Flexible, portable and heatable non-woven fabric with directional moisture transport functions and ultra-fast evaporation.

Compared with previous textiles possessing a hierarchical roughness structure for accelerating moisture evaporation, the use of Joule-heating to prepare heatable textiles is a more novel and useful way to achieve ultra-fast evaporation. Herein, we report an assembly strategy to create a functional non-woven (NW) fabric for directional moisture transportation and ultra-fast evaporation, ameliorating previous shortcomings. The resulting functional NW fabric reaches a sheet resistance of 1.

The Role of Phosphate Group in Doped Cobalt Molybdate: Improved Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Performance.

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a critical process in the electrolysis of water. Recently, much effort has been dedicated to developing low-cost, highly efficient, and stable electrocatalysts. Transition metal phosphides are investigated intensively due to their high electronic conductivity and optimized absorption energy of intermediates in acid electrolytes.

Shampoo assisted aligning of carbon nanotubes toward strong, stiff and conductive fibers.

High alignment and densification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are of key importance for strengthening CNT fibers, whereas direct stretching has a very limited effect when CNTs are highly entangled. We report that by lubricating CNT surfaces with viscous alcohols, the relative motion between CNTs improves because of the reduced sliding energy barrier; thus non-stretched regions are effectively eliminated. Owing to the very efficient optimization of the assembled structure, the stretched CNT fibers exhibited an average tensile strength of 2.

Sequential C-O decarboxylative vinylation/C-H arylation of cyclic oxalates a nickel-catalyzed multicomponent radical cascade.

A selective, sequential C-O decarboxylative vinylation/C-H arylation of cyclic alcohol derivatives enabled by visible-light photoredox/nickel dual catalysis is described. This protocol utilizes a multicomponent radical cascade process, decarboxylative vinylation/1,5-HAT/aryl cross-coupling, to achieve efficient, site-selective dual-functionalization of saturated cyclic hydrocarbons in one single operation. This synergistic protocol provides straightforward access to sp-enriched scaffolds and an alternative retrosynthetic disconnection to diversely functionalized saturated ring systems from the simple starting materials.

Dealloyed porous gold anchored by generated graphene sheets as high activity catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation reaction.

A novel one-step method to prepare the nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/nanoporous gold (NPG) is realized by chemically dealloying an AlAu precursor. The RGO nanosheets anchored on the surface of NPG have a cicada wing like shape and act as both conductive agent and buffer layer to improve the catalytic ability of NPG for methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR). This improvement can also be ascribed to the microstructure change of NPG in dealloying with RGO.

Rapid and selective electrochemical transformation of ammonia to N by substoichiometric TiO-based electrochemical system.

In this study, we have developed a continuous-flow electrochemical system towards the rapid and selective conversion of ammonia to N, based on a tubular substoichiometric titanium dioxide (TiO) anode and a Pd-Cu co-modified Ni foam (Pd-Cu/NF) cathode, both of which are indispensable. Under the action of a suitable anode potential, the TiO anode enables the conversion of Cl to chloride radicals (Cl˙), which could selectively react with ammonia to produce N. The anodic byproducts, NO , were further reduced to N at the Pd-Cu/NF cathode.

Improving the toughness of thermosetting epoxy resins blending triblock copolymers.

In this study, the triblock copolymer poly(methyl methacrylate)--poly(butyl acrylate)--poly(methyl methacrylate) (MAM) was used to modify bisphenol A epoxy resin to improve its toughness. The effects of MAM on the curing behaviors, mechanical properties, fracture morphology and thermal properties of epoxy were carefully studied. The results of dissolution experiments show that MAM has good compatibility with epoxy resin under certain conditions.

Multi-ionization of the Cl molecule in the near-infrared femtosecond laser field.

The multi-electron ionization and subsequent dissociation of the Cl molecule in a near-infrared femtosecond laser field was investigated the dc-sliced ion imaging technique. The single charged molecular ions, Cl , dissociate from two excited states, Π and Σ , with the electrons ionized from the HOMO-1 and HOMO-2 orbital, respectively. For the multi-charged molecular ions, Cl ( = 2-8), our results showed that the stretch of the inter-nuclear distance benefitted the ionization of the electrons to produce highly-charged molecular ions.

Hierarchical Branched Mesoporous TiO-SnO Nanocomposites with Well-Defined n-n Heterojunctions for Highly Efficient Ethanol Sensing.

The direct assembly of functional nanoparticles into a highly crystalline mesoporous semiconductor with oriented configurations is challenging but of significance. Herein, an evaporation induced oriented co-assembly strategy is reported to incorporate SnO nanocrystals (NCs) into a 3D branched mesoporous TiO framework by using poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polystyrene (PEO--PS) as the template, SnO NCs as the direct tin source, and titanium butoxide (TBOT) as the titania precursor. Owing to the combined properties of ultrasmall particle size (3-5 nm), excellent dispersibility and presence of abundant hydroxyl groups, SnO NCs can easily interact with PEO block of the template through hydrogen bonding and co-assemble with hydrolyzed TBOT to form a novel hierarchical branched mesoporous structure (SHMT).

Nanoporous hybrid CuO/ZnO/carbon papers used as ultrasensitive non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors.

In this research, we demonstrate a facile approach for the synthesis of a graphite-analogous layer-by-layer heterostructured CuO/ZnO/carbon paper using a graphene oxide paper as a sacrificial template. Cu and Zn were inserted into the interlayer of graphene oxide papers physical absorption and electrostatic effects and then, the M -graphene oxide paper was annealed in air to generate 2D nanoporous CuO/ZnO nanosheets. Due to the graphene oxide template, the structure of the obtained CuO/ZnO nanosheets with an average size of ∼50 nm was duplicated from the graphene oxide paper, which displayed a layer-by-layer structure on the microscale.

Preparation and evaluation of a hierarchical BiMoO/MSB composite for visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance.

In this study, waste mussel shells were used to remove dyes in aqueous solution. Mussel shell was prepared into mussel shell biochar (MSB), which was used as a carrier to support BiMoO. A novel BiMoO/MSB composite photocatalyst was developed by the hydrothermal synthesis method.

Polymorph selectivity of an AIE luminogen under nano-confinement to visualize polymer microstructures.

Despite the huge progress of luminescent molecular assemblies over the past decade, it is still challenging to understand their confined behavior in semi-crystalline polymers for constrained space recognition. Here, we report a polymorphic luminogen with aggregation-induced emission (AIE), capable of selective growth in polymer amorphous and crystalline phases with distinct color. The polymorphic behaviors of the AIE luminogen embedded within the polymer network are dependent on the size of nano-confinement: a thermodynamically stable polymorph of the AIE luminogen with green emission is stabilized in the amorphous phase, while a metastable polymorph with yellow emission is confined in the crystalline phase.

The fabrication of a CoO/graphene oxide (GO)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membrane for the degradation of Orange II by advanced oxidation technology.

Treating water that has been polluted with chemical dyes is an important task related to water resources. Advanced oxidation processes are highly efficient for the destruction of organic contaminants. In this study, a CoO/graphene oxide (GO)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) filter membrane was prepared through hydrothermal synthesis followed by vacuum filtration.

Surface modification of an aramid fiber grafting epichlorohydrin assisted by supercritical CO.

In order to improve the interface combination property between an aramid fiber (AF) and an epoxy resin matrix, the surface modification of AF with epichlorohydrin (ECH) assisted by supercritical CO (ScCO) was investigated. The fiber surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic contact angle (DCA) analysis. At the same time, we utilized interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) to characterize the bond strength between the fiber and epoxy resin.

Effect of graphene oxide coatings on the structure of polyacrylonitrile fibers during pre-oxidation process.

In this paper, graphene oxide (GO) was successfully prepared by the modified Hummers' method and then uniformly dispersed in an aqueous solution containing a small amount of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as an adhesive. The solution was uniformly coated on the surface of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers and then the fibers were pre-oxidized at 240 °C for 20 min in the air. The pre-oxidation degree of PAN fibers and fibers coated with different contents of GO was analyzed by the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

Hollow Cu-doped NiO microspheres as anode materials with enhanced lithium storage performance.

Doping is an effective way to optimize the properties of electrode materials. In this study, hollow Cu-doped NiO microspheres were obtained the hydrothermal method, in which the microspheres were aggregated from nanoparticles. Compared with the original NiO electrode, the Cu-doped NiO electrode exhibits prominent initial capacity (1180 900 mA h g) and better rate capability (80% 30% retention) as anode materials.

A wearable fiber-shaped supercapacitor based on a poly(lactic acid) filament and high loading polypyrrole.

There is a growing interest in fiber-shaped supercapacitors, which are likely to meet the demands of wearable electronics. However, the loading of active material is so small that the energy density of fiber supercapacitors is low. In this research, a graphene oxide/poly(pyrrole) (GO/PPy) hybrid was applied as the active material and a novel method to accomplish a high loading of the active material on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filaments is proposed.

Rechargeable polyamide-based -halamine nanofibrous membranes for renewable, high-efficiency, and antibacterial respirators.

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have been acknowledged as a major public health concern worldwide. Unfortunately, most protective respirators used to prevent EID transmission suffer from the disadvantage of lacking antimicrobial activity, leading to an increased risk of cross-contamination and post-infection. Herein, we report a novel and facile strategy to fabricate rechargeable and biocidal air filtration materials by creating advanced -halamine structures based on electrospun polyamide (PA) nanofibers.

Fabrication of gradient vapor grown carbon fiber based polyurethane foam for shape memory driven microwave shielding.

Gradient vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF) based shape memory polyurethane foam (VGCF@SMPUF) was fabricated by alternate dipping in a gradually diluted VGCF@SMPU/DMF solution and distilled water for shape memory driven microwave shielding. Shape memory performance for this VGCF@SMPUF was achieved by heat transfer of thermally conductive VGCF. Shielding effectiveness (SE) was adjusted through different degrees of angle recovery.

Silicon/nitrogen synergistically reinforced flame-retardant PA6 nanocomposites with simultaneously improved anti-dripping and mechanical properties.

A facile route of 'copolymerization/blending' was proposed to fabricate silicon/nitrogen synergistically reinforced flame-retardant PA6 nanocomposites with simultaneously improved anti-dripping and mechanical properties. Firstly, a persistently inherent flame-retardant PA6 (FR-PA6), with 1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)tetramethyl disiloxane (MSDS), was synthesized controllable amidation and a polycondensation reaction. Melamine cyanurate (MCA) nanoparticles as a 'gas phase' synergistic agent were then added into FR-PA6 to further improve its flame retardancy.

Investigation of pH-responsive block glycopolymers with different structures for the delivery of doxorubicin.

To understand the influence of the construction of pH-responsive glycopolymer carriers on loading and release behaviors of the drug, three types of block glycopolymers with similar compositions but different constructions, PEG--P(DEA--GAMA), PEG--PDEA--PGAMA and PEG--PGAMA--PDEA, were successfully synthesized atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. The compositions and structures of the three glycopolymers were characterized using H NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and GPC (gel permeation chromatography), while the morphology and size of aggregates from pH-sensitive block glycopolymers were measured using TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and DLS (dynamic light scattering). The results indicated that the micelles prepared from PEG--PGAMA--PDEA had a more compact shell structure.

Fabrication of eco-friendly nanofibrous membranes functionalized with carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin for efficient removal of methylene blue with good recyclability.

Considering the excellent thermo-mechanical properties, chemical stability and low cost of biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters, they are an ideal matrix when functionalized for capturing pollutants in wastewater. In this work, biodegradable poly((butylene succinate--terephthalate)--serinol terephthalate) (PBSST) copolyesters with amino side group (-NH) were first synthesized through copolymerization, followed by grafting carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) into PBSST molecular chains amidation reaction to prepare PBSST--β-CD. The corresponding nanofibrous membranes were then fabricated by electrospinning as adsorbents for efficiently removing cationic dye methyl blue (MB) from aqueous solutions.

On peroxymonosulfate-based treatment of saline wastewater: when phosphate and chloride co-exist.

Both chloride and phosphate are common inorganic anions in industrial wastewater, however, their effects on peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based oxidation systems are largely unknown. The present results show that addition of chloride (>1 mM) apparently enhanced the degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) independent of the presence of phosphate (PBS) buffer. Both PBS and chloride favored the degradation of AO7, while PBS played a more important role when they co-existed.

Fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface with underwater air-retaining properties by electrostatic flocking.

The aquatic fern salvinia can retain an air layer on its hairy leaf surface when submerged under water, which is an inspiration for biomimetic applications like drag reduction. In this research, an electrostatic flocking technique is used to produce a hairy surface to mimic the air-trapping performance of the salvinia leaf. Viscose and nylon flocks with different sizes were selected.

Improving the cycling stability of lithium-sulfur batteries by hollow dual-shell coating.

Herein, a novel hybrid S@MnO@C nanosphere, comprising sulfur nanoparticles encapsulated by a MnO@C hollow dual-shell, is reported. Benefiting from a conductive C outer layer, the S@MnO@C hybrid nanosphere provided highly efficient pathways for fast electron/ion transfer and sufficient free space for the expansion of the encapsulated sulfur nanoparticles. Moreover, the dual-shell composed of a MnO inner layer and a C outer layer coating on S not only improved the efficacious encapsulation of sulfur, but also significantly suppressed the dissolution of polysulfides during cycling.