Dressing Paraffin Wax/Boron Nitride Phase Change Composite with a Polyethylene "Underwear" for the Reliable Battery Safety Management.

Phase change material (PCM) can provide a battery system with a buffer platform to respond to thermal failure problems. However, current PCMs through compositing inorganics still suffer from insufficient thermal-transport behavior and safety reliability against external force. Herein, a best-of-both-worlds method is reported to allow the PCM out of this predicament.

Novel controlled drug release system engineered with inclusion complexes based on carboxylic graphene.

A novel drug carrier is constructed by compositing hydrophilic hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (HP-β-CD) and carboxylated graphene nanomaterial (GO-COOH). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that the two materials are successfully combined via chemical bonds. Further, a crosslinking agent of glutaraldehyde is applied to fabricate composite GO-COO-HP-β-CD nanospheres, as demonstrated by an atomic force microscope.

Amorphous mesoporous nickel phosphate/reduced graphene oxide with superior performance for electrochemical capacitors.

Nickel phosphate (Ni(PO)) is a promising electrode material for electrochemical capacitors, but the low intrinsic electrical conductivity and poor rate capability of Ni(PO) are the main challenges. To tackle these problems, amorphous mesoporous Ni(PO) with a pore diameter of 2-10 nm is grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and a Ni(PO)/rGO composite is obtained via a facile hydrothermal-calcination method in this work. The Ni(PO)/rGO composite calcined at 300 °C (Ni(PO)/rGO-300) possesses a uniform particle size and a high specific surface area of 198.

Fast fabrication of NiO@graphene composites for supercapacitor electrodes: Combination of reduction and deposition.

Graphene-based inorganic composites have been attracting more and more attention since the attachment of inorganic nanoparticles instead of conducting polymeric materials to graphene sheets turns out higher capacitances and good capacity retention. Here we report a fast fabrication method to prepare NiO@graphene composite modified electrodes for supercapacitors. By this method, preparation of electrochemical active materials of NiO/graphene and modification of the electrode can be simultaneously performed, which is achieved separately by traditional method.

High Interlaminar Shear Strength Enhancement of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite through Fiber- and Matrix-Anchored Carbon Nanotube Networks.

To improve the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite, networks of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were grown on micron-sized carbon fibers and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were dispersed into the epoxy matrix so that these two types of carbon nanotubes entangle at the carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy matrix interface. The MWNTs on the CF fiber (CF-MWNTs) were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), while the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were finely dispersed in the epoxy matrix precursor with the aid of a dispersing agent polyimide-graft-bisphenol A diglyceryl acrylate (PI-BDA) copolymer. Using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding, the SWNT-laden epoxy matrix precursor was forced into intimate contact with the "hairy" surface of the CF-MWNT fiber.

Topographic guidance based on microgrooved electroactive composite films for neural interface.

Topographical features are essential to neural interface for better neuron attachment and growth. This paper presents a facile and feasible route to fabricate an electroactive and biocompatible micro-patterned Single-walled carbon nanotube/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) composite films (SWNT/PEDOT) for interface of neural electrodes. The uniform SWNT/PEDOT composite films with nanoscale pores and microscale grooves significantly enlarged the electrode-electrolyte interface, facilitated ion transfer within the bulk film, and more importantly, provided topology cues for the proliferation and differentiation of neural cells.

High-Performance and Omnidirectional Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell Modules Achieved by 3D Geometry Design.

High-performance thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells are achieved by combining macroscale 3D tubular substrates and nanoscaled 3D cone-like antireflective films. The tubular geometry delivers a series of advantages for large-scale deployment of photovoltaics, such as omnidirectional performance, easier encapsulation, decreased wind resistance, and easy integration with a second device inside the glass tube.

Lateral assembly of oxidized graphene flakes into large-scale transparent conductive thin films with a three-dimensional surfactant 4-sulfocalix[4]arene.

Graphene is a promising candidate material for transparent conductive films because of its excellent conductivity and one-carbon-atom thickness. Graphene oxide flakes prepared by Hummers method are typically several microns in size and must be pieced together in order to create macroscopic films. We report a macro-scale thin film fabrication method which employs a three-dimensional (3-D) surfactant, 4-sulfocalix[4]arene (SCX), as a lateral aggregating agent.

A feasible way for the fabrication of single walled carbon nanotube/polypyrrole composite film with controlled pore size for neural interface.

Single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/polypyrrole (PPy) composite films with controlled pore size and strong adhesive force was prepared as electrode material for improving the performance of neural electrodes. SWNT film with controlled pore size was first fabricated through electrophoresis with a merit that the pore size can be well tuned by changing the concentration of metal ions in the electrolyte. An ultrathin conformal PPy layer around SWNT bundles in a uniform manner within the entire films was subsequently obtained by pulsed electropolymerization.

Templated deposition of multiscale periodic metallic nanodot arrays with sub-10 nm gaps on rigid and flexible substrates.

Multiscale metallic nanostrucutures, which support hybrid coupling of plasmon resonances, are essential for the engineering of plasmonic devices. The fabrication of large area periodic multiscale structures still remains a challenge, considering the cost and efficiency. In this work, highly ordered multiscale Ag nanoarrays with lateral dimensions of up to 6 mm × 6 mm have been successfully fabricated on both rigid silicon and flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate by thermal evaporation using ultrathin anodic aluminum oxide films as masks.

Electroactive SWNT/PEGDA hybrid hydrogel coating for bio-electrode interface.

Electric interface between neural tissue and electrode plays a significant role in the development of implanted devices for continuous monitoring and functional stimulation of central nervous system in terms of electroactivity, biocompatibility and long-term stability. To engineer an interface that possesses these merits, a polymeric hydrogel based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were employed to fabricate a hybrid hydrogel via covalent anchoring strategy, i.e.

Effect of inorganic-organic composite coating on the dispersion of silicon carbide nanoparticles in non-aqueous medium.

In order to disperse silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles homogeneously in a non-aqueous medium, the surface of SiC nanoparticles needs to be modified via surface organic functionalization. A method of SiC nanoparticle surface modification by grafting of polyacetals via inorganic-organic composite coating was developed. The resulting graft percentage of up to 10.

Preparation of nano-tentacle polypyrrole with pseudo-molecular template for ATP incorporation.

Polypyrrole was electrochemically synthesized onto a gold electrode in the presence of sodium p-toluenesulfonate (TSNa) as the key dopant. Under the optimal synthesis condition, the surface morphology of PPy/TSNa was tailored and exhibited a nano-tentacle structure. The resulting rough and fuzzy morphology greatly enhanced the apparent surface area as well as the polymer film conductivity.

[XPS investigation on the modified nano-Al2O3 by surface grafting].

Steric hindrance layer can be established when the surfaces of nano-Al2O3 were grafted with polyacetal, which increased the dispersibility of the nano-particles as well as the compatibility between the particles and the resin matrix. Examination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that the peak of Al(2p) on polyacetal grafted Al2O3 surfaces almost disappeared, while that of O(1s) increased. On the contrary, peak of C(1s) increased obviously.