Electric-Field-Induced Alignment of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Inside Thermally Conductive Liquid Crystalline Polyimide Composite Films.

The positive liquid crystals, 4'-heptyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (7CB), are used to functionalize carbon nanotubes (LC-CNT), which can be aligned in the liquid crystalline polyimide (LC-PI) matrix under an alternating electric field to fabricate the thermally conductive LC-CNT/LC-PI composite films. The efficient establishment of thermal conduction pathways in thermally conductive LC-CNT/LC-PI composite films with a low amount of LC-CNT is achieved through the oriented alignment of LC-CNT within the LC-PI matrix. When the mass fraction of LC-CNT is 15 wt %, the in-plane thermal conductivity coefficient (λ ) and the through-plane thermal conductivity coefficient (λ ) of the LC-CNT/LC-PI composite films reach 4.

Flexible FeSi/SiC ultrathin hybrid fiber mats with designable microwave absorption performance.

Flexible FeSi/SiC ultrathin fiber mats have been fabricated by electrospinning and high temperature treatment (1400 °C) using polycarbosilane (PCS) and ferric acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)) as precursors. The crystallization degree, flexibility, electrical conductivity, dielectric loss and microwave absorption properties of the hybrid fibers have been dramatically enhanced by the introduction of Fe. FeSi nanoparticles with a diameter around 500 nm are embedded in SiC fibers.

Surface engineering-modulated porous N-doped rod-like molybdenum phosphide catalysts: towards high activity and stability for hydrogen evolution reaction over a wide pH range.

Electrochemical water splitting is an economic, green and sustainable route to produce hydrogen through the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nowadays, noble metal-free phosphides have been widely used as catalysts in the HER, showing potential applications for both renewable energy production and environmental remediation. Nevertheless, developing surface self-doped MoP electrocatalysts with high HER performances in a wide pH range still remains a challenge.

Laminated Hybrid Junction of Sulfur-Doped TiO and a Carbon Substrate Derived from TiC MXenes: Toward Highly Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

TiO is an ideal photocatalyst candidate except for its large bandgap and fast charge recombination. A novel laminated junction composed of defect-controlled and sulfur-doped TiO with carbon substrate (LDC-S-TiO/C) is synthesized using the 2D transition metal carbides (MXenes) as a template to enhance light absorption and improve charge separation. The prepared LDC-S-TiO/C catalyst delivers a high photocatalytic H evolution rate of 333 µmol g h with a high apparent quantum yield of 7.