Pore-Mouth Structure of Highly Agglomerated Detonation Nanodiamonds.

Detonation nanodiamond aggregates contain water that is removed by thermal treatments in vacuo, leaving available pores for the adsorption of target molecules. A hard hydrogel of detonation nanodiamonds was thermally treated at 423 K for 2 h, 10 h, and 52 h in vacuo to determine the intensive water adsorption sites and clarify the hygroscopic nature of nanodiamonds. Nanodiamond aggregates heated for long periods in vacuo agglomerate due to the removal of structural water molecules through the shrinkage and/or collapse of the pores.

High ion adsorption densities of site-selective nitrogen doped carbon sheets prepared from natural lignin.

Carbon fibers and sheets were prepared from jet-milled natural chitin and cellulose samples, and from natural lignin sample using ice-templating technique, respectively. Nitrogen doping treatments using melamine were also performed for the carbon fibers and sheets. Electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) electrode properties of the prepared carbon fibers and sheets including the nitrogen doped samples were investigated with aqueous (sulfuric acid) and organic (tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in propylene carbonate) electrolytes.

Alkali Metal Ion Storage of Quinone Molecules Grafted on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes at Low Temperature.

9,10-Anthraquinone and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PhQ) were grafted onto two kinds of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) samples having different mean tube diameters by diazo-coupling reactions. The structural details of PhQ-grafted SWCNT (PhQ/SWCNT) samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements. It was discussed that a few-nanometer-thick layer of polymerized PhQs covers the outside of SWCNT bundles.

Nanoporosity Change on Elastic Relaxation of Partially Folded Graphene Monoliths.

Fabrication of nanographene shows a promising route for production of designed porous carbons, which is indispensable for highly efficient molecular separation and energy storage applications. This process requires a better understanding of the mechanical properties of nanographene in their aggregated structure. We studied the structural and mechanical properties of nanographene monoliths compressed at 43 MPa over different times from 3 to 25 h.

Versatile Molding Process for Tough Cellulose Hydrogel Materials.

Shape-persistent and tough cellulose hydrogels were fabricated by a stepwise solvent exchange from a homogeneous ionic liquid solution of cellulose exposure to methanol vapor. The cellulose hydrogels maintain their shapes under changing temperature, pH, and solvents. The micrometer-scale patterns on the mold were precisely transferred onto the surface of cellulose hydrogels.