High-Strength Carbon Nanotube Fibers from Purity Control by Atomized Catalytic Pyrolysis and Alignment Improvement by Continuous Large Prestraining.

Transferring the high strength of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to macroscopic fibers is still a major technical challenge. In this study, CNT fibers are wound from a hollow cylindrical assembly. In particular, atomized catalytic pyrolysis is utilized to produce the fiber and control its purity.

Large improvement of the tensile strength of carbon nanotube films in harsh wet environments by carbon infiltration.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) materials show large degradation in tensile strength when they are exposed in chemically active environments due to the loss of inter-tube bonding. Here, we report the suppression of such degradation by chemical vapor infiltration of amorphous carbon into CNT films. The amorphous carbon generated by the thermal decomposition of the gaseous hydrocarbon of acetylene is firmly bonded on the CNT sidewalls and intersections.

Carbon dioxide-boosted growth of high-density and vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on a stainless steel mesh.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), a unique group of highly aligned CNTs normal to a substrate, have been extensively studied during the past decades. However, it is a long-standing challenge to improve the height of VACNTs due to the incidental deactivation of catalysts during growth. Herein, we demonstrate a facile strategy toward synthesizing high-density and well-aligned CNT arrays from formed Fe-based catalysts on a stainless steel (SS) mesh.

A direct foaming approach for carbon nanotube aerogels with ultra-low thermal conductivity and high mechanical stability.

Thermally insulating materials (TIMs) with ultra-low thermal conductivity, fire-retardancy, and mechanical stability are demanded to improve energy efficiency in many fields, such as petrochemical plants, energy-saving buildings, and aerospace. However, traditional polymer-based TIMs could not meet these demands. Herein, we propose a direct foaming strategy for obtaining carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogels by the gradual expansion of CNT films with H2O2 as a foaming agent at room temperature.

Highly flexible and free-standing carbon nanotube/hollow carbon nanocage hybrid films for high-performance supercapacitors.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered as promising electrode materials for energy storage devices, especially flexible electronics owing to their excellent electrical, physicochemical and mechanical properties. However, the severe aggregation between CNTs significantly reduces the electrochemically active surface areas and thus degrades the electrochemical properties. In this study, we demonstrate a facile layer-by-layer strategy toward preparing a CNT/hollow carbon nanocage (HCNC) hybrid film.

A carbon nanotube approach for efficient thermally insulating material with high mechanical stability and fire-retardancy.

For applications in energy-saving buildings, aerospace industry, and wearable electronic devices, thermally insulating materials (TIMs) are required to possess not only low thermal conductivity but also light weight, mechanical robustness, and environmental stability. However, conventional TIMs can rarely meet these requirements. To overcome this shortcoming, we propose a new strategy for preparing TIMs.

Construction of Carbon Nanotube Sponges to Have High Optical Antireflection and Mechanical Stability.

Antireflective (AR) materials are required to possess high optical antireflection and mechanical stability for their practical applications in optical, opto-electronic, and electron-optical devices. However, the AR materials developed so far can hardly meet these requirements. Here, we report the construction of a highly porous and sponge-like material based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

Remarkable Improvement of the Catalytic Performance of PtFe Nanoparticles by Structural Ordering and Doping.

To achieve fuel cell commercialization, the performance improvement and cost reduction of catalysts are still the main challenges. To enhance the catalytic activity and durability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), we prepare Au-PtFe particles entrapped in a porous carbon and then convert them to have a fine-grained and highly ordered intermetallic structure. The optimal Au-PtFe particles in catalyzing ORR exhibit initial specific and mass activities 9 times higher than the commercial catalyst of Pt/C.

Molecular Mechanisms of Chemoresistance in Oral Cancer.

Oral cancer is an aggressive disease with the propensity for local recurrence and distal metastasis in the head and neck region. Currently, cisplatin-based chemotherapy or concurrent radiochemotherapy is still the first choice to treat the advanced stage cancers, in particular, the unresectable tumours. Unfortunately, innate and acquired resistance to chemotherapy agent greatly limited its effectiveness and often led to treatment failure in these patients.

High-Performance Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composite Fiber from Layer-by-Layer Deposition.

So far, preparation of high-performance carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer composites still faces big challenges mainly due to the limited control of CNT dispersion, fraction, and alignment in polymers. Here, a new "layer-by-layer deposition" method is put forward for preparing CNT/polymer composite fibers using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as an exemplary polymer. This is based on the continuous production of a hollow cylindrical CNT assembly from a high temperature reactor and its shrinking by a PVA-containing solution and deposition on a removable substrate wire.

Continuous Preparation of Carbon Nanotube Film and Its Applications in Fuel and Solar Cells.

So far, simultaneously realizing the continuous, controllable, and scalable preparation of carbon nanotube (CNT) film has remained a big challenge. Here, we report a scalable approach to continuously prepare CNT film with good control of film size and thickness. This is achieved through the layer-by-layer condensation and deposition of a cylindrical CNT assembly that is continuously produced from a floating catalyst CVD reactor on a paper strip.

Continuous Preparation of Copper/Carbon Nanotube Composite Films and Application in Solar Cells.

Realizing the continuous and large scale preparation of particle/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites with enhanced functionalities, and broad applications in energy conversion, harvesting, and storage systems, remains as a big challenge. Here, we report a scalable strategy to continuously prepare particle/CNT composite films in which particles are confined by CNT films. This is achieved by the continuous condensation and deposition of a cylindrical assembly of CNTs on a paper strip and the in situ incorporation of particles during the layer-by-layer deposition process.

High-Strength Carbon Nanotube Film from Improving Alignment and Densification.

A new method is reported for preparing carbon nanotube (CNT) films. This method involves the continuous production of a hollow cylindrical CNT assembly and its condensation on a winding drum. The alignment and densification of CNTs in the film are improved by controlling the winding rate and imposition of mechanical rolling, respectively.

Enhanced waveguide-type ultraviolet electroluminescence from ZnO/MgZnO core/shell nanorod array light-emitting diodes via coupling with Ag nanoparticles localized surface plasmons.

Localized surface plasmon (LSP) enhanced waveguide-type ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated by sputtering Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) onto ZnO/MgZnO core/shell nanorod array (CS-NRA)/p-GaN heterostructures. A ∼9-fold enhancement of ZnO ultraviolet electroluminescence (EL) was demonstrated by the Ag-NPs decorated LED compared with the device without Ag-NPs. Angle-dependent EL measurements, as well as finite-difference time-domain simulations of the EL intensity spatial distribution, confirmed the waveguide-type EL transmission mode along the NR's axial direction.

Continuous synthesis of graphene sheets by spray pyrolysis and their use as catalysts for fuel cells.

Graphene sheets (GNS) were synthesized continuously by spray pyrolysis of iron carbonyl and pyridine. The Pt catalyst supported on GNS exhibited excellent durability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The GNS, when used as a metal-free catalyst for ORR, showed performance even better than the commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Carbon nanocages: a new support material for Pt catalyst with remarkably high durability.

Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, and corrosion of carbon support materials of current catalysts is the main cause. Here, we describe the finding of remarkably high durability with the use of a novel support material. This material is based on hollow carbon nanocages developed with a high degree of graphitization and concurrent nitrogen doping for oxidation resistance enhancement, uniform deposition of fine Pt particles, and strong Pt-support interaction.

Influence of preferred orientation on the electrical conductivity of fluorine-doped tin oxide films.

Current development of high-performance transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films is limited with tradeoff between carrier mobility and concentration since none of them can be improved without sacrificing the other. In this study, we prepare fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) films by chemical vapor deposition with inclusions of different additives and report that the mobility can be varied from 0.65 to 28.

Enhanced ultraviolet emission and improved spatial distribution uniformity of ZnO nanorod array light-emitting diodes via Ag nanoparticles decoration.

Localized surface plasmon (LSP) enhanced ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated by embedding a ZnO nanorod array/p-GaN film heterostructure into a Ag-nanoparticles/PMMA composite. By optimizing the concentration of Ag nanoparticles in PMMA, two distinct changes in electroluminescence (EL) spectra were observed: (1) the UV EL component from ZnO excitons was selectively enhanced more than 13-fold and the entire spectral lineshape was changed and (2) the spatial uniformity of the output photon intensity was improved and the linewidth of an angular distribution curve was increased by ∼2 times. These observations can be attributed to near-field optical coupling between Ag LSPs and ZnO excitons.

Honokiol: a non-adipogenic PPARγ agonist from nature.

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists are clinically used to counteract hyperglycemia. However, so far experienced unwanted side effects, such as weight gain, promote the search for new PPARγ activators.

Methods: We used a combination of in silico, in vitro, cell-based and in vivo models to identify and validate natural products as promising leads for partial novel PPARγ agonists.

Charging of unfunctionalized graphene in organic solvents.

Unfunctionalized graphene is positively or negatively charged when it is dispersed in organic solvents. The charging is negative in solvents with high electron donor numbers and positive in those with low donor numbers. We suggest that the charging originates from electron transfer between graphene surfaces and solvent molecules, and the stable dispersion of unfunctionalized graphene in organic solvents is mainly controlled by electrostatic repulsion between the charged graphene surfaces.

Direct exfoliation of graphene in organic solvents with addition of NaOH.

We report a facile method for the production of graphene sheets through the liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite in organic solvents with addition of NaOH. NaOH was found to be intercalated into the interplanar spaces of graphite, and greatly improves exfoliation efficiency up to 20 times.

Organic-inorganic composite nanocoatings with superhydrophobicity, good transparency, and thermal stability.

Superhydrophobic, highly transparent, and stable organic-inorganic composite nanocoating is successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel dip-coating method. This method involves control of the aggregation of inorganic colloid particles by polymerization and ultrasonic vibration to create the desired micro/nanostructure in the coating. Superhydrophobicity and transparency of the coating can be controlled by adjusting the initial concentration of monomer and the size of aggregates in the sol-gel.

A novel self-cleaning coating with silicon carbide nanowires.

A novel self-cleaning glass was successfully achieved by coating macroscopical SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) in tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) solution. The water contact angle (CA) was high, up to approximately 160 degrees, and the sliding angle was low, down to approximately 5 degrees, when SiCNWs were coated through 10 cycles, with a high roughness Ra of 1928.9 nm.