learn that this method has successfully led to the fabrication of a reasonably uniform film with well-interconnected carbon-based hybrid materials.