Surface plasmon resonance-based fiber-optic hydrogen gas sensor utilizing palladium supported zinc oxide multilayers and their nanocomposite.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabassum, Rana; Gupta, Banshi D

2015-02-10

We analyze surface plasmon resonance-based fiber-optic sensor for sensing of small concentrations of hydrogen gas in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. One of the two probes considered has multilayers of zinc oxide (ZnO) and palladium (Pd) while the other has layer of their composite over a silver coated unclad core of the fiber. The analysis is carried out for different volume fractions of palladium nanoparticles dispersed in zinc oxide host material in the nanocomposite layer. For the analysis, a Maxwell-Garnett model is adopted for calculating the dielectric function of a ZnO:Pd nanocomposite having nanoparticles of dimensions smaller than the wavelength of radiation used. The effects of the volume fraction of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposite and the thickness of the nanocomposite layer on the figure of merit of the sensor have been studied. The film thickness of the layer and the volume fraction of nanoparticles in the ZnO:Pd nanocomposite layer have been optimized to achieve the maximum value of the figure of merit of the sensor. It has been found that the figure of merit of the sensing probe coated with ZnO:Pd nanocomposite is more than twofold of the sensing probe coated with multilayers of Pd and ZnO over a silver coated unclad core of the fiber; hence, the sensor with a nanocomposite layer works better than that with multilayers of zinc oxide and palladium. The sensor can be used for online monitoring and remote sensing of hydrogen gas.

Synthesis and magnetic properties of bulk transparent PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shanghua; Qin, Jian; Fornara, Andrea; Toprak, Muhammet; Muhammed, Mamoun; Kim, Do Kyung

2009-05-01

PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposites are fabricated by a chemical method. Monodispersed Fe-oxide nanoparticles are well dispersed in the PMMA matrix by in situ polymerization, resulting in a bulk transparent polymeric nanocomposite. The magnetic behavior of the PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposites is investigated. The transparent PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposite has potentially interesting magneto-optic applications without compromising the advantages of a lightweight, noncorrosive polymeric material with very high transparency even for bulk samples.

Synthesis and magnetic properties of bulk transparent PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shanghua; Qin Jian; Fornara, Andrea; Toprak, Muhammet; Muhammed, Mamoun; Kim, Do Kyung

2009-01-01

PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposites are fabricated by a chemical method. Monodispersed Fe-oxide nanoparticles are well dispersed in the PMMA matrix by in situ polymerization, resulting in a bulk transparent polymeric nanocomposite. The magnetic behavior of the PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposites is investigated. The transparent PMMA/Fe-oxide nanocomposite has potentially interesting magneto-optic applications without compromising the advantages of a lightweight, noncorrosive polymeric material with very high transparency even for bulk samples.

Cure kinetics and chemorheology of EPDM/graphene oxide nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allahbakhsh, Ahmad [Department of Polymer Engineering, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, 17776-13651 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mazinani, Saeedeh, E-mail: s.mazinani@aut.ac.ir [Amirkabir Nanotechnology Research Institute (ANTRI), Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kalaee, Mohammad Reza [Department of Polymer Engineering, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, 17776-13651 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sharif, Farhad [Department of Polymer Engineering and Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-07-10

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Graphene oxide content and dispersion as effective parameters on cure kinetics. • Graphene oxide as an effective controlling factor of crosslink density. • Interaction of graphene oxide with curing system (ZnO) during curing process. - Abstract: In this study, the effect of graphene oxide on cure behavior of ethylene–propylene–diene rubber (EPDM) nanocomposite is studied. In this regard, the cure kinetics of nanocomposite is studied employing different empirical methods. The required activation energy of nth-order cure process shows about 160 kJ/mol increments upon 5 phr graphene oxide loading compared to 1 phr graphene oxide loading. However, the required activation energy is significantly reduced followed by incorporation of graphene oxide in nanocomposites compared to neat EPDM sample. Furthermore, the effect of graphene oxide on structural properties of nanocomposites during the cure process is studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry techniques. As the results show, graphene oxide interestingly affects the structure of zinc oxide during the vulcanization process. This behavior could be probably related to high tendency of zinc oxide to react with oxidized surface of graphene oxide.

Evaluation of poly (vinyl alcohol) based cryogel–zinc oxide nanocomposites for possible applications as wound dressing materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaturvedi, Archana [Bose Memorial Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Government Autonomous Science College Jabalpur (India); Bajpai, Anil K., E-mail: akbmrl@yahoo.co.in [Bose Memorial Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Government Autonomous Science College Jabalpur (India); Bajpai, Jaya [Bose Memorial Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Government Autonomous Science College Jabalpur (India); Singh, Sunil K. [Department of Chemistry, Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur, CG (India)

2016-08-01

In this investigation cryogels composed of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by repeated freeze thaw method followed by in situ precipitation of zinc oxide nanoparticles within the cryogel networks. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to characterize the nanocomposites. The morphologies of native PVA cryogels and PVA cryogel-ZnO nanocomposites were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The SEM analysis suggested that cryogels show a well-defined porous morphology whereas TEM micrographs revealed the presence of nearly spherical and well separated zinc oxide nanoparticles with diameter < 100 nm. XRD results showed all relevant Bragg's reflections for crystal structure of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) was conducted to evaluate thermal stability of the nanocomposites. Mechanical properties of nanocomposites were determined in terms of tensile strength and percent elongation. Biocompatible nature was ascertained by anti-haemolytic activity, bovine serum albumin (blood protein) adsorption and in vitro cytotoxicity tests. The prepared nanocomposites were also investigated for swelling and deswelling behaviours. The results revealed that both the swelling and deswelling process depend on the chemical composition of the nanocomposites, number of freeze-thaw cycles, pH and temperature of the swelling medium. The developed biocompatible PVA cryogel-ZnO nanocomposites were also tested for antibacterial activities against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. - Highlights: • PVA–zinc oxide nanocomposites have been prepared with no chemical crosslinking. • The nanocomposites are completely biocompatible. • They also show antibacterial property. • The nanocomposites

Facile hydrothermal preparation of titanium dioxide decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Betty Yea Sze; Huang, Nay Ming; An’amt, Mohd Nor; Marlinda, Abdul Rahman; Norazriena, Yusoff; Muhamad, Muhamad Rasat; Harrison, Ian; Lim, Hong Ngee; Chia, Chin Hua

2012-01-01

A simple single-stage approach, based on the hydrothermal technique, has been introduced to synthesize reduced graphene oxide/titanium dioxide nanocomposites. The titanium dioxide nanoparticles are formed at the same time as the graphene oxide is reduced to graphene. The triethanolamine used in the process has two roles. It acts as a reducing agent for the graphene oxide as well as a capping agent, allowing the formation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (~20 nm). Transmission electron micrographs show that the nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the reduced graphene oxide nanosheet. Thermogravimetric analysis shows the nanocomposites have an enhanced thermal stability over the original components. The potential applications for this technology were demonstrated by the use of a reduced graphene oxide/titanium dioxide nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode, which enhanced the electrochemical performance compared to a conventional glassy carbon electrode when interacting with mercury(II) ions in potassium chloride electrolyte. PMID:22848166

Crystallization and unusual rheological behavior in poly(ethylene oxide)–clay nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Kelarakis, Antonios; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.

2011-01-01

We report a systematic study of the crystallization and rheological behavior of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-clay nanocomposites. To that end a series of nanocomposites based on PEOs of different molecular weight (103 < MW < 105 g/mol) and clay

Graphene oxide (rGO)-metal oxide (TiO2/Fe3O4) based nanocomposites for the removal of methylene blue

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Soma; Benjwal, Poonam; Singh, Milan; Kar, Kamal K.

2018-05-01

Herein, ternary nanocomposites based on titanium dioxide, ferric oxide and reduced graphene oxide (GO) have been developed for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The nanocomposites are prepared by simple sol-gel and wet assembly methods with varying weight ratio of each components to obtain efficient photocatalytic degradation. Due to the synergistic effect among the three components, a swift removal of methylene blue becomes possible under visible and UV light. The rGO-Fe3O4-TiO2 nanocomposite having composition 1:1:2 has achieved maximum degradation of methylene blue from the aqueous solution. About 99% of the dye has been removed within 6 min under UV irradiation, while in presence of visible light, 94% has been degraded from the wastewater. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity in this ternary system is attributed to the efficient separation of charge carriers from TiO2 to rGO under the exposure of light and the initiation of photo-Fenton reaction due to the incorporated Fe3O4 nanoparticles in presence of H2O2, which provides highly reactive hydroxyl ions that mineralize the pollutants. All these results indicate that these ternary nanocomposites possess great potential for both UV and visible light driven methylene blue destruction from the wastewater.

Hybrid nanocomposite based on cellulose and tin oxide: growth, structure, tensile and electrical characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahadeva, Suresha K; Kim, Jaehwan

2011-01-01

A highly flexible nanocomposite was developed by coating a regenerated cellulose film with a thin layer of tin oxide (SnO 2 ) by liquid-phase deposition. Tin oxide was crystallized in solution and formed nanocrystal coatings on regenerated cellulose. The nanocrystalline layers did not exfoliate from cellulose. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy suggest that SnO 2 was not only deposited over the cellulose surface, but also nucleated and grew inside the cellulose film. Current-voltage characteristics of the nanocomposite revealed that its electrical resistivity decreases with deposition time, with the lowest value obtained for 24 h of deposition. The cellulose-SnO 2 hybrid nanocomposite can be used for biodegradable and disposable chemical, humidity and biosensors.

Electrodeposition of Polypyrrole/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Iron Oxide Nanocomposite as Supercapacitor Electrode Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. C. Eeu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Polypyrrole (PPy was reinforced with reduced graphene oxide (RGO and iron oxide to achieve electrochemical stability and enhancement. The ternary nanocomposite film was prepared using a facile one-pot chronoamperometry approach, which is inexpensive and experimentally friendly. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM image shows a layered morphology of the ternary nanocomposite film as opposed to the dendritic structure of PPy, suggesting hybridization of the three materials during electrodeposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD profile shows the presence of Fe2O3 in the ternary nanocomposite. Cyclic voltammetry (CV analysis illustrates enhanced current for the nanocomposite by twofold and fourfold compared to its binary (PPy/RGO and individual (PPy counterparts, respectively. The ternary nanocomposite film exhibited excellent specific capacitance retention even after 200 cycles of charge/discharge.

Synthesis of graphene oxide-copper molybdate (GO-CuM) nanocomposites for photocatalytic application

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gajendar; Bhargava, V. Sai; Sharma, Manu

2018-05-01

Transition metal molybdates (TMBs) MMoO4 (M=Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn, Co, etc.) based nanocomposites have been considered as remarkable materials in the field of electronics, optics, catalysis, supercapicitors and energy storage devices. Nanocomposites of TMBs with graphene oxide have also been chosen as an effective material in photocatalytic application. GO-CuM nanocomposites were synthesized by ultra-sonication method at RT, followed by reflux route for preparation of CuM and GO by modified Hemmer's method. As prepared nanocomposites were characterized using analytical techniques such as PXRD, SEM, FT-IR and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Methylene blue (MB) dye was observed by GO-CuM nanocomposites as compared to pure copper molybdate. GO-CuM nanocomposites show high photodegradation rate (0.094 min-1) whereas CuM was degraded only 30 % with the rate of 0.0029 min-1. The high photocatalytic efficiency is due to the presence of graphene oxide that helps to delay the charge recombination in photocatalytic reaction The effect of the different amount of graphene oxide on the photocatalytic activity of as prepared photocatalyst has also been investigated.

Multifunctional nanocomposite based on graphene oxide for in vitro hepatocarcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ai-Jun; Li, Dong-Liang; Cai, Xiao-Jun; Dong, Chun-Yan; Dong, Hai-Qing; Wen, Hui-Yun; Dai, Gong-Hua; Wang, Pei-Jun; Li, Yong-Yong

2012-09-01

Because of its unique chemical and physical properties, graphene oxide (GO) has attracted a large number of researchers to explore its biomedical applications in the past few years. Here, we synthesized a novel multifunctional nanocomposite based on GO and systemically investigated its applications for in vitro hepatocarcinoma diagnosis and treatment. This multifunctional nanocomposite named GO-PEG-FA/Gd/DOX was obtained as the following procedures: gadolinium-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid-poly(diallyl dimethylammonium) chloride (Gd-DTPA-PDDA) as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe was applied to modify GO by simple physical sorption with a loading efficiency of Gd(3+) up to 0.314 mg mg(-1). In order to improve its tumor targeting imaging and treatment efficiency, the obtained intermediate product was further modified with folic acid (FA). Finally, the nanocomposite was allowed to load anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride via π-π stacking and hydrophobic interaction with the loading capacity reaching 1.38 mg mg(-1). MRI test revealed that GO-PEG-FA/Gd/DOX exhibit superior tumor targeting imaging efficiency over free Gd(3+). The in vitro release of DOX from the nanocomposite under tumor relevant condition (pH 5.5) was fast at the initial 10 h and then become relatively slow afterward. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrated that the multifunctional nanocomposite exhibited obviously cytotoxic effect upon cancer cells. Above results are promising for the next in vivo experiment and make it possible to be a potential candidate for malignancy early detection and specific treatment. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

X-ray Absorption Study of Graphene Oxide and Transition Metal Oxide Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhiraman, Ram P; Nordlund, Dennis; Javier, Cristina; Koehne, Jessica E; Chen, Bin; Meyyappan, M

2014-08-14

The surface properties of the electrode materials play a crucial role in determining the performance and efficiency of energy storage devices. Graphene oxide and nanostructures of 3d transition metal oxides were synthesized for construction of electrodes in supercapacitors, and the electronic structure and oxidation states were probed using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure. Understanding the chemistry of graphene oxide would provide valuable insight into its reactivity and properties as the graphene oxide transformation to reduced-graphene oxide is a key step in the synthesis of the electrode materials. Polarized behavior of the synchrotron X-rays and the angular dependency of the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structures (NEXAFS) have been utilized to study the orientation of the σ and π bonds of the graphene oxide and graphene oxide-metal oxide nanocomposites. The core-level transitions of individual metal oxides and that of the graphene oxide nanocomposite showed that the interaction of graphene oxide with the metal oxide nanostructures has not altered the electronic structure of either of them. As the restoration of the π network is important for good electrical conductivity, the C K edge NEXAFS spectra of reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites confirms the same through increased intensity of the sp 2 -derived unoccupied states π* band. A pronounced angular dependency of the reduced sample and the formation of excitonic peaks confirmed the formation of extended conjugated network.

Influence of Magnetite Nanoparticles on the Dielectric Properties of Metal Oxide/Polymer Nanocomposites Based on Polypropylene

Science.gov (United States)

Maharramov, A. A.; Ramazanov, M. A.; Di Palma, Luca; Shirinova, H. A.; Hajiyeva, F. V.

2018-01-01

Structure and dielectric properties of polymer nanocomposites based on isotactic polypropylene and iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are studied. Distribution of magnetite nanoparticles in a polymer matrix was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Carl Zeiss). Dielectric properties of nanocomposites were examined by means of E7-21 impedance spectrometer in the frequency range of 102-106 Hz and temperature interval of 298-433 K. The frequency and temperature dependences of the dielectric permittivity ɛ, as well as the temperature dependence of log (ρ) were constructed. It is shown that introduction of the magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles into a polypropylene matrix increases the dielectric permittivity of nanocomposites. An increase in the dielectric permittivity is explained by the increase in the polarization ability of nanocomposites. It is found that a decrease in the specific resistance with increasing temperature up to 318 K is associated with an increase in the ionic conductivity of nanocomposites. An increase in the resistance at temperatures higher than 358 K is due to the destruction of the crystalline phase of the polymer, as a result of which the distance between the Fe3O4 nanoparticles increases.

Graphene Oxide-Based Nanocomposites Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles as an Antibacterial Agent

Science.gov (United States)

Jaworski, Sławomir; Wierzbicki, Mateusz; Sawosz, Ewa; Jung, Anna; Gielerak, Grzegorz; Biernat, Joanna; Jaremek, Henryk; Łojkowski, Witold; Woźniak, Bartosz; Wojnarowicz, Jacek; Stobiński, Leszek; Małolepszy, Artur; Mazurkiewicz-Pawlicka, Marta; Łojkowski, Maciej; Kurantowicz, Natalia; Chwalibog, André

2018-04-01

One of the most promising methods against drug-resistant bacteria can be surface-modified materials with biocidal nanoparticles and nanocomposites. Herein, we present a nanocomposite with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) as a novel multifunctional antibacterial and antifungal material. Ultrasonic technologies have been used as an effective method of coating polyurethane foils. Toxicity on gram-negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli), gram-positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), and pathogenic yeast ( Candida albicans) was evaluated by analysis of cell morphology, assessment of cell viability using the PrestoBlue assay, analysis of cell membrane integrity using the lactate dehydrogenase assay, and reactive oxygen species production. Compared to Ag-NPs and GO, which have been widely used as antibacterial agents, our nanocomposite shows much higher antimicrobial efficiency toward bacteria and yeast cells.

Atomic Layer Deposited Oxide-Based Nanocomposite Structures with Embedded CoPtx Nanocrystals for Resistive Random Access Memory Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lai-Guo; Cao, Zheng-Yi; Qian, Xu; Zhu, Lin; Cui, Da-Peng; Li, Ai-Dong; Wu, Di

2017-02-22

Al 2 O 3 - or HfO 2 -based nanocomposite structures with embedded CoPt x nanocrystals (NCs) on TiN-coated Si substrates have been prepared by combination of thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma-enhanced ALD for resistive random access memory (RRAM) applications. The impact of CoPt x NCs and their average size/density on the resistive switching properties has been explored. Compared to the control sample without CoPt x NCs, ALD-derived Pt/oxide/100 cycle-CoPt x NCs/TiN/SiO 2 /Si exhibits a typical bipolar, reliable, and reproducible resistive switching behavior, such as sharp distribution of RRAM parameters, smaller set/reset voltages, stable resistance ratio (≥10 2 ) of OFF/ON states, better switching endurance up to 10 4 cycles, and longer data retention over 10 5 s. The possible resistive switching mechanism based on nanocomposite structures of oxide/CoPt x NCs has been proposed. The dominant conduction mechanisms in low- and high-resistance states of oxide-based device units with embedded CoPt x NCs are Ohmic behavior and space-charge-limited current, respectively. The insertion of CoPt x NCs can effectively improve the formation of conducting filaments due to the CoPt x NC-enhanced electric field intensity. Besides excellent resistive switching performances, the nanocomposite structures also simultaneously present ferromagnetic property. This work provides a flexible pathway by combining PEALD and TALD compatible with state-of-the-art Si-based technology for multifunctional electronic devices applications containing RRAM.

Physicochemical properties of nanocomposite: Hydroxyapatite in reduced graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajesh, A; Mangamma, G; Sairam, T N; Subramanian, S; Kalavathi, S; Kamruddin, M; Dash, S

2017-07-01

Graphene oxide (GO) based nanocomposites have gained considerable attention in the field of material science due to their excellent physicochemical and biological properties. Incorporation of nanomaterials into GO sheets prevents the formation of π-π stacking bond thereby giving rise to composites that show the improved properties compared to their individual counterparts. In this work, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) - hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanocomposites were synthesized by ultrasonic method. Increasing the c/a ratio of HAP in the diffraction pattern of rGO/HAP nanocomposites indicates the c-axis oriented grown HAP nanorods interacting with rGO layers. Shift in wavenumber (15cm -1 ) and increase of full width at half maximum (45cm -1 ) of G band in Raman spectra of the rGO/HAP nanocomposites are observed and attributed to the tensile strain induced due to the intercalated HAP nanorods between the rGO layers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and phase imaging studies revealed the intercalation of HAP nanorod with diameter 30nm and length 110-120nm in rGO sheets was clearly perceived along with improved elasticity compared to pristine HAP. 13 C-NMR results proved the synergistic interaction between both components in rGO/HAP nanocomposite. The novel properties observed and the microscopic mechanism responsible for this are a result of the structural modification in rGO layers brought about by the intercalation of HAP nanorods. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Electrochromic nanocomposite films

Science.gov (United States)

Milliron, Delia; Llordes, Anna; Buonsanti, Raffaella; Garcia, Guillermo

2018-04-10

The present invention provides an electrochromic nanocomposite film. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrochromic nanocomposite film, includes (1) a solid matrix of oxide based material and (2) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) nanostructures embedded in the matrix. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic nanocomposite film farther includes a substrate upon which the matrix is deposited. The present invention also provides a method of preparing an electrochromic nanocomposite film.

Tungsten oxide-graphene oxide (WO3-GO) nanocomposite as an efficient photocatalyst, antibacterial and anticancer agent

Science.gov (United States)

Jeevitha, G.; Abhinayaa, R.; Mangalaraj, D.; Ponpandian, N.

2018-05-01

Functioning of ultrasonically prepared tungsten oxide-graphene oxide (WO3-GO) nanocomposite as a photocatalyst, antibacterial and anticancer system was investigated and the obtained results were compared with that of pure WO3 nanoparticles. Structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of the prepared WO3 nanoparticles and WO3-GO nanocomposite were studied. Photocatalytic efficiency of the system on organic dyes such as methylene blue (MB, cationic) and indigo carmine (IC, anionic) was investigated. The enhanced efficiency of the WO3-GO nanocomposite system was evaluated under sunlight and compared with that of pure WO3. The degradation efficiency values for MB and IC were found to be 97.03% and 95.43% at 180 and 120 min respectively. Antibacterial activity of the WO3-GO nanocomposite under visible light was tested and improved inhibition results were observed for Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis after 6 h of light exposure. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency and antibacterial activity of the WO3-GO nanocomposite are attributed to the improved electron-hole pair separation rate. Investigation on anticancer activity of WO3-GO nanocomposite was tested on human lung cancer (A-549) cell line and the IC50 value was found to be 139.6 ± 4.53 μg/mL. The results obtained in this study may be used as a platform for the development of photocatalysis applications based on WO3-GO nanocomposite.

Mesoporous binary metal oxide nanocomposites: Synthesis, characterization and decontamination of sulfur mustard

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Praveen Kumar, J., E-mail: praveenjella10@gmail.com; Prasad, G.K.; Ramacharyulu, P.V.R.K.; Singh, Beer; Gopi, T.; Krishna, R.

2016-04-15

Mesoporous MnO{sub 2}–ZnO, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–ZnO, NiO–ZnO, and CeO{sub 2}–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard. They were synthesized by precipitation pyrolysis method and characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive analysis of X rays, X ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption techniques. The transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption data indicated the presence of pores with diameter ranging from 10 to 70 nm in the binary metal oxide nanocomposites and these materials exhibited surface area values in the range of 76–134 m{sup 2}/g. These binary metal oxide nanocomposites demonstrated large decontamination efficiencies against sulfur mustard when compared to their single component metal oxide nanoparticles. The binary metal oxide nanocomposites effectively decontaminated sulfur mustard into relatively non toxic products such as chloro ethyl vinyl sulfide, divinyl sulfide, 1,4-oxathiane, etc. The promising decontamination properties of binary metal oxide nanocomposites against sulfur mustard were attributed to the basic sites, Lewis acid sites, and the presence of these sites was confirmed by CO{sub 2} and NH{sub 3} temperature programmed desorption. - Graphical abstract: Mesoporous MnO{sub 2}–ZnO, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–ZnO, NiO–ZnO, and CeO{sub 2}–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard. - Highlights: • Binary metal oxide nanocomposites were synthesized by co-precipitation method. • They were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard. • They decontaminated sulfur mustard into non toxic products. • MnO{sub 2}–ZnO and CeO{sub 2}–ZnO nanocomposites showed greater decontamination efficiency.

Structure and Properties of Nanocomposites based on PTT-block-PTMO Copolymer and Graphene Oxide prepared by in Situ Polymerization

OpenAIRE

Paszkiewicz, Sandra; Szymczyk, Anna; Špitalský, Zdenko; Mosnáček, Jaroslav; Kwiatkowski, Konrad; Rosłaniec, Zbigniew

2014-01-01

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate-block-tetramethylene oxide) (PTT-PTMO) copolymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization. From the SEM and TEM images of PTT-PTMO/GO nanocomposite, it can be seen that GO sheets are clearly well-dispersed in the PTT-PTMO matrix. TEM images also showed that graphene was well exfoliated into individual sheets, suggesting that in situ polymerization is a highly efficient method for preparing nanocomposites. The influence of GO on the ...

Metal oxide/polyaniline nanocomposites

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Nanocomposites of iron oxide with conducting polymer in the form of powders of varying compositions have been studied to understand the effects of particle size, cluster size and magnetic inter-particle interactions. The sizes of the nanoparticles were estimated to be ∼ 10–20 nm from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the ...

Metal oxide/polyaniline nanocomposites: Cluster size and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

Metal oxide/polyaniline nanocomposites; structural properties; magnetic properties. 1. Introduction ... The powder obtained was ground in a motor and pestle, sonicated in ... Figure 1. XRD of (a) iron oxide nanoparticles and (b) iron oxide/PANI (1 : 0⋅4) composite. .... shape of the particles and the anisotropy energy, as also.

Preparation and characterization of polyindole - iron oxide nanocomposite electrolyte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajasudha, G.; Stephen, A.; Narayanan, V.

2009-01-01

Full text: A novel polyindole-iron oxide containing LiClO 4 solid polymer electrolyte has been prepared. The diverse property of magnetic nanoparticle has elicited wide interest from the point of view of technological applications. Their properties are known to be strongly dependent on size, anisotropy and inter particle interactions. The proton conducting materials has received considerable attention as electrolyte materials in technological applications such as fuel cells, sensors and electrochromic display. In this work, polyindole-iron oxide nanocomposite containing LiClO 4 was prepared by in situ polymerization. The indole was polymerized in the presence of iron oxide, using ammonium peroxy disulphate as an oxidizing agent. The polyindole-iron oxide nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, IR, SEM, TGA and TEM. The iron oxide nano particles was incorporated into polyindole and was confirmed by XRD and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The surface Morphology and thermal stability were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and SEM respectively. The ionic conductivity of polyindole electrolyte was analyzed from impedance spectrum. The prepared polyindole-iron oxide nanocomposite could be used as solid electrolyte in lithium ion batteries

Amalgamation based optical and colorimetric sensing of mercury(II) ions with silver graphene oxide nanocomposite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamali, Khosro Zangeneh; Pandikumar, Alagarsamy; Jayabal, Subramaniam; Huang, Nay Ming; Ramaraj, Ramasamy; Lim, Hong Ngee; Ong, Boon Hoong; Bien, Chia Sheng Daniel; Kee, Yeh Yee

2016-01-01

The article describes a facile method for the preparation of a conjugate composed of silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide (Ag GO) via chemical reduction of silver precursors in the presence of graphene oxide (GO) while sonicating the solution. The Ag GO was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The nanocomposite undergoes a color change from yellow to colorless in presence of Hg(II), and this effect is based on the disappearance of the localized surface plasmon resonance absorption of the AgNPs due to the formation of silver-mercury amalgam. The presence of GO, on the other hand, prevents the agglomeration of the AgNPs and enhances the stability of the nanocomposite material in solution. Hence, the probe represents a viable optical probe for the determination of mercury(II) ions in that it can be used to visually detect Hg(II) concentrations as low as 100 μM. The instrumental LOD is 338 nM. (author)

Fabrication and characterization of free-standing polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanocomposite paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Lanyan; Xia Keqiang; Li Liang; Shang Songmin; Guo Qingzhong; Yan Guoping

2012-01-01

Flexible polypyrrole/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite paper was prepared via a facile and one-step chemical oxidation polymerization method. The morphology and microstructure of the obtained papers were characterized by SEM, FTIR, and XRD. GO was confirmed experimentally to be exfoliated and uniformly dispersed in the resulting nanocomposites. The specific capacitance value of the nanocomposite paper has been determined to be about 330 F/g at a scan rate of 100 mV/s, suggesting the possible application of the nanocomposite as a supercapacitor electrode. After 700 cycles at a scan rate of 100 mV/s, only 9 % decrease in specific capacitance as compared to initial value indicates the superior electrochemical cyclic stability of the nanocomposite paper.

Tunable room-temperature ferromagnet using an iron-oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposite

KAUST Repository

Lin, Aigu L.

2015-06-23

Magnetic materials have found wide application ranging from electronics and memories to medicine. Essential to these advances is the control of the magnetic order. To date, most room-temperature applications have a fixed magnetic moment whose orientation is manipulated for functionality. Here we demonstrate an iron-oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposite based device that acts as a tunable ferromagnet at room temperature. Not only can we tune its transition temperature in a wide range of temperatures around room temperature, but the magnetization can also be tuned from zero to 0.011 A m2/kg through an initialization process with two readily accessible knobs (magnetic field and electric current), after which the system retains its magnetic properties semi-permanently until the next initialization process. We construct a theoretical model to illustrate that this tunability originates from an indirect exchange interaction mediated by spin-imbalanced electrons inside the nanocomposite. © 2015 Scientific Reports.

Tunable room-temperature ferromagnet using an iron-oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposite

KAUST Repository

Lin, Aigu L.; Rodrigues, J. N B; Su, Chenliang; Milletari, M.; Loh, Kian Ping; Wu, Tao; Chen, Wei; Neto, A. H Castro; Adam, Shaffique; Wee, Andrew T S

2015-01-01

Magnetic materials have found wide application ranging from electronics and memories to medicine. Essential to these advances is the control of the magnetic order. To date, most room-temperature applications have a fixed magnetic moment whose orientation is manipulated for functionality. Here we demonstrate an iron-oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposite based device that acts as a tunable ferromagnet at room temperature. Not only can we tune its transition temperature in a wide range of temperatures around room temperature, but the magnetization can also be tuned from zero to 0.011 A m2/kg through an initialization process with two readily accessible knobs (magnetic field and electric current), after which the system retains its magnetic properties semi-permanently until the next initialization process. We construct a theoretical model to illustrate that this tunability originates from an indirect exchange interaction mediated by spin-imbalanced electrons inside the nanocomposite. © 2015 Scientific Reports.

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of graphene based doped TiO2 nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Yongji; Xing, Mingyang; Zhang, Jinlong

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Graphene based doped TiO 2 nanocomposites were prepared. • The intimate contact between doped TiO 2 and graphene is achieved simultaneously. • These nanocomposites showed higher photocatalytic activity than TiO 2 and doped TiO 2 . • Photocatalytic mechanism was explained thoroughly. - Abstract: The nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide based nitrogen doped TiO 2 (N–TiO 2 –RGO) and reduced graphene oxide based nitrogen and vanadium co-doped TiO 2 (N, V–TiO 2 –RGO) were prepared via a facile hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide and TiO 2 in a water solvent. In this hydrothermal treatment, the reduction of graphene oxide and the intimate contact between nitrogen doped TiO 2 (N–TiO 2 ) or nitrogen and vanadium co-doped TiO 2 (N,V–TiO 2 ) and the RGO sheet is achieved simultaneously. Both N–TiO 2 –RGO and N,V–TiO 2 –RGO nanocomposites exhibit much higher visible light photocatalytic activity than N–TiO 2 and N,V–TiO 2 , and the order of visible light photocatalytic activity is N,V–TiO 2 –RGO > N–TiO 2 –RGO > N,V–TiO 2 > N–TiO 2 > TiO 2 . According to the characterization, the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites is attributed to reasons, such as enhancement of adsorption of pollutants, light absorption intensity, minimizing the recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes and more excited states of these nanocomposites under visible light irradiation. Overall, this work provides a more marked contrast of graphene based semiconductor nanocomposites and a more comprehensive explanation of the mechanism

Graphene oxide/ferroferric oxide/polyethylenimine nanocomposites for Congo red adsorption from water.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lina; Mao, Changming; Sui, Ning; Liu, Manhong; Yu, William W

2017-04-01

Graphene oxide/ferroferric oxide/polyethylenimine (GO/Fe 3 O 4 /PEI) nanocomposites were synthesized by an in situ growth of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles on GO sheets, and then modified by PEI. The GO/Fe 3 O 4 /PEI nanocomposites showed extremely high removal efficiency for anionic dye Congo Red (CR) due to the positively charged PEI molecules (methylene blue was also tested but with low adsorption capacity due to its cationic property). The CR removal capacity was 574.7 mg g -1 , higher than most of reported results. The adsorption kinetics could be well described by a pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, GO/Fe 3 O 4 /PEI nanocomposites could be easily recycled by magnetic separation. The removal efficiency remained above 70% after five cycles.

Crystallization and unusual rheological behavior in poly(ethylene oxide)–clay nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Kelarakis, Antonios

2011-05-01

We report a systematic study of the crystallization and rheological behavior of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-clay nanocomposites. To that end a series of nanocomposites based on PEOs of different molecular weight (103 < MW < 105 g/mol) and clay surface modifier was synthesized and characterized. Incorporation of organoclays with polar (MMT-OH) or aromatic groups (MMT-Ar) suppresses the crystallization of polymer chains in low MW PEO, but does not significantly affect the crystallization of high MW matrices. In addition, the relative complex viscosity of the nanocomposites based on low MW PEO increases significantly, but the effect is less pronounced at higher MWs. The viscosity increases in the series MMT-Alk < MMT-OH < MMT-Ar. In contrast to the neat PEO which exhibits a monotonic decrease of viscosity with temperature, all nanocomposites show an increase after a certain temperature. This is the first report of such dramatic enhancements in the viscoelasticity of nanocomposites, which are reversible, are based on a simple polymer matrix and are true in a wide temperature range. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A corrosion-protective coating based on a solution-processable polymer-grafted graphene oxide nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Kai; Sun, Yimin; Duan, Hongwei; Guo, Xingpeng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Solution-processable polymer-grafted graphene nanocomposite is synthesized. • The nanocomposite exhibits synergistic properties of both building blocks. • The nanocomposite can be easily applied to form a protective coating on metals. • The coating can effectively prevent corrosion of copper substrate. - Abstract: A new type of solution-processable graphene coating has been synthesized by grafting polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) brushes on graphene oxide (GO) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). One major finding is that the PMMA-grafted GO nanocomposite exhibits synergistic properties of both building blocks, i.e., permeation inhibition of GO and solubility of PMMA in a variety of solvents, which makes it compatible with commonly used coating methods to form uniform coatings with controlled thickness. Our results demonstrate that PMMA-grafted GO coating can effectively block charge transfer at the metal–electrolyte interface and prevent corrosion of the copper substrate under aggressive saline conditions

Highly sensitive and selective detection of Bis-phenol A based on hydroxyapatite decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alam, Mohammad K.; Rahman, Mohammed M.; Elzwawy, Amir; Torati, Sri Ramulu; Islam, Mohammad S.; Todo, Mitsugu; Asiri, Abdullah M.; Kim, Dojin; Kim, CheolGi

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Simple chemical reduction method was used for preparation of reduced graphene oxide/hydroxyapatite (rGO/HAp) nanocomposites. •The rGO/HAp nanocomposites exhibited good biocompatibility with hMSCs. •Selective chemical sensor based on rGO/HAp nanocomposites was developed for detection of Bis-phenol A. •The fabricated rGO/HAp/Nafion/GCE sensor exhibited good detection limit of 60 pmol L −1 . -- Abstract: A facile and cost effective chemical reduction method is employed for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide/hydroxyapatite (rGO/HAp) nanocomposites. The transmission electron microscopy images revealed that the HAp flakes are well decorated on the surface of rGO. The morphological structure of the as-synthesized rGO/HAp nanocomposites was confirmed through X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, while the composition and thermal stability were analyzed by energy dispersive spectra and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of rGO/HAp nanocomposites for the proliferation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell (hMSC) was performed to confirm the biocompatibility. A selective chemical sensor based on rGO/HAp modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for sensitive detection of Bis-phenol A (BPA) has been developed. Several important parameters controlling the performance of the BPA chemi-sensor were investigated and optimized at room conditions. The rGO/HAp/Nafion/GCE sensor offers a fast response and highly sensitive BPA detection. Under the optimal conditions, a linear range from 0.2 nmol L −1 to 2.0 mmol L −1 for the detection of BPA was observed with the detection limit of 60.0 pmol L −1 (signal-to-noise ratio, at an SNR of 3) and sensitivity of 18.98 × 10 4 μA.L/μmol.m 2 . Meanwhile, the fabricated chemi-sensor showed an excellent, specific and selective recognition to target BPA molecules among coexistence of other analytes in the buffer system. This novel effort initiated

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/TiO2/graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogels for pH-sensitive photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Young-E; Jung, Gowun; Yun, Jumi; Kim, Hyung-Il

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: The photocatalytic removal of pollutants was improved by the two-step mechanism based on the adsorption of pollutants by hydrogel and the effective decomposition by combination of TiO 2 and graphene oxide. -- Highlights: • pH sensitive PVA/PAAc hydrogels were prepared by radical polymerization and condensation reaction. • PVA/PAAc/TiO 2 /graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogels were used for treatment of basic waste water. • Photocatalytic acitivity of TiO 2 was improved by incorporation of graphene oxide. • Photocatalytic decomposition by nanocomposite hydrogel was improved by increasing pH. -- Abstract: Poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/TiO 2 /graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogels were prepared using radical polymerization and condensation reaction for the photocatalytic treatment of waste water. Graphene oxide was used as an additive to improve the photocatalytic activity of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/TiO 2 nanocomposite hydrogels. Both TiO 2 and graphene oxide were immobilized in poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel matrix for an easier recovery after the waste water treatment. The photocatalytic activity of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/TiO 2 /graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogels was evaluated on the base of the degradation of pollutants by using UV spectrometer. The improved removal of pollutants was due to the two-step mechanism based on the adsorption of pollutants by nanocomposite hydrogel and the effective decomposition of pollutants by TiO 2 and graphene oxide. The highest swelling of nanocomposite hydrogel was observed at pH 10 indicating that poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/TiO 2 /graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogels were suitable as a promising system for the treatment of basic waste water

CO oxidation on Alsbnd Au nano-composite systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rajesh, C.; Majumder, C.

2018-03-01

Using first principles method we report the CO oxidation behaviour of Alsbnd Au nano-composites in three different size ranges: Al6Au8, Al13Au42 and a periodic slab of Alsbnd Au(1 1 1) surface. The clusters prefer enclosed structures with alternating arrangement of Al and Au atoms, maximising Auδ-sbnd Alδ+ bonds. Charge distribution analysis suggests the charge transfer from Al to Au atoms, corroborated by the red shift in the density of states spectrum. Further, CO oxidation on these nano-composite systems was investigated through both Eley - Rideal and Langmuir Hinshelwood mechanism. While, these clusters interact with O2 non-dissociatively with an elongation of the Osbnd O bond, further interaction with CO led to formation of CO2 spontaneously. On contrary, the CO2 evolution by co-adsorption of O2 and CO molecules has a transition state barrier. On the basis of the results it is inferred that nano-composite material of Alsbnd Au shows significant promise toward effective oxidative catalysis.

Hybrid ternary rice paper-manganese oxide-carbon nanotube nanocomposites for flexible supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wenchao; Zhang, Kaixi; Wei, Li; Yu, Dingshan; Wei, Jun; Chen, Yuan

2013-10-01

Modern portable electronic devices create a strong demand for flexible energy storage devices. Paper based nanocomposites are attractive as sustainable materials for such applications. Here, we directly explored the hydroxyl chemistry of cellulose fibers to synthesize hybrid ternary nanocomposites, comprised of rice paper, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and manganese oxide nanoparticles. The functional groups on cellulose fibers can react with adsorbed permanganate ions, resulting in uniform deposition of manganese oxide nanoparticles. SWCNTs coated on top of manganese oxide nanoparticles form a highly conductive network connecting individual manganese oxide particles. By using the hybrid ternary composites as electrodes, the assembled two-electrode supercapacitors demonstrated high capacitance (260.2 F g-1), energy (9.0 W h kg-1), power (59.7 kW kg-1), and cycle stability (12% drop after 3000 cycles). In addition, the nanocomposites show good strength and excellent mechanical flexibility, and their capacitance shows negligible changes after bending more than 100 times. These findings suggest that opportunities exist to further explore the rich chemistry of cellulose fibers for innovative energy applications.Modern portable electronic devices create a strong demand for flexible energy storage devices. Paper based nanocomposites are attractive as sustainable materials for such applications. Here, we directly explored the hydroxyl chemistry of cellulose fibers to synthesize hybrid ternary nanocomposites, comprised of rice paper, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and manganese oxide nanoparticles. The functional groups on cellulose fibers can react with adsorbed permanganate ions, resulting in uniform deposition of manganese oxide nanoparticles. SWCNTs coated on top of manganese oxide nanoparticles form a highly conductive network connecting individual manganese oxide particles. By using the hybrid ternary composites as electrodes, the assembled two

Integrated Ternary Bioinspired Nanocomposites via Synergistic Toughening of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Shanshan; Cui, Wei; Zhang, Qi; Cao, Anyuan; Jiang, Lei; Cheng, Qunfeng

2015-12-22

With its synergistic toughening effect and hierarchical micro/nanoscale structure, natural nacre sets a "gold standard" for nacre-inspired materials with integrated high strength and toughness. We demonstrated strong and tough ternary bioinspired nanocomposites through synergistic toughening of reduced graphene oxide and double-walled carbon nanotube (DWNT) and covalent bonding. The tensile strength and toughness of this kind of ternary bioinspired nanocomposites reaches 374.1 ± 22.8 MPa and 9.2 ± 0.8 MJ/m(3), which is 2.6 and 3.3 times that of pure reduced graphene oxide film, respectively. Furthermore, this ternary bioinspired nanocomposite has a high conductivity of 394.0 ± 6.8 S/cm and also shows excellent fatigue-resistant properties, which may enable this material to be used in aerospace, flexible energy devices, and artificial muscle. The synergistic building blocks with covalent bonding for constructing ternary bioinspired nanocomposites can serve as the basis of a strategy for the construction of integrated, high-performance, reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based nanocomposites in the future.

Multifunctional zirconium oxide doped chitosan based hybrid nanocomposites as bone tissue engineering materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhowmick, Arundhati; Jana, Piyali; Pramanik, Nilkamal; Mitra, Tapas; Banerjee, Sovan Lal; Gnanamani, Arumugam; Das, Manas; Kundu, Patit Paban

2016-10-20

This paper reports the development of multifunctional zirconium oxide (ZrO2) doped nancomposites having chitosan (CTS), organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) and nano-hydroxyapatite (HAP). Formation of these nanocomposites was confirmed by various characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed uniform distribution of OMMT and nano-HAP-ZrO2 into CTS matrix. Powder XRD study and TEM study revealed that OMMT has partially exfoliated into the polymer matrix. Enhanced mechanical properties in comparison to the reported literature were obtained after the addition of ZrO2 nanoparticle into the nanocomposites. In rheological measurements, CMZH I-III exhibited greater storage modulus (G') than loss modulus (G″). TGA results showed that these nanocomposites are thermally more stable compare to pure CTS film. Strong antibacterial zone of inhibition and the lowest minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) value of these nanocomposites against bacterial strains proved that these materials have the ability to prevent bacterial infection in orthopedic implants. Compatibility of these nanocomposites with pH and blood of human body was established. It was observed from the swelling study that the swelling percentage was increased with decreasing the hydrophobic OMMT content. Human osteoblastic MG-63 cell proliferations were observed on the nanocomposites and cytocompatibility of these nanocomposites was also established. Moreover, addition of 5wt% OMMT and 5wt% nano-HAP-ZrO2 into 90wt% CTS matrix provides maximum tensile strength, storage modulus, aqueous swelling and cytocompatibility along with strong antibacterial effect, pH and erythrocyte compatibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomolecule-assisted synthesis of Ag/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite with excellent electrocatalytic and antibacterial performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fathalipour, Soghra, E-mail: fathalipour@pnu.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, PO Box: 19395-3697, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pourbeyram, Sima; Sharafian, Aziaeh [Department of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, PO Box: 19395-3697, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Tanomand, Asghar [Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty Of Medicine, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 78151-55158 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Azam, Parisa [Department of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, PO Box: 19395-3697, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-06-01

In this work, an environmentally friendly method was applied for the synthesis of aqueous suspension of L-cysteine modified Ag nanoparticles (NPs)-decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite. L-cysteine played a triple role as reducing agent, stabilizer and linker of Ag NPs onto the surface of rGO. The resultant nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), zeta potential, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX). Meanwhile, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bacterial concentration (MBC), agar well diffusion and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques were used for the investigation of antibacterial and electrocatalytic behaviors of the nanocomposite, respectively. The obtained nanocomposite showed not only enhanced electrocatalytic activity for glucose but also excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). - Highlights: • Biocompatible reduced graphene oxide/ Ag nanocomposite was synthesized based on cysteine- Ag nanoparticles. • The reaction was carried out at room temperature without any further reducer. • The nanocomposite displayed excellent antibacterial and electrocatalytic activity against glucose.

Graphitic carbon nitride based nanocomposites: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zaiwang; Sun, Yanjuan; Dong, Fan

2014-11-01

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), as an intriguing earth-abundant visible light photocatalyst, possesses a unique two-dimensional structure, excellent chemical stability and tunable electronic structure. Pure g-C3N4 suffers from rapid recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs resulting in low photocatalytic activity. Because of the unique electronic structure, the g-C3N4 could act as an eminent candidate for coupling with various functional materials to enhance the performance. According to the discrepancies in the photocatalytic mechanism and process, six primary systems of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites can be classified and summarized: namely, the g-C3N4 based metal-free heterojunction, the g-C3N4/single metal oxide (metal sulfide) heterojunction, g-C3N4/composite oxide, the g-C3N4/halide heterojunction, g-C3N4/noble metal heterostructures, and the g-C3N4 based complex system. Apart from the depiction of the fabrication methods, heterojunction structure and multifunctional application of the g-C3N4-based nanocomposites, we emphasize and elaborate on the underlying mechanisms in the photocatalytic activity enhancement of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites. The unique functions of the p-n junction (semiconductor/semiconductor heterostructures), the Schottky junction (metal/semiconductor heterostructures), the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, photosensitization, superconductivity, etc. are utilized in the photocatalytic processes. Furthermore, the enhanced performance of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites has been widely employed in environmental and energetic applications such as photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, photocatalytic hydrogen generation, carbon dioxide reduction, disinfection, and supercapacitors. This critical review ends with a summary and some perspectives on the challenges and new directions in exploring g-C3N4-based advanced nanomaterials.

Nanocomposites based on graphene oxide and mesoporous silica nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization and nanobiointeractions with red blood cells and human plasma proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Leandro C.; de Araújo, Maciel M.; de Moraes, Ana Carolina M.; da Silva, Douglas S.; Ferreira, Ariane G.; Franqui, Lidiane S.; Martinez, Diego Stéfani T.; Alves, Oswaldo L.

2018-04-01

The current work refers to the development of a novel nanocomposite based on graphene oxide (GO) and mesoporous amino silica nanoparticles (H2N-MSNs) and its biological interaction with red blood cells (RBCs) and human blood plasma toward the investigation of nanobiointeractions. Silica nanoparticles and several graphene oxide-based materials are, separately, known for their high hemolytic potential and strong interaction with human plasma proteins. In this context, the GO-MSN interaction and its influence in minimizing the reported effects were investigated. The materials were synthesized by covalently attaching H2N-MSNs onto the surface of GO through an amidation reaction. GO-MSN nanocomposites were obtained by varying the mass of H2N-MSNs and were characterized by FTIR, NMR, XRD, TGA, zeta potential and TEM. The characterization results confirm that nanocomposites were obtained, suggest covalent bond attachment mostly by amine-epoxy reactions and evidence an unexpected reduction reaction of GO by H2N-MSNs, whose mechanism is proposed. Biological assays showed a decrease of hemolysis (RBC lysis) and a minimization of the interaction with human plasma proteins (protein corona formation). These are important findings toward achieving in vivo biocompatibility and understanding the nanobiointeractions. Finally, this work opens possibilities for new nanomedicine applications of GO-MSN nanocomposites, such as drug delivery system.

Nickel Oxide and Nickel Co-doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanocomposites and its Octylphenol Sensing Application

KAUST Repository

Gong, Wanyun; Zou, Jing; Zhang, Sheng; Zhou, Xin; Jiang, Jizhou

2015-01-01

Nickel oxide and nickel co-doped graphitic carbon nitride (NiO-Ni-GCN) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by thermal treatment of melamine and NiCl2 6H2O. NiO-Ni-GCN nanocomposites showed superior electrochemical catalytic activity for the oxidation of octylphenol to pure GCN. A detection method of octylphenol in environmental water samples was developed based at NiO-Ni-GCN nanocomposites modified electrode under infrared light irradiation. Differential pulse voltammetry was used as the analytic technique of octylphenol, exhibiting stable and specific concentration-dependent oxidation signal in the presence of octylphenol in the range of 10nM to 1μM and 1μM to 50μM, with a detection limit of 3.3nM (3S/N). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nickel Oxide and Nickel Co-doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanocomposites and its Octylphenol Sensing Application

KAUST Repository

Gong, Wanyun

2015-11-16

Nickel oxide and nickel co-doped graphitic carbon nitride (NiO-Ni-GCN) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by thermal treatment of melamine and NiCl2 6H2O. NiO-Ni-GCN nanocomposites showed superior electrochemical catalytic activity for the oxidation of octylphenol to pure GCN. A detection method of octylphenol in environmental water samples was developed based at NiO-Ni-GCN nanocomposites modified electrode under infrared light irradiation. Differential pulse voltammetry was used as the analytic technique of octylphenol, exhibiting stable and specific concentration-dependent oxidation signal in the presence of octylphenol in the range of 10nM to 1μM and 1μM to 50μM, with a detection limit of 3.3nM (3S/N). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oxygen Barrier Properties and Melt Crystallization Behavior of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

OpenAIRE

Szymczyk, Anna; Paszkiewicz, Sandra; Pawelec, Iwona; Lisiecki, Slawomir; Jotko, Marek; Spitalsky, Zdenko; Mosnácek, Jaroslav; Roslaniec, Zbigniew

2015-01-01

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanocomposites with low loading (0.1–0.5 wt%) of graphene oxide (GO) have been prepared by using in situ polymerization method. TEM study of nanocomposites morphology has shown uniform distribution of highly exfoliated graphene oxide nanoplatelets in PET matrix. Investigations of oxygen permeability of amorphous films of nanocomposites showed that the nanocomposites had better oxygen barrier properties than the neat PET. The improvement of oxygen permeability for ...

Extreme Mechanical Behavior of Nacre-Mimetic Graphene-Oxide and Silk Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wanting; Tadepalli, Sirimuvva; Park, Sang Hyun; Kazemi-Moridani, Amir; Jiang, Qisheng; Singamaneni, Srikanth; Lee, Jae-Hwang

2018-02-14

Biological materials have the ability to withstand extreme mechanical forces due to their unique multilevel hierarchical structure. Here, we fabricated a nacre-mimetic nanocomposite comprised of silk fibroin and graphene oxide that exhibits hybridized dynamic responses arising from alternating high-contrast mechanical properties of the components at the nanoscale. Dynamic mechanical behavior of these nanocomposites is assessed through a microscale ballistic characterization using a 7.6 μm diameter silica sphere moving at a speed of approximately 400 m/s. The volume fraction of graphene oxide in these composites is systematically varied from 0 to 32 vol % to quantify the dynamic effects correlating with the structural morphologies of the graphene oxide flakes. Specific penetration energy of the films rapidly increases as the distribution of graphene oxide flakes evolves from noninteracting, isolated sheets to a partially overlapping continuous sheet. The specific penetration energy of the nanocomposite at the highest graphene oxide content tested here is found to be significantly higher than that of Kevlar fabrics and close to that of pure multilayer graphene. This study evidently demonstrates that the morphologies of nanoscale constituents and their interactions are critical to realize scalable high-performance nanocomposites using typical nanomaterial constituents having finite dimensions.

Structure and conductive properties of poly(ethylene oxide)/layered double hydroxide nanocomposite polymer electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, C.-S.; Ye, W.-B.

2004-01-01

The oligo(ethylene oxide) modified layered double hydroxide (LDH) prepared by template method was added as a nanoscale nucleating agent into poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) to form PEO/OLDH nanocomposite electrolytes. The effects of OLDH addition on morphology and conductivities of nanocomposite electrolytes were studied using wide-angle X-ray diffractometer, polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and ionic conductivity measurement. The results show that the exfoliated morphology of nanocomposites is formed due to the surface modification of LDH layers with PEO matrix compatible oligo(ethylene oxide)s. The nanoscale dispersed OLDH layers inhibit the crystal growth of PEO crystallites and result in a plenty amount of intercrystalline grain boundary within PEO/OLDH nanocomposites. The ionic conductivities of nanocomposite electrolytes are enhanced by three orders of magnitude compared to the pure PEO polymer electrolytes at ambient temperature. It can be attributed to the ease transport of Li + along intercrystalline amorphous phase. This novel nanocomposite electrolytes system with high conductivities will be benefited to fabricate the thin-film type of Li-polymer secondary battery

Amperometric urea biosensors based on sulfonated graphene/polyaniline nanocomposite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Das G

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Gautam Das, Hyon Hee Yoon Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Abstract: An electrochemical biosensor based on sulfonated graphene/polyaniline nanocomposite was developed for urea analysis. Oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of sulfonated graphene oxide was carried out by electrochemical methods in an aqueous environment. The structural properties of the nanocomposite were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The urease enzyme-immobilized sulfonated graphene/polyaniline nanocomposite film showed impressive performance in the electroanalytical detection of urea with a detection limit of 0.050 mM and a sensitivity of 0.85 µA·cm-2·mM-1. The biosensor achieved a broad linear range of detection (0.12–12.3 mM with a notable response time of approximately 5 seconds. Moreover, the fabricated biosensor retained 81% of its initial activity (based on sensitivity after 15 days of storage at 4°C. The ease of fabrication coupled with the low cost and good electrochemical performance of this system holds potential for the development of solid-state biosensors for urea detection. Keywords: electrochemical deposition, sulfonated graphene oxide, urease

Simultaneous Oxidation and Sequestration of As(III) from Water by Using Redox Polymer-Based Fe(III) Oxide Nanocomposite.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaolin; Wu, Mengfei; Dong, Hao; Li, Hongchao; Pan, Bingcai

2017-06-06

Water decontamination from As(III) is an urgent but still challenging task. Herein, we fabricated a bifunctional nanocomposite HFO@PS-Cl for highly efficient removal of As(III), with active chlorine covalently binding spherical polystyrene host for in situ oxidation of As(III) to As(V), and Fe(III) hydroxide (HFO) nanoparticles (NPs) embedded inside for specific As(V) removal. HFO@PS-Cl could work effectively in a wide pH range (5-9), and other substances like sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate, silicate, and humic acid exert insignificant effect on As(III) removal. As(III) sequestration is realized via two pathways, that is, oxidation to As(V) by the active chlorine followed by specific As(V) adsorption onto HFO NPs, and As(III) adsorption onto HFO NPs followed by oxidation to As(V). The exhausted HFO@PS-Cl could be refreshed for cyclic runs with insignificant capacity loss by the combined regeneration strategy, that is, alkaline solution to rinse the adsorbed As(V) and NaClO solution to renew the host oxidation capability. In addition, fixed-bed experiments demonstrated that the HFO@PS-Cl column could generate >1760 bed volume (BV) effluent from a synthetic As(III)-containing groundwater to meet the drinking water standard (nanocomposites, HFO@PS-N and HFO@D201 could only generate 450 and 600 BV effluents under otherwise identical conditions.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells based on nickel oxide supported on nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposite as a photoanode.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranganathan, Palraj; Sasikumar, Ragu; Chen, Shen-Ming; Rwei, Syang-Peng; Sireesha, Pedaballi

2017-10-15

We applied the nitrogen-doped graphene@nickel oxide (NGE/NiO) nanocomposite doped TiO 2 as a photo-anode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by screen printing method. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.75% was achieved for this DSSCs device, which is greater than that of DSSCs devices using GO/TiO 2 , and NiO/TiO 2 based photo-anodes (PCE=8.55, and 9.11%). Also, the fill factor (FF) of the DSSCs devices using the NGE/NiO/TiO 2 nanocomposite photo-anode was better than that of other photo-anodes. The NGE/NiO/TiO 2 short-circuit photocurrent density (J sc ) of 19.04mAcm -2 , open circuit voltage (V oc ) of 0.76V, fill factor (FF) of 0.67 and dye absorption rate 0.21×10 -6 molcm -2 . The obtained results suggest that as-prepared NGE/NiO/TiO 2 nanocomposite is suitable photo-anode for DSSCs application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced photoluminescence in transparent thin films of polyaniline–zinc oxide nanocomposite prepared from oleic acid modified zinc oxide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sajimol Augustine, M., E-mail: sajimollazar@gmail.com [Department of Physics, St. Teresa' s College, Kochi-11, Kerala (India); Jeeju, P.P.; Varma, S.J.; Francis Xavier, P.A. [Division for Research in Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi-22, Kerala (India); Jayalekshmi, S., E-mail: lakshminathcusat@gmail.com [Division for Research in Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi-22, Kerala (India)

2014-07-01

Oleic acid capped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been synthesized by a wet chemical route. The chemical oxidative method is employed to synthesize polyaniline (PANI) and PANI/ZnO nanocomposites doped with four different dopants such as orthophosphoric acid (H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}), hydrochloric acid (HCl), naphthalene-2-sulphonic acid and camphor sulphonic acid (CSA). The samples have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic techniques. A comparison of the photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity of PANI and PANI/ZnO nanocomposites is attempted. The enhanced PL intensity in PANI/ZnO nanocomposites is caused by the presence of nanostructured and highly fluorescent ZnO in the composites. It has been observed that, among the composites, the H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} doped PANI/ZnO nanocomposite is found to exhibit the highest PL intensity because of the higher extent of (pi) conjugation and the more orderly arrangement of the benzenoid and quinonoid units. In the present work, transparent thin films of PANI and PANI/ZnO nanocomposite for which PL intensity is found to be maximum, have been prepared after re-doping with CSA by the spin-coating technique. The XRD pattern of the PANI/ZnO film shows exceptionally good crystallanity compared to that of pure PANI, which suggests that the addition of ZnO nanocrystals helps in enhancing the crystallanity of the PANI/ZnO nanocomposite. There is a significant increase in the PL emission intensity of the PANI/ZnO nanocomposite film making it suitable for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices. - Highlights: • Oleic acid capped zinc oxide nanoparticles are synthesized by wet chemical method. • Polyaniline/zinc oxide nanocomposites are prepared by in-situ polymerization. • Polyaniline and polyaniline/zinc oxide thin films are deposited using spin-coating. • Enhanced photoluminescence is observed in polyaniline

Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for removal of organic pollutants from aqueous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Amodini; Kuanr, B. K.; Mohanty, T.

2017-05-01

The magnetic nanocomposite (MNC) of cobalt oxide/graphene oxide (Co3O4/rGO) has been synthesized by hydrothermal method to demonstrate its use as organic pollutants remover. The phase formation of the cobalt oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The nanocomposite has been characterized by Raman spectroscopic technique and two Raman peaks associated with graphene oxide are observed. The morphological study of the nanocomposite has been done using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The nanocomposite has been used for removal of organic pollutants from aqueous medium by using ultra-violet spectroscopy.

Morphology, thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of graphene oxide/poly(lactic acid) nanocomposite films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong Woo; Choi, Hyun Muk

2016-01-01

To improve the physical and gas barrier properties of biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) film, two graphene nanosheets of highly functionalized graphene oxide (0.3 wt% to 0.7 wt%) and low-functionalized graphene oxide (0.5 wt%) were incorporated into PLA resin via solution blending method. Subsequently, we investigated the effects of material parameters such as loading level and degree of functionalization for the graphene nanosheets on the morphology and properties of the resultant nanocomposites. The highly functionalized graphene oxide (GO) caused more exfoliation and homogeneous dispersion in PLA matrix as well as more sustainable suspensions in THF, compared to low-functionalized graphene oxide (LFGO). When loaded with GO from 0.3 wt% to 0.7 wt%, the glass transition temperature, degree of crystallinity, tensile strength and modulus increased steadily. The GO gave rise to more pronounced effect in the thermal and mechanical reinforcement, relative to LFGO. In addition, the preparation of fairly transparent PLA-based nanocomposite film with noticeably improved barrier performance achieved only when incorporated with GO up to 0.7wt%. As a result, GO may be more compatible with hydrophilic PLA resin, compared to LFGO, resulting in more prominent enhancement of nanocomposites properties.

Polyurethane Nanocomposites Containing Reduced Graphene Oxide, FTIR, Raman, and XRD Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Strankowski

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, graphene and other graphene-based materials have become an essential part of composite science and technology. Their unique properties are not only restricted to graphene but also shared with derivative compounds like graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, functionalized graphene, and so forth. One of the most structurally important materials, graphene oxide (GO, is prepared by the oxidation of graphite. Though removal of the oxide groups can create vacancies and structural defects, reduced graphene oxide (rGO is used in composites as effective filler similar to GO. Authors developed a new polyurethane nanocomposite using a derivative of grapheme, thermally reduced graphene oxide (rGO, to modify the matrix of polyurethane elastomers, by rGO.

Reduced graphene oxide/CeO{sub 2} nanocomposite with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaur, Jasmeet, E-mail: jasmeet.dayal@gmail.com; Anand, Kanika; Singh, Gurpreet; Hastir, Anita; Virpal,; Singh, Ravi Chand [Laboratory For Sensors and Physics Education, Department of Physics, GND University, Amritsar-143005 (India); Anand, Kanica [Semiconductors Laboratory, Department of Physics, GND University, Amritsar– 143005 (India)

2015-05-15

In this work, reduced graphene oxide /cerium oxide (RGO/CeO{sub 2}) nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ reduction of cerium nitrate Ce(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O in the presence of graphene oxide by hydrazine hydrate (N{sub 2}H{sub 4}.H{sub 2}O). The intrinsic characteristics of as-prepared nanocomposite were studied using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) was employed as a model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the RGO/CeO{sub 2} nanocomposite. The as-obtained RGO/CeO{sub 2} nanocomposite displays a significantly enhanced photocatalytic degradation of MB dye in comparison with bare CeO{sub 2} nanoparticles under sunlight irradiation, which can be attributed to the improved separation of electron-hole pairs and enhanced adsorption performance due to presence of RGO.

A metallic metal oxide (Ti5O9)-metal oxide (TiO2) nanocomposite as the heterojunction to enhance visible-light photocatalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, L H; Deng, Z X; Xiao, J X; Yang, G W

2015-01-26

Coupling titanium dioxide (TiO2) with other semiconductors is a popular method to extend the optical response range of TiO2 and improve its photon quantum efficiency, as coupled semiconductors can increase the separation rate of photoinduced charge carriers in photocatalysts. Differing from normal semiconductors, metallic oxides have no energy gap separating occupied and unoccupied levels, but they can excite electrons between bands to create a high carrier mobility to facilitate kinetic charge separation. Here, we propose the first metallic metal oxide-metal oxide (Ti5O9-TiO2) nanocomposite as a heterojunction for enhancing the visible-light photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles and we demonstrate that this hybridized TiO2-Ti5O9 nanostructure possesses an excellent visible-light photocatalytic performance in the process of photodegrading dyes. The TiO2-Ti5O9 nanocomposites are synthesized in one step using laser ablation in liquid under ambient conditions. The as-synthesized nanocomposites show strong visible-light absorption in the range of 300-800 nm and high visible-light photocatalytic activity in the oxidation of rhodamine B. They also exhibit excellent cycling stability in the photodegrading process. A working mechanism for the metallic metal oxide-metal oxide nanocomposite in the visible-light photocatalytic process is proposed based on first-principle calculations of Ti5O9. This study suggests that metallic metal oxides can be regarded as partners for metal oxide photocatalysts in the construction of heterojunctions to improve photocatalytic activity.

An ultrasensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a copper oxide nanowires/single-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Mei; Hou, Changjun; Huo, Danqun; Yang, Mei; Fa, Huanbao

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: A novel and sensitive electrochemical biosensor based on hybrid nanocomposite consisting of copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs) and carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs-COOH) was first developed for the detection of the specific-sequence target DNA. This schematic represents the fabrication procedure of our DNA biosensor. - Highlights: • An ultrasensitive DNA electrochemical biosensor was developed. • CuO NWs entangled with the SWCNTs formed a mesh structure with good conductivity. • It is the first time use of CuONWs-SWCNTs hybrid nanocomposite for DNA detection. • The biosensor is simple, selective, stable, and sensitive. • The biosensor has great potential for use in analysis of real samples. - Abstract: Here, we developed a novel and sensitive electrochemical biosensor to detect specific-sequence target DNA. The biosensor was based on a hybrid nanocomposite consisting of copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs) and carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs-COOH). The resulting CuO NWs/SWCNTs layers exhibited a good differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) current response for the target DNA sequences, which we attributed to the properties of CuO NWs and SWCNTs. CuO NWs and SWCNTs hybrid composites with highly conductive and biocompatible nanostructure were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Immobilization of the probe DNA on the electrode surface was largely improved due to the unique synergetic effect of CuO NWs and SWCNTs. DPV was applied to monitor the DNA hybridization event, using adriamycin as an electrochemical indicator. Under optimal conditions, the peak currents of adriamycin were linear with the logarithm of target DNA concentrations (ranging from 1.0 × 10"−"1"4 to 1.0 × 10"−"8 M), with a detection limit of 3.5 × 10"−"1"5 M (signal/noise ratio of 3). The biosensor also showed high selectivity to

An ultrasensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a copper oxide nanowires/single-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Mei [Key Laboratory of Biorheology Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Hou, Changjun, E-mail: houcj@cqu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Biorheology Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); National Key Laboratory of Fundamental Science of Micro/Nano-Device and System Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Huo, Danqun [Key Laboratory of Biorheology Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); National Key Laboratory of Fundamental Science of Micro/Nano-Device and System Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Yang, Mei [Key Laboratory of Biorheology Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Fa, Huanbao [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

2016-02-28

Graphical abstract: A novel and sensitive electrochemical biosensor based on hybrid nanocomposite consisting of copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs) and carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs-COOH) was first developed for the detection of the specific-sequence target DNA. This schematic represents the fabrication procedure of our DNA biosensor. - Highlights: • An ultrasensitive DNA electrochemical biosensor was developed. • CuO NWs entangled with the SWCNTs formed a mesh structure with good conductivity. • It is the first time use of CuONWs-SWCNTs hybrid nanocomposite for DNA detection. • The biosensor is simple, selective, stable, and sensitive. • The biosensor has great potential for use in analysis of real samples. - Abstract: Here, we developed a novel and sensitive electrochemical biosensor to detect specific-sequence target DNA. The biosensor was based on a hybrid nanocomposite consisting of copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs) and carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs-COOH). The resulting CuO NWs/SWCNTs layers exhibited a good differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) current response for the target DNA sequences, which we attributed to the properties of CuO NWs and SWCNTs. CuO NWs and SWCNTs hybrid composites with highly conductive and biocompatible nanostructure were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Immobilization of the probe DNA on the electrode surface was largely improved due to the unique synergetic effect of CuO NWs and SWCNTs. DPV was applied to monitor the DNA hybridization event, using adriamycin as an electrochemical indicator. Under optimal conditions, the peak currents of adriamycin were linear with the logarithm of target DNA concentrations (ranging from 1.0 × 10{sup −14} to 1.0 × 10{sup −8} M), with a detection limit of 3.5 × 10{sup −15} M (signal/noise ratio of 3). The biosensor also showed high

Effect of the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers on the magnetic properties of nanocomposite LbL assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dincer, Ilker; Tozkoparan, Onur; German, Sergey V.; Markin, Alexey V.; Yildirim, Oguz; Khomutov, Gennady B.; Gorin, Dmitry A.; Venig, Sergey B.; Elerman, Yalcin

2012-01-01

Aqueous colloidal suspension of iron oxide nanoparticles has been synthesized. Z-potential of iron oxide nanoparticles stabilized by citric acid was −35±3 mV. Iron oxide nanoparticles have been characterized by the light scattering method and transmission electron microscopy. The polyelectrolyte/iron oxide nanoparticle thin films with different numbers of iron oxide nanoparticle layers have been prepared on the surface of silicon substrates via the layer-by-layer assembly technique. The physical properties and chemical composition of nanocomposite thin films have been studied by atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, magnetization measurements, Raman spectroscopy. Using the analysis of experimental data it was established, that the magnetic properties of nanocomposite films depended on the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers, the size of iron oxide nanoparticle aggregates, the distance between aggregates, and the chemical composition of iron oxide nanoparticles embedded into the nanocomposite films. The magnetic permeability of nanocomposite coatings has been calculated. The magnetic permeability values depend on the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers in nanocomposite film. - Highlights: ► The magnetic properties of nanocomposite films depended on the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers. ► The iron oxide nanoparticle phase in nanocomposite coatings is a mixture of magnetite and maghemite phases. ► The magnetite and maghemite phases depend on a number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers because the iron oxide nanoparticles are oxidized from magnetite to maghemite.

Application of graphene oxide-poly (vinyl alcohol) polymer nanocomposite for memory devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushal, Jyoti; Kaur, Ravneet; Sharma, Jadab; Tripathi, S. K.

2018-05-01

Significant attention has been gained by polymer nanocomposites because of their possible demands in future electronic memory devices. In the present work, device based on Graphene Oxide (GO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has been made and examined for the memory device application. The prepared Graphene oxide (GO) and GO-PVA nanocomposite (NC) has been characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD). GO nanosheets show the diffraction peak at 2θ = 11.60° and the interlayer spacing of 0.761 nm. The XRD of GO-PVA NC shows the diffraction peak at 2θ =18.56°. The fabricated device shows bipolar switching behavior having ON/OFF current ratio ˜102. The Write-Read-Erase-Read (WRER) cycles test shows that the Al/GO-PVA/Ag device has good stability and repeatability.

Improving the drug delivery characteristics of graphene oxide based polymer nanocomposites through the “one-pot” synthetic approach of single-electron-transfer living radical polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Peng; Liu, Meiying; Tian, Jianwen; Deng, Fengjie [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Wang, Ke [Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Xu, Dazhuang [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Liu, Liangji [Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006 (China); Zhang, Xiaoyong, E-mail: xiaoyongzhang1980@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Wei, Yen, E-mail: weiyen@tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2016-08-15

Graphical abstract: The PEGylated graphene oxides with high water dispersibility, good biocompatibility as well as high drug loading capability were fabricated via “one-pot” SET-LRP. - Highlights: • Surface modification of graphene oxide with polymers. • One-pot single-electron-transfer living radical polymerization. • Improving drug delivery characteristics. • The synthetic approach is rather simple, universal and effective. - Abstract: Graphene oxide (GO) based polymer nanocomposites have attracted extensive research interest recently for their outstanding physicochemical properties and potential applications. However, surface modification of GO with synthetic polymers has demonstrated to be trouble for most polymerization procedures are occurred under non-aqueous solution, which will in turn lead to the restacking of GO. In this work, a facile and efficient “one-pot” strategy has been developed for surface modification of GO with synthetic polymers through single-electron-transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP). The GO based polymer nanocomposites were obtained via SET-LRP in aqueous solution using poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) as the monomer and 11-bromoundecanoic acid as the initiator, which could be effectively adsorbed on GO through hydrophobic interaction. The successful preparation of GO based polymer nanocomposites was confirmed by a series of characterization techniques such as {sup 1}H nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The resultant products exhibit high water disperisibility, excellent biocompatibility and high efficient drug loading capability, making these PEGylated GO nanocomposites promising candidates for biomedical applications.

Structural, photoconductivity, and dielectric studies of polythiophene-tin oxide nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murugavel, S., E-mail: starin85@gmail.com; Malathi, M., E-mail: mmalathi@vit.ac.in

2016-09-15

Highlights: • Synthesis of polythiophene-tin oxide nanocomposites confirmed by FTIR and EDAX. • SEM shows SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles embedded within polythiophene matrix. • Stability and isoelectric point suggest nanoparticle–matrix interaction. • High dielectric constant due to high Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization. - Abstract: Polythiophene-tinoxide (PT-SnO{sub 2}) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization, in the presence of various concentrations of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Zeta potential measurements. Morphologies and elemental compositions were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The photoconductivity of the nanocomposites was studied by field-dependent dark and photo conductivity measurements. Their dielectric properties were investigated using dielectric spectroscopy, in the frequency range of 1kHz–1 MHz. The results indicated that the SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles in the PT-SnO{sub 2} nanocomposite were responsible for its enhanced dielectric performance.

In situ chemical synthesis of ruthenium oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for electrochemical capacitor applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji-Young; Kim, Kwang-Heon; Yoon, Seung-Beom; Kim, Hyun-Kyung; Park, Sang-Hoon; Kim, Kwang-Bum

2013-08-07

An in situ chemical synthesis approach has been developed to prepare ruthenium oxide/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites. It is found that as the C/O ratio increases, the number density of RuO2 nanoparticles decreases, because the chemical interaction between the Ru ions and the oxygen-containing functional groups provides anchoring sites where the nucleation of particles takes place. For electrochemical capacitor applications, the microwave-hydrothermal process was carried out to improve the conductivity of RGO in RuO2/RGO nanocomposites. The significant improvement in capacitance and high rate capability might result from the RuO2 nanoparticles used as spacers that make the interior layers of the reduced graphene oxide electrode available for electrolyte access.

Study of PVDF/Graphene oxide nanocomposites by UV-Vis analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Juliana V.

2013-01-01

In this work we have prepared nanocomposites made by mixing Poly (vinylidene fluoride) [PVDF] and grapheme oxide nanosheets (GO) aiming to find dosimetric properties for applications in high dose dosimetry. Graphene Oxides (GO) nanosheets were synthesized by the Hummers method, using graphite supplied by Aldrich as the starting material. Nanocomposites were produced by mixing solved PDVF in DMAc with GO dispersed in an aqueous solution by sonication. The samples were irradiated with a Co-60 source at constant dose rate (12 kGy/h), with doses ranging from 50 to 1,000 kGy. The UV-Vis and spectrophotometry have been used to monitor the appearing of C=C conjugated bonds and radio-oxidation of carbon (C=O). The PVDF/OG nanocomposites prepared with 1.88 at.% of OG presented the best dosimetric properties. In this material, UVVis spectrometry has revealed that the absorbance intensities at 250 nm can be used for high dosimetry purposes for gamma doses ranging from 100 to 750 kGy. In this range, it is possible to observe a linear relationship between Abs and Dose. (author)

Mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposite for decontamination of sulfur mustard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Praveen Kumar, J.; Prasad, G.K.; Ramacharyulu, P.V.R.K.; Garg, P.; Ganesan, K.

2013-01-01

Mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard, a well known chemical warfare agent. They were prepared by precipitation pyrolysis method and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Obtained data indicated the presence of mesopores with diameter ranging from 2 to 80 nm and the materials exhibited relatively high surface area 86 m 2 g −1 when compared to the individual metal oxide nanoparticles. Reactive sites of mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied by infrared spectroscopy technique using pyridine as a probe molecule. These materials demonstrated superior decontamination properties against sulfur mustard when compared to single component metal oxides and decontaminated it to divinyl sulfide, chloroethyl vinyl sulfide, hemisulfur mustard, etc. - Graphical abstract: Mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard, a well known chemical warfare agent. These materials demonstrated superior decontamination properties against sulfur mustard and decontaminated it to divinyl sulfide, chloroethyl vinyl sulfide, hemisulfur mustard, etc. - Highlights: • Preparation of mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposite. • CuO–ZnO with better surface area was synthesized by precipitation pyrolysis. • Decontamination of HD using mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposite. • HD decontaminated by elimination and hydrolysis reactions

Mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposite for decontamination of sulfur mustard

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Praveen Kumar, J.; Prasad, G.K., E-mail: gkprasad2001@yahoo.com; Ramacharyulu, P.V.R.K.; Garg, P.; Ganesan, K.

2013-11-01

Mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard, a well known chemical warfare agent. They were prepared by precipitation pyrolysis method and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Obtained data indicated the presence of mesopores with diameter ranging from 2 to 80 nm and the materials exhibited relatively high surface area 86 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} when compared to the individual metal oxide nanoparticles. Reactive sites of mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied by infrared spectroscopy technique using pyridine as a probe molecule. These materials demonstrated superior decontamination properties against sulfur mustard when compared to single component metal oxides and decontaminated it to divinyl sulfide, chloroethyl vinyl sulfide, hemisulfur mustard, etc. - Graphical abstract: Mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposites were studied as sorbent decontaminants against sulfur mustard, a well known chemical warfare agent. These materials demonstrated superior decontamination properties against sulfur mustard and decontaminated it to divinyl sulfide, chloroethyl vinyl sulfide, hemisulfur mustard, etc. - Highlights: • Preparation of mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposite. • CuO–ZnO with better surface area was synthesized by precipitation pyrolysis. • Decontamination of HD using mesoporous CuO–ZnO binary metal oxide nanocomposite. • HD decontaminated by elimination and hydrolysis reactions.

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis and magnetic studies of iron oxide/MCM-41 nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ursachi, Irina; Vasile, Aurelia; Ianculescu, Adelina; Vasile, Eugeniu; Stancu, Alexandru

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A quick and facile route for the synthesis of iron oxide/MCM-41 nanocomposite. → Magnetic nanoparticles were stabilized inside the pores of mesoporous silica MCM-41. → The pore size of MCM-41 dictates the properties of iron oxide nanoparticles. → The procedure provides a narrow size distribution of magnetic nanoparticles. - Abstract: Iron oxide nanoparticles were stabilized within the pores of mesoporous silica MCM-41 amino-functionalized by a sonochemical method. Formation of iron oxide nanoparticles inside the mesoporous channels of amino-functionalized MCM-41 was realized by wet impregnation using iron nitrate, followed by calcinations at 550 deg. C in air. The effect of functionalization level on structural and magnetic properties of obtained nanocomposites was studied. The resulting materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction (HRTEM and SAED), vibrating sample and superconducting quantum interface magnetometers (VSM and SQUID) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms measurements. The HRTEM images reveal that the most of the iron oxide nanoparticles were dispersed inside the mesopores of silica matrix and the pore diameter of the amino-functionalized MCM-41 matrix dictates the particle size of iron oxide nanoparticles. The obtained material possesses mesoporous structure and interesting magnetic properties. Saturation magnetization value of magnetic iron oxide nanopatricles stabilized in MCM-41 amino-functionalized by in situ sonochemical synthesis was 1.84 emu g -1 . An important finding is that obtained magnetic nanocomposite materials exhibit enhanced magnetic properties than those of iron oxide/MCM-41 nanocomposite obtained by conventional method. The described method is providing a rather short preparation time and a narrow size distribution of iron oxide nanoparticles.

Chemically stabilized reduced graphene oxide/zirconia nanocomposite: synthesis and characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Sagadevan, Suresh; Zaman Chowdhury, Zaira; Enamul Hoque, Md; Podder, Jiban

2017-11-01

In this research, chemical method was used to fabricate reduced graphene oxide/zirconia (rGO/ZrO2) nanocomposite. X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD) was carried out to examine the crystalline structure of the nanocomposites. The nanocomposite prepared here has average crystallite size of 14 nm. The surface morphology was observed using scanning electron microscopic analysis (SEM) coupled with electron dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) to detect the chemical element over the surface of the nanocomposites. High-resolution Transmission electron microscopic analysis (HR-TEM) was carried out to determine the particle size and shape of the nanocomposites. The optical property of the prepared samples was determined using UV-visible absorption spectrum. The functional groups were identified using FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analysis. Efficient, cost effective and properly optimized synthesis process of rGO/ZrO2 nanocomposite can ensure the presence of infiltrating graphene network inside the ZrO2 matrix to enhance the electrical properties of the hybrid composites up to a greater scale. Thus the dielectric constant, dielectric loss and AC conductivity of the prepared sample was measured at various frequencies and temperatures. The analytical results obtained here confirmed the homogeneous dispersion of ZrO2 nanostructures over the surface of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets. Overall, the research demonstrated that the rGO/ZrO2 nano-hybrid structure fabricated here can be considered as a promising candidate for applications in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.

Enhanced performance of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate)/graphene oxide nanocomposites via in situ polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X W; Zhang, C-A; Wang, P L; Zhao, J; Zhang, W; Ji, J H; Hua, K; Zhou, J; Yang, X B; Li, X P

2012-05-08

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were facilely prepared via in situ polymerization. The properties of the nanocomposites were studied using FTIR, XRD, and (1)H NMR, and the state of dispersion of GO in the PBS matrix was examined by SEM. The crystallization and melting behavior of the PBS matrix in the presence of dispersed GO nanosheets have been studied by DSC and polarized optical microscopy. Through the mechnical testing machine and DMA, PBS/GO nanocomposites with 3% GO have shown a 43% increase in tensile strength and a 45% improvement in storage modulus. This high performance of the nanocomposites is mainly attributed to the high strength of graphene oxide combined with the strong interfacial interactions in the uniformly dispersed PBS/GO nanocomposites.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposite size series

Science.gov (United States)

Injumpa, Wishulada; Ritprajak, Patcharee; Insin, Numpon

2017-04-01

Iron oxides nanoparticles have been utilized in biological systems and biomedical applications for many years because they are relatively safe and stable comparing to other magnetic nanomaterials. In some applications, iron oxide nanoparticles were modified with silica in order to be more stable in biological systems and able to be functionalized with various functional groups. Moreover, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was one on the most used polymer to graft onto the nanoparticles in order to increase their biocompatibility, dispersibility and stability in aqueous solutions. Therefore, the nanocomposites comprising iron oxide nanoparticles, silica, and PEG could become multifunctional carriers combining superparamagnetic character, multi-functionality and high stability in biological environments. Herein, we reported the preparation of the nanocomposites and effects of their sizes on cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses. The PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposites were prepared by coating of poly(poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) on magnetic nanoparticle-silica nanocomposites via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). The iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using a thermal decomposition method. The silica shells were then coated on iron oxides nanoparticles using reverse microemulsion and sol-gel methods. The size series of the nanocomposites with the diameter of 24.86±4.38, 45.24±5.00, 98.10±8.88 and 202.22±6.70 nm as measured using TEM were obtained. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used for the determination of % weight of PPEGMA on the nanocomposites showing the weight loss of ranging from 65% for smallest particles to 30% for largest particles. The various sizes (20, 40, 100, 200 nm) and concentrations (10, 100, 1000 μg/mL) of the nanocomposites were tested for their cytotoxicity in fibroblast and macrophage cell lines using MTT assay. The different sizes did not affect cell viability of fibroblast, albeit

Graphene Oxide-TiO2 Nanocomposite Films for Electron Transport Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Saleem, Abida; Ullah, Naveed; Khursheed, Kamran; Iqbal, Tahir; Shah, Saqlain A.; Asjad, Muhammad; Sarwar, Nazim; Saleem, Murtaza; Arshad, Muhammad

2018-03-01

Graphene oxide-titanium dioxide (GO-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films were prepared for application as the window layer of perovskite solar cells. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by a modified Hummer's method, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal solution method. Thin films of GO-TiO2 nanocomposite were prepared with different wt.% of GO by spin coating on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate followed by annealing at 150°C. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed rutile phase of TiO2 nanostructures. The bandgap of the pure TiO2 thin film was found to be 3.5 eV, reducing to 2.9 eV for the GO-TiO2 nanocomposites with a red-shift towards higher wavelength. Furthermore, thermal postannealing at 400°C improved the transparency in the visible region and decreased the sheet resistance. Morphological and elemental analysis was performed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The current-voltage characteristic of the GO-TiO2 nanocomposites indicated Ohmic contact with the ITO substrate. The chemical composition of the as-synthesized GO-TiO2 nanocomposites was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results presented herein demonstrate a new, low-temperature solution-processing approach to obtain rGO-TiO2 composite material for use as the electron transport layer of perovskite solar cells.

Preparation and characterization of porous reduced graphene oxide based inverse spinel nickel ferrite nanocomposite for adsorption removal of radionuclides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lingamdinne, Lakshmi Prasanna; Choi, Yu-Lim [Department of Environmental Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 139-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Im-Soon [Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 139-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Jae-Kyu [Ingenium College of Liberal Arts, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 139-701 (Korea, Republic of); Koduru, Janardhan Reddy, E-mail: reddyjchem@gmail.com [Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 139-701 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Yoon-Young, E-mail: yychang@kw.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 139-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • Novel porous Ferromagnetic, GONF and Superparamagnetic, rGONF preparation. • The nanosize particles GONF (41.14 nm) and rGONF (32.16 nm) preparation. • Adsorption mechanism and modeling developments for radionuclides. • Zeta potential and surface site density of nanocomposites for comparison. - Abstract: For the removal of uranium(VI) (U(VI)) and thorium(IV) (Th(IV)), graphene oxide based inverse spinel nickel ferrite (GONF) nanocomposite and reduced graphene oxide based inverse spinel nickel ferrite (rGONF) nanocomposite were prepared by co-precipitation of GO with nickel and iron salts in one pot. The spectral characterization analyses revealed that GONF and rGONF have a porous surface morphology with an average particle size of 41.41 nm and 32.16 nm, respectively. The magnetic property measurement system (MPMS) studies confirmed the formation of ferromagnetic GONF and superparamagnetic rGONF. The adsorption kinetics studies found that the pseudo-second-order kinetics was well tune to the U(VI) and Th(IV) adsorption. The results of adsorption isotherms showed that the adsorption of U(VI) and Th(IV) were due to the monolayer on homogeneous surface of the GONF and rGONF. The adsorptions of both U(VI) and Th(IV) were increased with increasing system temperature from 293 to 333 ± 2 K. The thermodynamic studies reveal that the U(VI) and Th(IV) adsorption onto GONF and rGONF was endothermic. GONF and rGONF, which could be separated by external magnetic field, were recycled and re-used for up to five cycles without any significant loss of adsorption capacity.

Graphene oxide-MnO2 nanocomposite for supercapacitor application

Science.gov (United States)

Muhammed Shafi, P.; Vishal, Jose K.; Chandra Bose, A.

2016-09-01

Increased depletion of fossil fuels along with global warming and climate change made the society to think about alternate green and sustainable energy sources and better energy storage devices. Extensive research has been performed on the development of solar cells, fuel cells, Lithium- ion battery and supercapacitors to combat the green house effect and its consequences, and to meet the increased energy crisis. Supercapacitors, also known as electrochemical capacitors are gained a great attention because of their pulse power supply, long cycle life (>100,000), simple principle and high dynamic of charge propagation. Its greater power density than lithium- ion battery and much larger energy density than conventional capacitors brought super capacitors to a promising energy storage device to meet the increased energy demands. Here we demonstrate supercapacitor electrode materials with graphene oxide (electric double layer capacitor) and α-MnO2 nanomaterial (pseudo-capacitor), as well as composite of these materials, which means that the bulk of the material undergoes a fast redox reaction to provide the capacitive response and they exhibit superior specific energies in addition to the carbon-based supercapacitors (double-layer capacitors). A simple soft chemical route is utilized to synthesize graphene oxide, α-MnO2 and graphene oxide-MnO2 composite. The phase and the structure of the synthesized materials are studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The functional group and the presence of impurities are understood from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. The capacitive properties of the graphene oxide, graphene oxide - MnO2 nanocomposite and α-MnO2 are tested with the help of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge - discharge techniques using 1 M Na2SO4 in aqueous solution as electrolyte. It was found that graphene oxide - MnO2 nanocomposite shows better electrochemical behaviour compared to individual graphene oxide and α-MnO2 nanomaterial.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposite size series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Injumpa, Wishulada [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Ritprajak, Patcharee [Department of Microbiology, and RU in Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Insin, Numpon, E-mail: Numpon.I@chula.ac.th [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2017-04-01

Iron oxides nanoparticles have been utilized in biological systems and biomedical applications for many years because they are relatively safe and stable comparing to other magnetic nanomaterials. In some applications, iron oxide nanoparticles were modified with silica in order to be more stable in biological systems and able to be functionalized with various functional groups. Moreover, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was one on the most used polymer to graft onto the nanoparticles in order to increase their biocompatibility, dispersibility and stability in aqueous solutions. Therefore, the nanocomposites comprising iron oxide nanoparticles, silica, and PEG could become multifunctional carriers combining superparamagnetic character, multi-functionality and high stability in biological environments. Herein, we reported the preparation of the nanocomposites and effects of their sizes on cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses. The PEGylated silica-iron oxide nanocomposites were prepared by coating of poly(poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) on magnetic nanoparticle-silica nanocomposites via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). The iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using a thermal decomposition method. The silica shells were then coated on iron oxides nanoparticles using reverse microemulsion and sol-gel methods. The size series of the nanocomposites with the diameter of 24.86±4.38, 45.24±5.00, 98.10±8.88 and 202.22±6.70 nm as measured using TEM were obtained. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used for the determination of % weight of PPEGMA on the nanocomposites showing the weight loss of ranging from 65% for smallest particles to 30% for largest particles. The various sizes (20, 40, 100, 200 nm) and concentrations (10, 100, 1000 μg/mL) of the nanocomposites were tested for their cytotoxicity in fibroblast and macrophage cell lines using MTT assay. The different sizes did not affect cell viability of fibroblast, albeit

MnO2-Graphene Oxide-PEDOT:PSS Nanocomposite for an Electrochemical Supercapacitor

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Dipali S.; Pawar, Sachin A.; Shin, Jae Cheol; Kim, Hyo Jin

2018-04-01

A ternary nanocomposite with poly (3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene:poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-MnO2 nanowires-graphene oxide (PMn-GO) was synthesized by using simple chemical route. The formation of the nanocomposite was analyzed by using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Field-emission scanning microscopy (FESEM) revealed the formation of MnO2 nanowires and graphene oxide nanosheets. The highest specific capacitance (areal capacitance) of 841 Fg -1 (177 mFcm -2) at 10 mVs -1 and energy density of 0.593 kWhkg -1 at 0.5 mA were observed for PMn-GO, indicating a constructive synergistic effect of PEDOT:PSS, MnO2 nanowires and graphene oxide. The achieved promising electrochemical characteristics showed that this ternary nanocomposite is a good alternative as an electrode material for supercapacitor.

MEMS sensor material based on polypyrrole carbon nanotube nanocomposite: film deposition and characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, Kwok-Siong; Lin, Liwei

2005-11-01

Conductive polymer-based nanocomposite has been utilized as a MEMS sensing material via a one-step, selective on-chip deposition process at room temperature. A doped polypyrrole (PPy) variant synthesized by incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) into electropolymerized PPy has been shown to improve the sensing performance utilizing a two-terminal, micro-gap chemiresistor architecture. The dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS)-doped PPy-MWCNT nanocomposites are found to be responsive to oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and this effect can be extended to glucose detection using H2O2 as a proxy material. The oxidant sensing effect is demonstrated by subjecting a glucose oxidase (GOx)-laden PPy-MWCNT nanocomposite film to various concentrations of glucose solution. Such PPy-MWCNT nanocomposite, when applied in a chemiresistor configuration, obviates the need for reference electrode and electron mediators, by measuring the direct and reversible, oxidation-reduction induced conductivity change. Experimentally, GOx-laden, doped PPy-MWCNT is tested to be sensitive to glucose concentration up to 20 mM, which covers the physiologically important range for diabetics of 0-20 mM.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for high performance supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

She, Xiao; Zhang, Xinmin; Liu, Jingya [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073 (China); Li, Liang, E-mail: msell08@163.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073 (China); Yu, Xianghua; Huang, Zhiliang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073 (China); Shang, Songmin, E-mail: shang.songmin@polyu.edu.hk [Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (China)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}@rGO nanocomposites were prepared by one-step microwave-assisted method. • The growth of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} and the reduction of graphene oxide occurred simultaneously. • Specific capacitance of the nanocomposite is higher than those of rGO and Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}. • The nanocomposites have good rate capability and cycling stability. - ABSTRACT: One-step microwave-assisted synthetic route for the fabrication of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles@reduced graphene oxide (Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}@rGO) nanocomposites has been demonstrated. The morphological structures of the nanocomposites are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. All of the results indicate that the microwave-assisted synthesis results in the growth of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} and the reduction of graphene oxide simultaneously in ethylene glycol-water system. The specific capacitance of the as-prepared Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}@rGO nanocomposite is higher than those of rGO and pure Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}, which indicates the synergetic interaction between rGO and Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}. The nanocomposites also have good rate capability and cycling stability in electrochemical experiments. This facile technique may be extended to the large scale and cost effective production of other composites based on graphene and metal oxide for many applications.

Preferable removal of phosphate from water using hydrous zirconium oxide-based nanocomposite of high stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Liang; Zhao, Xin; Pan, Bingcai; Zhang, Weixian; Hua, Ming; Lv, Lu; Zhang, Weiming

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The nanocomposite HZO-201 was stable under varying solution chemistry. • HZO-201 exhibited preferable phosphate removal over other ubiquitous anions. • Selective sorption mechanism was probed and discussed. • HZO-201 could be regenerated for cyclic use with constant efficiency. - Abstract: In this study, we employed a new nanocomposite adsorbent HZO-201, which featured high stability under varying solution chemistry, for preferable removal of phosphate from synthetic solution and a real effluent. An anion exchange resin (D-201) was employed as the host of HZO-201, where nano-hydrous zirconium oxide (HZO) was encapsulated as the active species. D-201 binds phosphate through nonspecific electrostatic affinity, whereas the loaded HZO nanoparticles capture phosphate through formation of the inner-sphere complexes. Quantitative contribution of both species to phosphate adsorption was predicted based on the double-Langmuir model. Preferable removal of phosphate by HZO-201 was observed in the presence of the competing anions at higher levels (Cl − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− , HCO 3 − ). Fixed-bed adsorption indicated that the effective volume capacity of a synthetic water (2.0 mg P-PO 4 3− /L) by using HZO-201 was ∼1600 BV in the first run (<0.5 mg P-PO 4 3− /L), comparable to Fe(III)-based nanocomposite HFO-201 (∼1500 BV) and much larger than D-201 (<250 BV). The exhausted HZO-201 can be in situ regenerated by using a binary NaOH–NaCl solution for cyclic runs, whether fed with the synthetic solution or real effluent. In general, HZO-201 is a promising alternative to Fe(III)-based adsorbents for trace phosphate removal from effluent particularly at acidic pH

Novel Nanocomposite Materials for Advanced Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuan Cai

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Nanostructured materials lie at the heart of fundamental advances in efficient energy storage and/or conversion, in which surface processes and transport kinetics play determining roles. Nanocomposite materials will have a further enhancement in properties compared to their constituent phases. This Review describes some recent developments of nanocomposite materials for high-performance Li-ion rechargeable batteries, including carbon-oxide nanocomposites, polymer-oxide nanocomposites, metal-oxide nanocomposites, and silicon-based nanocomposites, etc. The major goal of this Review is to highlight some new progress in using these nanocomposite materials as electrodes to develop Li-ion rechargeable batteries with high energy density, high rate capability, and excellent cycling stability.

Oxygen Barrier Properties and Melt Crystallization Behavior of Poly(ethylene terephthalate/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Szymczyk

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Poly(ethylene terephthalate nanocomposites with low loading (0.1–0.5 wt% of graphene oxide (GO have been prepared by using in situ polymerization method. TEM study of nanocomposites morphology has shown uniform distribution of highly exfoliated graphene oxide nanoplatelets in PET matrix. Investigations of oxygen permeability of amorphous films of nanocomposites showed that the nanocomposites had better oxygen barrier properties than the neat PET. The improvement of oxygen permeability for PET nanocomposite films over the neat PET is approximately factors of 2–3.3. DSC study on the nonisothermal crystallization behaviors proves that GO acts as a nucleating agent to accelerate the crystallization of PET matrix. The evolution of the lamellar nanostructure of nanocomposite and neat PET was monitored by SAXS during nonisothermal crystallization from the melt. It was found that unfilled PET and nanocomposite with the highest concentration of GO (0.5 wt% showed almost similar values of the long period (L=11.4 nm for neat PET and L=11.5 nm for PET/0.5GO.

Development of a reduced-graphene-oxide based superparamagnetic nanocomposite for the removal of nickel (II) from an aqueous medium via a fluorescence sensor platform

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Nandi, D

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Reduced-graphene-oxide based superparamagnetic nanocomposite (GC) was fabricated and applied for the remediation of Ni(II) from an aqueous medium. The as-prepared GC was extensively characterized by Raman, TEM, AFM, SEM–EDX, SQUID, and BET analyses...

Green synthesis, characterization, and anticancer activity of hyaluronan/zinc oxide nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Namvar F

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Farideh Namvar,1,2 Susan Azizi,3 Heshu Sulaiman Rahman,4–6 Rosfarizan Mohamad,1,3 Abdullah Rasedee,4 Mozhgan Soltani,2 Raha Abdul Rahim71Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Research Center for Animal Development Applied Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran; 3Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, 4Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Clinic and Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sulaimani, 6Department of Laboratory Medical Sciences, Komar University of Science and Technology, Sulaimani City, Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq; 7Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: The study describes an in situ green biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanocomposite using the seaweed Sargassum muticum water extract and hyaluronan biopolymer. The morphology and optical properties of the hyaluronan/zinc oxide (HA/ZnO nanocomposite were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–vis analysis. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the zinc oxide nanoparticles were polydispersed with a mean size of 10.2±1.5 nm. The nanoparticles were mostly hexagonal in crystalline form. The HA/ZnO nanocomposite showed the absorption properties in the ultraviolet zone that is ascribed to the band gap of zinc oxide nanocomposite. In the cytotoxicity study, cancer cells, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PANC-1, ovarian adenocarcinoma (CaOV-3, colonic adenocarcinoma (COLO205, and acute promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60 cells

Visible light assisted nitrogen dioxide sensing using tungsten oxide - Graphene oxide nanocomposite sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geng, Xin [College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002 (China); You, Jiajun; Wang, Jie [College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127 (China); Zhang, Chao, E-mail: zhangc@yzu.edu.cn [College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127 (China)

2017-04-15

Tungsten oxide (WO{sub 3}) coatings were deposited by solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) on alumina substrates. In order to enhance the NO{sub 2} sensing properties of the pure WO{sub 3} coatings at room temperature, illuminating with visible light and formation of p-n heterojunction were used. The SPPS WO{sub 3} coatings were modified by immersing them into a synthesized graphene oxide (GO) suspension to obtain the WO{sub 3}-GO composites. Raman and FTIR results demonstrated that p-n heterojunctions were successfully formed in the WO{sub 3}-GO composites. The UV–Vis spectra showed that the WO{sub 3}-GO composites had a longer visible light absorption range compared with the WO{sub 3} coatings. The sensors based on the WO{sub 3}-GO coatings exhibited ultra-high responses to NO{sub 2} at room temperature performed under visible light illumination. - Highlights: • Highly porous nanostructured WO{sub 3} coatings were deposited by SPPS process. • The WO{sub 3}-GO nanocomposites with p-n heterojunctions were successfully prepared. • The WO{sub 3}-GO nanocomposites exhibited ultra-high responses to 0.9 ppm NO{sub 2}. • The enhanced performance was ascribed to the fine structure and heterojunction.

Development of bone-like zirconium oxide nanoceramic modified chitosan based porous nanocomposites for biomedical application.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhowmick, Arundhati; Pramanik, Nilkamal; Jana, Piyali; Mitra, Tapas; Gnanamani, Arumugam; Das, Manas; Kundu, Patit Paban

2017-02-01

Here, zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO 2 NPs) were incorporated for the first time in organic-inorganic hybrid composites containing chitosan, poly(ethylene glycol) and nano-hydroxypatite (CS-PEG-HA) to develop bone-like nanocomposites for bone tissue engineering application. These nanocomposites were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TEM combined with SAED. SEM images and porosity measurements revealed highly porous structure having pore size of less than 1μm to 10μm. Enhanced water absorption capacity and mechanical strengths were obtained compared to previously reported CS-PEG-HA composite after addition of 0.1-0.3wt% of ZrO 2 NPs into these nanocomposites. The mechanical strengths and porosities were similar to that of human spongy bone. Strong antimicrobial effects against gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial strains were also observed. Along with getting low alkalinity pH (7.4) values, similar to the pH of human plasma, hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility with osteoblastic MG-63 cells were also established for these nanocomposites. Addition of 15wt% HA-ZrO 2 (having 0.3wt% ZrO 2 NPs) into CS-PEG (55:30wt%) composite resulted in greatest mechanical strength, porosity, antimicrobial property and cytocompatibility along with suitable water absorption capacity and compatibility with human pH and blood. Thus, this nanocomposite could serve as a potential candidate to be used for bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lactoferrin modified graphene oxide iron oxide nanocomposite for glioma-targeted drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Meng-Meng; Xu, Huai-Liang; Liang, Jun-Xing; Xiang, Hui-Hui; Liu, Rui; Shen, Yu-Xian

2017-08-01

Targeting delivery of drugs in a specific manner represents a potential powerful technology in gliomas. Herein, we prepared a multifunctional targeted delivery system based on graphene oxide (GO) that contains a molecular bio-targeting ligand and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on the surface of GO for magnetic targeting. Superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles was loaded on the surface of GO via chemical precipitation method to form GO@Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposites. Lactoferrin (Lf), an iron-transporting serum glycoprotein that binds to receptors overexpressed at the surface of glioma cells and vascular endothelial cell of the blood brain barrier, was chosen as the targeted ligand to construct the targeted delivery system Lf@GO@Fe 3 O 4 through EDC/NHS chemistry. With the confirmation of TEM, DLS and VSM, the resulting Lf@GO@Fe 3 O 4 had a size distribution of 200-1000nm and exhibited a superparamagnetic behavior. The nano delivery system had a high loading capacity and exhibited a pH-dependent release behavior. Compared with free DOX and DOX@GO@Fe 3 O 4 , Lf@GO@Fe 3 O 4 @DOX displayed greater intracellular delivery efficiency and stronger cytotoxicity against C6 glioma cells. The results demonstrated the potential utility of Lf conjugated GO@Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposites for therapeutic application in the treatment of gliomas. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nanocomposites of cellulose/iron oxide: influence of synthesis conditions on their morphological behavior and thermal stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Mingguo; Zhu Jiefang; Li Shuming; Jia Ning; Sun Runcang

2012-01-01

Nanocomposites of cellulose/iron oxide have been successfully prepared by hydrothermal method using cellulose solution and Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O at 180 °C. The cellulose solution was obtained by the dissolution of microcrystalline cellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous solution, which is a good system to dissolve cellulose and favors the synthesis of iron oxide without needing any template or other reagents. The phases, microstructure, and morphologies of nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS). The effects of the heating time, heating temperature, cellulose concentration, and ferric nitrate concentration on the morphological behavior of products were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the cellulose concentration played an important role in both the phase and shape of iron oxide in nanocomposites. Moreover, the nanocomposites synthesized by using different cellulose concentrations displayed different thermal stabilities. - Highlights: ► Nanocomposites of cellulose/iron oxide have been prepared by hydrothermal method. ► The cellulose concentration played an important role in the phase of iron oxide. ► The cellulose concentration played an important role in the shape of iron oxide. ► The samples displayed different thermal stabilities.

Enhancing performances of a resistivity-type hydrogen sensor based on Pd/SnO2/RGO nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yitian; Zheng, Lulu; Zou, Kun; Li, Cong

2017-05-26

Palladium/tin oxide/reduced graphene oxide (Pd/SnO 2 /RGO) nanocomposites with Pd and SnO 2 crystalline nanoparticles of high density and uniformity coated on RGO have been synthesized by a two-step reduction process. A novel hydrogen (H 2 ) sensor based on Pd/SnO 2 /RGO nanocomposites was fabricated by placing Pd/SnO 2 /RGO nanocomposites onto a pair of gold electrodes. The Pd/SnO 2 /RGO nanocomposite-based sensor exhibited higher responses than Pd/RGO to H 2 because the introduction of SnO 2 nanoparticles enhances H 2 adsorption and forms a P-N junction with RGO. The sensor shows a high response of 55% to 10 000 ppm H 2 , and a low detection limit, fast response, good selectivity and repeatability due to a combination effect of the Pd and SnO 2 nanoparticles. The studies provide a novel strategy for great potential applications of graphene-based gas sensors.

Nanocrystal-polymer nanocomposite electrochromic device

Science.gov (United States)

Milliron, Delia; Runnerstrom, Evan; Helms, Brett; Llordes, Anna; Buonsanti, Raffaella; Garcia, Guillermo

2015-12-08

Described is an electrochromic nanocomposite film comprising a solid matrix of an oxide based material, the solid matrix comprising a plurality of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) nanostructures dispersed in the solid matrix and a lithium salt dispersed in the solid matrix. Also described is a near infrared nanostructured electrochromic device having a functional layer comprising the electrochromic nanocomposite film.

The tunable plasma synthesis of Pt-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulong Ma

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Herein, we have developed Pt-plasma reduced graphene oxide (Pt/P-rGO catalysts displaying high overpotentials for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR through facile and tunable plasma treatments. We provide insight into the improved performance of these catalysts by combining electrochemical measurements with microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques. The analysis results showed that the Pt nanoparticles (NPs were successfully deposited on P-rGO. The deposition and uniformity of Pt NPs were influenced by tuning the discharge power of the plasma. The catalytic performance towards the methanol oxidation reaction is investigated. The Pt/P-rGO NPs composites under 100 W show the best electrocatalytic activity. These results were vital to the further application of graphene-based metal nanocomposites synthesized by plasma technology.

Influence of expanded graphite (EG) and graphene oxide (GO) on physical properties of PET based nanocomposites

OpenAIRE

Paszkiewicz Sandra; Nachman Małgorzata; Szymczyk Anna; Špitalský Zdeno; Mosnáček Jaroslav; Rosłaniec Zbigniew

2014-01-01

This work is the continuation and refinement of already published communications based on PET/EG nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization1, 2. In this study, nanocomposites based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) with expanded graphite were compared to those with functionalized graphite sheets (GO). The results suggest that the degree of dispersion of nanoparticles in the PET matrix has important effect on the structure and physical properties of the nanocomposites. The existence of gr...

Biopolymeric nanocomposites with enhanced interphases.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Yi; Hu, Kesong; Grant, Anise M; Zhang, Yuhong; Tsukruk, Vladimir V

2015-10-06

Ultrathin and robust nanocomposite membranes were fabricated by incorporating graphene oxide (GO) sheets into a silk fibroin (SF) matrix by a dynamic spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembly (dSA-LbL). We observed that in contrast to traditional SA-LbL reported earlier fast solution removal during dropping of solution on constantly spinning substrates resulted in largely unfolded biomacromolecules with enhanced surface interactions and suppressed nanofibril formation. The resulting laminated nanocomposites possess outstanding mechanical properties, significantly exceeding those previously reported for conventional LbL films with similar composition. The tensile modulus reached extremely high values of 170 GPa, which have never been reported for graphene oxide-based nanocomposites, the ultimate strength was close to 300 MPa, and the toughness was above 3.4 MJ m(-3). The failure modes observed for these membranes suggested the self-reinforcing mechanism of adjacent graphene oxide sheets with strong 2 nm thick silk interphase composed mostly from individual backbones. This interphase reinforcement leads to the effective load transfer between the graphene oxide components in reinforced laminated nanocomposite materials with excellent mechanical strength that surpasses those known today for conventional flexible laminated carbon nanocomposites from graphene oxide and biopolymer components.

Moessbauer investigation of maghemite-based glycolic acid nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, J. G.; Silveira, L. B.; Oliveira, A. C.; Garg, V. K.; Lacava, B. M.; Tedesco, A. C.; Morais, P. C.

2007-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Moessbauer spectroscopy were used in the characterization of a nanocomposite containing magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in a glycolic acid-based template. Maghemite nanoparticles were identified as the iron oxide phase dispersed in the polymeric template. From the low-temperature Moessbauer data the amount of the iron-based, non-magnetic material at the nanoparticle surface was estimated as roughly one monolayer in thickness.

Highly Active PdNi/RGO/Polyoxometalate Nanocomposite Electrocatalyst for Alcohol Oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jing; Wu, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Qingfan; Gao, Mingyan; Qiu, Haifang; Huang, Keke; Feng, Shouhua; Wang, Tingting; Yang, Ying; Liu, Zhelin; Zhao, Bo

2018-02-27

A PdNi/RGO/polyoxometalate nanocomposite has been successfully synthesized by a simple wet-chemical method. Characterizations such as transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are employed to verify the morphology, structure, and elemental composition of the as-prepared nanocomposite. Inspired by the fast-developing fuel cells, the electrochemical catalytic performance of the nanocomposite toward methanol and ethanol oxidation in alkaline media is further tested. Notably, the nanocomposite exhibits excellent catalytic activity and long-term stability toward alcohol electrooxidation compared with the PdNi/RGO and commercial Pd/C catalyst. Furthermore, the electrochemical results reveal that the prepared nanocomposite is attractive as a promising electrocatalyst for direct alcohol fuel cells, in which the phosphotungstic acid plays a crucial role in enhancing the electrocatalytic activities of the catalyst.

High electrocatalytic performance of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber-supported nickel oxide nanocomposite for methanol oxidation in alkaline medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Enizi, Abdullah M. [Department of Chemistry, King Saud University, PO Box: 2455, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Elzatahry, Ahmed A., E-mail: aelzatahry@ksu.edu.sa [Materials Science and Technology Program, College of Arts and Science, Qatar University, Doha 2713 (Qatar); Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria 21934 (Egypt); Abdullah, Aboubakr M., E-mail: bakr@qu.edu.qa [Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha 2713 (Qatar); Vinu, Ajayan [Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Building X-X2-09, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes 5095 SA (Australia); Iwai, Hideo [Materials Analysis Station, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0047 (Japan); Al-Deyab, Salem S. [Petrochemical Research Chair, Department of Chemistry, King Saud University, PO Box: 2455, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • A mixture of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), graphene and emeraldine base polyaniline (PANi) was electrospun and used as starting materials to prepare a nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF). • Nickel oxide was loaded on the N-CNF to form a nanocomposite which was calcined later at different temperatures. • The effect of calcination temperature on the electrocatalytic behavior of the nanocomposite was studied which shows that the nanocomposite calcined at 500 °C was proved to be very high compared to the other calcination temperatures. • The stability of catalyst was excellent and its resistance to the adsorption of the intermediates generated from the methanol oxidation was very high. - Abstract: Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber (N-CNF)–supported NiO composite was prepared by electrospinning a sol-gel mixture of graphene and polyaniline (PANi) with aqueous solutions of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) followed by a high-temperature annealing process. The electrospun was stabilized for 2 h at 280 °C, carbonized for 5 h at 1200 °C then loaded by 10% NiO. The electrocatalytic activities of the produced nanocomposite have been studied using cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. Also, N-CNF was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), surface area (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and scanning-electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained N-doped carbon nanofiber was found to have a nitrogen content of 2.6 atomic% with a diameter range of (140–160) nm, and a surface area (393.3 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}). In addition, it showed a high electrocatalytic behavior towards methanol oxidation reaction in alkaline medium and high stability and resistivity to the adsorption of intermediates.

Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Biosensor for Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Based on the Nanointerface of Graphene Nanocomposites Blended with Gold, Fe3O4, and Platinum Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Le; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Cheng, Chuansheng; Liu, Xiaoli; Jiang, Hui; Wang, Xuemei

2015-08-26

High levels of H2O2 pertain to high oxidative stress and are associated with cancer, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disease, and other related diseases. In this study, a sensitive H2O2 biosensor for evaluation of oxidative stress was fabricated on the basis of the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites decorated with Au, Fe3O4, and Pt nanoparticles (RGO/AuFe3O4/Pt) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and used to detect the released H2O2 from cancer cells and assess the oxidative stress elicited from H2O2 in living cells. Electrochemical behavior of RGO/AuFe3O4/Pt nanocomposites exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the relevant reduction with high selection and sensitivity, low overpotential of 0 V, low detection limit of ∼0.1 μM, large linear range from 0.5 μM to 11.5 mM, and outstanding reproducibility. The as-prepared biosensor was applied in the measurement of efflux of H2O2 from living cells including healthy normal cells and tumor cells under the external stimulation. The results display that this new nanocomposites-based biosensor is a promising candidate of nonenzymatic H2O2 sensor which has the possibility of application in clinical diagnostics to assess oxidative stress of different kinds of living cells.

Ionic liquid-modified metal sulfides/graphene oxide nanocomposites for photoelectric conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yu; Zhang, Yù; Pei, Qi; Feng, Ting; Mao, Hui; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Shuyao; Liu, Daliang; Wang, Hongyu; Song, Xi-Ming

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Metal sulfide (CdS, ZnS, Ag 2 S)/GO nanocomposites were prepared by electrostatic adherence. • Ionic liquid was used to link the metal sulfide and GO in the electrostatic adherence process. • The as-prepared samples showed enhanced photocurrent and highly efficient photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. - Abstract: Ionic liquid-modified metal sulfides/graphene oxide nanocomposites are prepared via a facile electrostatic adsorption. Ionic liquid (IL) is firstly used as surface modifier and structure-directing agent of metal sulfide (MS) crystallization process, obtaining ionic liquid modified-MS (IL-MS) nanoparticles with positive charges on surface. IL-MS/GO is obtained by electrostatic adherence between positively charged IL-MS and negatively charged graphene oxide (GO). The as-prepared sample shows enhanced photocurrent and highly efficient photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation, indicating IL-MS/GO nanocomposites greatly promoted the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs

Enhanced catalytic and dopamine sensing properties of electrochemically reduced conducting polymer nanocomposite doped with pure graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenting; Xu, Guiyun; Cui, Xinyan Tracy; Sheng, Ge; Luo, Xiliang

2014-08-15

Significantly enhanced catalytic activity of a nanocomposite composed of conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with graphene oxide (GO) was achieved through a simple electrochemical reduction process. The nanocomposite (PEDOT/GO) was electrodeposited on an electrode and followed by electrochemical reduction, and the obtained reduced nanocomposite (PEDOT/RGO) modified electrode exhibited lowered electrochemical impedance and excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of dopamine. Based on the excellent catalytic property of PEDOT/RGO, an electrochemical sensor capable of sensitive and selective detection of DA was developed. The fabricated sensor can detect DA in a wide linear range from 0.1 to 175μM, with a detection limit of 39nM, and it is free from common interferences such as uric acid and ascorbic acid. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oxide/polymer nanocomposites as new luminescent materials

Science.gov (United States)

Vollath, D.; Szabó, D. V.; Schlabach, S.

2004-06-01

It is demonstrated that nanocomposites, consisting of an electrically insulating oxide core and PMMA coating exhibit strong luminescence. This luminescence is connected to the interface, where PMMA is bond via a carboxylate bonding to the surface. In this case, luminescence is originated at the carbonyl group of the coating polymer. With decreasing particle size, this emission shows a blue shift, following a law inversely the ones found for quantum confinement systems. For semi-conducting oxides, such as ZnO, this interface related emission is found additionally to quantum confinement phenomena.

Preferable removal of phosphate from water using hydrous zirconium oxide-based nanocomposite of high stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Liang; Zhao, Xin; Pan, Bingcai; Zhang, Weixian; Hua, Ming; Lv, Lu; Zhang, Weiming

2015-03-02

In this study, we employed a new nanocomposite adsorbent HZO-201, which featured high stability under varying solution chemistry, for preferable removal of phosphate from synthetic solution and a real effluent. An anion exchange resin (D-201) was employed as the host of HZO-201, where nano-hydrous zirconium oxide (HZO) was encapsulated as the active species. D-201 binds phosphate through nonspecific electrostatic affinity, whereas the loaded HZO nanoparticles capture phosphate through formation of the inner-sphere complexes. Quantitative contribution of both species to phosphate adsorption was predicted based on the double-Langmuir model. Preferable removal of phosphate by HZO-201 was observed in the presence of the competing anions at higher levels (Cl(-), NO3(-), SO4(2-), HCO3(-)). Fixed-bed adsorption indicated that the effective volume capacity of a synthetic water (2.0 mg P-PO4(3-)/L) by using HZO-201 was ∼1600 BV in the first run (<0.5mg P-PO4(3-)/L), comparable to Fe(III)-based nanocomposite HFO-201 (∼1500 BV) and much larger than D-201 (<250 BV). The exhausted HZO-201 can be in situ regenerated by using a binary NaOH-NaCl solution for cyclic runs, whether fed with the synthetic solution or real effluent. In general, HZO-201 is a promising alternative to Fe(III)-based adsorbents for trace phosphate removal from effluent particularly at acidic pH. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Graphene-polyethylenedioxythiophene conducting polymer nanocomposite based supercapacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvi, Farah; Ram, Manoj K.; Basnayaka, Punya A.; Stefanakos, Elias; Goswami, Yogi; Kumar, Ashok

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: Schematic diagrams of an electrochemical double layer type capacitor showing the charged (left) and discharged (right) states. Highlights: → The Graphene-PEDOT nanocomposite based smart coating has shown the excellent redox properties in acidic, organic electrolytes, which is promising for suprecapcitor application. → The electrochemical impedance studies have also been estimated which clearly indicates the high conductivity and less charge transfer resistance in the synthesized material. → The specific capacitance of 380F/g have been calculated for G-Pedot material, also it shows the columbic efficiency of 95% for 800 cycles, which tells the remarkable stability of synthesized material. - Abstract: We present here the synthesis, characterization and application of graphene (G)-polyethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) nanocomposites as electrode material for supercapacitor applications. The G-PEDOT nanocomposite was synthesized using a chemical oxidative polymerization technique, and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray-diffraction, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The electrochemical charge/discharge characteristics of G-PEDOT nanocomposites were investigated in different electrolytic media, and the specific discharge capacitance was estimated to be 374 Farad/gram (F/gm). This manuscript presents the capacitance studies on supercapacitor G-PEDOT electrode with respect to stability of material, specific capacitance, electrical conductivity and specific charge/discharge properties of the supercapacitor electrodes. Our study has revealed that the G-PEDOT nanocomposite could be a transformable and viable electrode material for supercapacitor applications.

Development of biodegradable metaloxide/polymer nanocomposite films based on poly-ε-caprolactone and terephthalic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Varaprasad, Kokkarachedu; Pariguana, Manuel; Raghavendra, Gownolla Malegowd; Jayaramudu, Tippabattini; Sadiku, Emmanuel Rotimi

2017-01-01

The present investigation describes the development of metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films from biodegradable poly-ε-caprolactone, disposed poly(ethylene terephthalate) oil bottles monomer and zinc oxide-copper oxide nanoparticles. The terephthalic acid and zinc oxide-copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by using a temperature-dependent precipitation technique and double precipitation method, respectively. The terephthalic acid synthesized was confirmed by FTIR analysis and furthermore, it was characterized by thermal analysis. The as-prepared CuO-ZnO nanoparticles structure was confirmed by XRD analysis and its morphology was analyzed by SEM/EDS and TEM. Furthermore, the metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films have excellent mechanical properties, with tensile strength and modulus better than pure films. The metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films that were successfully developed show a relatively brighter colour when compared to CuO film. These new metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films can replace many non-degradable plastics. The new metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films developed are envisaged to be suitable for use in industrial and domestic packaging applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Liquid crystalline polymer nanocomposites reinforced with in-situ reduced graphene oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Pedrazzoli

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this work liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP nanocomposites reinforced with in-situ reduced graphene oxide are investigated. Graphene oxide (GO was first synthesized by the Hummers method, and the kinetics of its thermal reduction was assessed. GO layers were then homogeneously dispersed in a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer matrix (Vectran®, and an in-situ thermal reduction of GO into reduced graphene oxide (rGO was performed. Even at low rGO amount, the resulting nanocomposites exhibited an enhancement of both the mechanical properties and the thermal stability. Improvements of the creep stability and of the thermo-mechanical behavior were also observed upon nanofiller incorporation. Furthermore, in-situ thermal reduction of the insulating GO into the more electrically conductive rGO led to an important surface resistivity decrease in the nanofilled samples.

Design and development of anisotropic inorganic/polystyrene nanocomposites by surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Xiao [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092 (China); Huang, Shiming [Department of Physics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Wang, Yilong, E-mail: yilongwang@tongji.edu.cn [Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092 (China); Shi, Donglu, E-mail: shid@ucmail.uc.edu [Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092 (China); The Materials Science and Engineering Program, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221 (United States)

2016-07-01

Anisotropic yolk/shell or Janus inorganic/polystyrene nanocomposites were prepared by combining miniemulsion polymerization and sol–gel reaction. The morphologies of the anisotropic composites were found to be greatly influenced by surface modification of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle seeds. Two different types of the oleic acid modified ZnO nanoparticles (OA-ZnO) were prepared by post-treatment of commercial ZnO powder and homemade OA-ZnO nanoparticles. The morphologies and properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). It was found that both post-treated OA-ZnO and in-situ prepared OA-ZnO nanoparticles resulted in the yolk–shell and Janus structure nanocomposites, but with varied size and morphology. These nanocomposites showed stable and strong fluorescence by introducing quantum dots as the co-seeds. The fluorescent anisotropic nanocomposites were decorated separately with surface carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. These composites with unique anisotropic properties will have high potential in biomedical applications, particularly in bio-detection. - Graphical abstract: Design and development of anisotropic inorganic/polystyrene nanocomposites by surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Non-magnetic anisotropic yolk/shell or Janus nanocomposites are prepared and characterized. • Different surface modification of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles results in varied morphology and size of the final product. • Fluorescent anisotropic nanocomposites embodying quantum dots are an ideal candidate for bio-detection applications.

Cross-linkable graphene oxide embedded nanocomposite hydrogel with enhanced mechanics and cytocompatibility for tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xifeng; Miller, A Lee; Waletzki, Brian E; Lu, Lichun

2018-05-01

Graphene oxide (GO) is an attractive material that can be utilized to enhance the modulus and conductivities of substrates and hydrogels. To covalently cross-link graphene oxide sheets into hydrogels, abundant cross-linkable double bonds were introduced to synthesize the graphene-oxide-tris-acrylate sheet (GO-TrisA). Polyacrylamide (PAM) nanocomposite hydrogels were then fabricated with inherent covalently and permanently cross-linked GO-TrisA sheets. Results showed that the covalently cross-linked GO-TrisA/PAM nanocomposite hydrogel had enhanced mechanical strength, thermo stability compared with GO/PAM hydrogel maintained mainly by hydrogen bonding between PAM chains and GO sheets. In vitro cell study showed that the covalently cross-linked rGO-TrisA/PAM nanocomposite hydrogel had excellent cytocompatibility after in situ reduction. These results suggest that rGO-TrisA/PAM nanocomposite hydrogel holds great potential for tissue engineering applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1247-1257, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Graphene oxide/MnO{sub 2} nanocomposite as destructive adsorbent of nerve-agent simulants in aqueous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Šťastný, Martin, E-mail: stastny@iic.cas.cz [Materials Chemistry Department, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR v.v.i., 25068 Husinec-Řež (Czech Republic); Faculty of the Environment, J.E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Králova Výšina 7, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic); Tolasz, Jakub; Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří [Materials Chemistry Department, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR v.v.i., 25068 Husinec-Řež (Czech Republic); Žižka, David [Faculty of the Environment, J.E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Králova Výšina 7, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic)

2017-08-01

Highlights: • Nanocomposite graphene oxide-birnessite-type MnO{sub 2} was synthesized by thermal hydrolysis. • New destructive sorbent for safe degradation of nerve-agent simulants. • 95% degradation activity for DMMP and TEP. - Abstract: Graphene oxide/MnO{sub 2} nanocomposite was prepared by thermal hydrolysis of potassium permanganate (KMnO{sub 4}) and 2-chloroacetamide aqueous solutions with graphene oxide (GO) suspension. The synthesized samples were characterized by specific surface area (BET) and porosity determination (BJH), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution electron microscopes (HRSEM, HRTEM). These nanocomposites were used in an experimental evaluation of their adsorption activity with nerve agent simulants dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) and triethyl phosphate (TEP) in aqueous media. The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced adsorptive degradation ability compared to pure manganese oxide (MnO{sub 2}) and GO. The GO amount in the nanocomposites affected their degradation activity substantially. The best adsorption efficiency was observed for samples with moderate GO amount. Three methods were used to observe the mechanism of the nerve-agent simulants deactivation: Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC–MS), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and in situ Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was shown that the hydrolysis on the surface of prepared nanocomposites yields volatile primary alcohols (methanol and ethanol) as the main hydrolysis products.

Graphene oxide-enhanced sol-gel transition sensitivity and drug release performance of an amphiphilic copolymer-based nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Huawen; Wang, Xiaowen; Lee, Ka I; Ma, Kaikai; Hu, Hong; Xin, John H.

2016-01-01

We report the fabrication of a highly sensitive amphiphilic copolymer-based nanocomposite incorporating with graphene oxide (GO), which exhibited a low-intensity UV light-triggered sol-gel transition. Non-cytotoxicity was observed for the composite gels after the GO incorporation. Of particular interest were the microchannels that were formed spontaneously within the GO-incorporated UV-gel, which expedited sustained drug release. Therefore, the present highly UV-sensitive, non-cytotoxic amphiphilic copolymer-based composites is expected to provide enhanced photothermal therapy and chemotherapy by means of GO’s unique photothermal properties, as well as through efficient passive targeting resulting from the sol-gel transition characteristic of the copolymer-based system with improved sensitivity, which thus promises the enhanced treatment of patients with cancer and other diseases. PMID:27539298

Assessment of morphology and property of graphene oxide-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose nanocomposite films.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Tapas Kumar; Gope, Shirshendu; Mondal, Dibyendu; Bhowmik, Biplab; Mollick, Md Masud Rahaman; Maity, Dipanwita; Roy, Indranil; Sarkar, Gunjan; Sadhukhan, Sourav; Rana, Dipak; Chakraborty, Mukut; Chattopadhyay, Dipankar

2014-05-01

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by Hummer's method and characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The as synthesized GO was used to make GO/hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) nanocomposite films by the solution mixing method using different concentrations of GO. The nanocomposite films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Mechanical properties, water absorption property and water vapor transmission rate were also measured. XRD analysis showed the formation of exfoliated HPMC/GO nanocomposites films. The FESEM results revealed high interfacial adhesion between the GO and HPMC matrix. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposite films containing the highest weight percentage of GO increased sharply. The thermal stability of HPMC/GO nanocomposites was slightly better than pure HPMC. The water absorption and water vapor transmission rate of HPMC film was reduced with the addition of up to 1 wt% GO. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carbon nanotube/platinum nanoparticle nanocomposites: preparation, characterization and application in electro oxidation of alcohols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalinke, Adir H.; Zarbin, Aldo J. G.

2014-01-01

The synthesis and characterization of different platinum nanoparticle/ carbon nanotube nanocomposite samples are described along with the application of these nanocomposites as electrocatalysts for alcohol oxidation. Samples were prepared by a biphasic system in which platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) are synthesized in situ in contact with a carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersion. Variables including platinum precursor/CNT ratio, previous chemical treatment of carbon nanotubes, and presence or absence of a capping agent were evaluated and correlated with the characteristic of the synthesized materials. Samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Glassy carbon electrodes were modified by the nanocomposite samples and evaluated as electrocatalysts for alcohol oxidation. Current densities of 56.1 and 79.8/104.7 mA cm -2 were determined for the oxidation of methanol and ethanol, respectively. (author)

Nanocomposite oxide thin films grown by pulsed energy beam deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nistor, M.; Petitmangin, A.; Hebert, C.; Seiler, W.

2011-01-01

Highly non-stoichiometric indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown by pulsed energy beam deposition (pulsed laser deposition-PLD and pulsed electron beam deposition-PED) under low oxygen pressure. The analysis of the structure and electrical transport properties showed that ITO films with a large oxygen deficiency (more than 20%) are nanocomposite films with metallic (In, Sn) clusters embedded in a stoichiometric and crystalline oxide matrix. The presence of the metallic clusters induces specific transport properties, i.e. a metallic conductivity via percolation with a superconducting transition at low temperature (about 6 K) and the melting and freezing of the In-Sn clusters in the room temperature to 450 K range evidenced by large changes in resistivity and a hysteresis cycle. By controlling the oxygen deficiency and temperature during the growth, the transport and optical properties of the nanocomposite oxide films could be tuned from metallic-like to insulating and from transparent to absorbing films.

A Novel Method of Mechanical Oxidation of CNT for Polymer Nanocomposite Application: Evaluation of Mechanical, Dynamic Mechanical, and Rheological Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priyanka Pandey

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A new approach of oxidation of carbon nanotubes has been used to oxidize the CNTs. A comparative aspect of the mechanical oxidation and acid oxidation process has been established. FTIR analysis and titration method have shown the higher feasibility of the mechanical oxidation method to oxidize the CNTs. Comparatively less damage to the CNTs has been observed in case of mechanically oxidized as compared to acid oxidized CNTs. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites reinforced with the acid oxidized CNT (ACNT and mechanically oxidized CNTs (McCNT were analyzed and relatively higher properties in the nanocomposites reinforced with McCNT were noticed. The less degree of entanglement in the McCNTs was noticed as compared to ACNTs. The dynamic mechanical analysis of the nanocomposites revealed much improved load transfer capability in the McCNT reinforced composites. Further, the rheological properties of the nanocomposites revealed the higher performance of McCNT reinforced composites.

Development of biodegradable metaloxide/polymer nanocomposite films based on poly-ε-caprolactone and terephthalic acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varaprasad, Kokkarachedu, E-mail: varmaindian@gmail.com [Centro de Investigación de Polímeros Avanzados (CIPA), Avenida Collao 1202, Edificio de Laboratorios, Concepción (Chile); Pariguana, Manuel [Centro de Investigación de Polímeros Avanzados (CIPA), Avenida Collao 1202, Edificio de Laboratorios, Concepción (Chile); Centro de Innovación Tecnológica Agroindustrial CITE Agroindustrial, Panamericana Sur Km, 293.3, Ica (Peru); Raghavendra, Gownolla Malegowd [Department of Packaging, Yonsei University, Wonju, Gangwon-do 220 710 (Korea, Republic of); Jayaramudu, Tippabattini [Center for Nano Cellulose Future Composites, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, 253 Yonghyun-Dong, Nam-Ku, Incheon 402–751 (Korea, Republic of); Sadiku, Emmanuel Rotimi [Department of Polymer Technology, Tshwane University of Technology, CSIR-Campus, Pretoria 0040 (South Africa)

2017-01-01

The present investigation describes the development of metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films from biodegradable poly-ε-caprolactone, disposed poly(ethylene terephthalate) oil bottles monomer and zinc oxide-copper oxide nanoparticles. The terephthalic acid and zinc oxide-copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by using a temperature-dependent precipitation technique and double precipitation method, respectively. The terephthalic acid synthesized was confirmed by FTIR analysis and furthermore, it was characterized by thermal analysis. The as-prepared CuO-ZnO nanoparticles structure was confirmed by XRD analysis and its morphology was analyzed by SEM/EDS and TEM. Furthermore, the metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films have excellent mechanical properties, with tensile strength and modulus better than pure films. The metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films that were successfully developed show a relatively brighter colour when compared to CuO film. These new metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films can replace many non-degradable plastics. The new metal-oxide polymer nanocomposite films developed are envisaged to be suitable for use in industrial and domestic packaging applications. - Graphical abstract: Biodegradable metal-oxide/polymer nanocomposites films prepared by using poly-ε-caprolactone with disposed PET oil bottles terephthalic acid monomer. The development of biodegradable film provides a new material with desirable mechanical, physical and chemical properties and can be utilized for industrial applications. - Highlights: • Terephthalic acid obtained from disposed PET oil bottles via precipitation technique. • New nano metal-oxides were developed by double precipitation technique. • Nano metal-oxide polymer films were synthesized by solvent evaporation method. • Nano metal-oxide polymer films exhibit superior mechanical characteristics.

Chitosan/graphene oxide nanocomposite films with enhanced interfacial interaction and their electrochemical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Linghao; Wang, Hongfang; Xia, Guangmei; Sun, Jing; Song, Rui

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Nanocomposites by introducing graphene oxide (GO) into chitosan (CS) matrix were prepared and the effect of GO on the crystallization, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the films were investigated. In addition, the electrochemical behavior of the CS/GO modified electrode was comparatively studied with that of the neat CS-modified electrode. - Highlights: • Graphene oxide (GO) with well dispersion in the biopolymer chitosan (CS) matrix. • Detectable interactions do exist between the GO nanosheets and CS segments. • The addition of minor GO can improve the electrochemical activity of the neat CS. - Abstract: A series of chitosan (CS) nanocomposites incorporated with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were facilely prepared by sonochemical method. Characterized by scanning electron microscopy, the obtained nanocomposites showed fine dispersion of GO in the CS matrix. Meanwhile, a marked interfacial interaction was also revealed as the values of glass transition temperature, the decomposition temperature and the storage modulus were significantly increased with the addition of GO. Furthermore, the well dispersed GO nanosheets could significantly improve the electrochemical activity of the CS as demonstrated by the electrochemical behaviors of pure CS and the GO/CS composite electrodes. Hence, the GO/CS nanocomposites film could be a promising candidate in the fabrication of electrochemical biosensors

Metal Oxide-Carbon Nanocomposites for Aqueous and Nonaqueous Supercapacitors, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I effort focuses on development of novel metal-oxide-carbon nanocomposites for application in pseudocapacitive...

Photodeposited metal-semiconductor nanocomposites and their applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoonkyung Lee

2018-06-01

Full Text Available While two-dimensional layered nanomaterials including transition metal oxides and transition metal dichalcogenides have been widely researched because of their unique electronic and optical properties, they still have some limitations. To overcome these limitations, transition metal oxides and transition metal dichalcogenides based nanocomposites have been developed using various methods and have exhibited superior properties. In this paper, we introduce the photodeposition method and review the photodeposition of metal nanoparticles on the surface of transition metal oxide and transition metal dichalcogenides. Their current applications are also explained, such as photocatalysis, hydrogen evolution reaction, surface enhanced Ramanscattering, etc. This approach for nanocomposites has potential for future research areas such as photocatalysis, hydrogen evolution reaction, surface enhanced Raman scattering, and other applications. This approach for nanocomposite has the potential for future research areas. Keywords: Photodeposition, Nanocomposite, Transition metal oxide, Transition metal dichalcogenide

The Role of Interfaces in Polyethylene/Metal-Oxide Nanocomposites for Ultrahigh-Voltage Insulating Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Pourrahimi, Amir Masoud; Olsson, Richard T; Hedenqvist, Mikael S

2018-01-01

Recent progress in the development of polyethylene/metal-oxide nanocomposites for extruded high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables with ultrahigh electric insulation properties is presented. This is a promising technology with the potential of raising the upper voltage limit in today's underground/submarine cables, based on pristine polyethylene, to levels where the loss of energy during electric power transmission becomes low enough to ensure intercontinental electric power transmission. The development of HVDC insulating materials together with the impact of the interface between the particles and the polymer on the nanocomposites electric properties are shown. Important parameters from the atomic to the microlevel, such as interfacial chemistry, interfacial area, and degree of particle dispersion/aggregation, are discussed. This work is placed in perspective with important work by others, and suggested mechanisms for improved insulation using nanoparticles, such as increased charge trap density, adsorption of impurities/ions, and induced particle dipole moments are considered. The effects of the nanoparticles and of their interfacial structures on the mechanical properties and the implications of cavitation on the electric properties are also discussed. Although the main interest in improving the properties of insulating polymers has been on the use of nanoparticles, leading to nanodielectrics, it is pointed out here that larger microscopic hierarchical metal-oxide particles with high surface porosity also impart good insulation properties. The impact of the type of particle and its inherent properties (purity and conductivity) on the nanocomposite dielectric and insulating properties are also discussed based on data obtained by a newly developed technique to directly observe the charge distribution on a nanometer scale in the nanocomposite. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

One-step synthesis and properties of monolithic photoluminescent ruby colored cuprous oxide antimony oxide glass nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Som, Tirtha [Glass Science and Technology Section, Glass Division, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, India), 196, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India); Karmakar, Basudeb, E-mail: basudebk@cgcri.res.in [Glass Science and Technology Section, Glass Division, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, India), 196, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India)

2011-04-14

Research highlights: > Single-step synthesis of Cu{sub 2}O, Cu{sub y}Sb{sub 2-x}(O,OH){sub 6-7} (y {<=} 2, x {<=} 1) and Cu nanocrystals co-doped novel antimony oxide glass hybrid nanocomposites. > Yellow and orange colored nanocomposites shows size-controlled band gap shift of Cu{sub 2}O. > Red nanocomposite exhibits surface plasmon resonance band due to metallic Cu. > They exhibit broad deep-red photoluminescence emission under various UV excitation wavelengths. - Abstract: Cuprous oxide (Cu{sub 2}O) antimony glass (K{sub 2}O-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3}) monolithic nanocomposites having brilliant yellow to ruby red color have been synthesized by a single-step melt-quench technique involving in situ thermochemical reduction of Cu{sup 2+} (CuO) by the reducing glass matrix without using any external reducing agent. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared transmission and reflection spectra, and selected area electron diffraction analysis support the reduction of Cu{sup 2+} to Cu{sup +} with the formation of Cu{sub 2}O nanoclusters along with Cu{sub y}Sb{sub 2-x}(O,OH){sub 6-7} (y {<=} 2, x {<=} 1) nanocrystalline phases while Cu{sup 0} nanoclusters are formed at very high Cu concentration. The UV-vis spectra of the yellow and orange colored nanocomposites show size-controlled band gap shift of the semiconductor (Cu{sub 2}O) nanocrystallites embedded in the glasses while the red nanocomposite exhibits surface plasmon resonance band at 529 nm due to metallic Cu. Transmission electron microscopic image advocates the formation of nanocystallites (5-42 nm). Photoluminescence emission studies show broad red emission band around 626 nm under various excitation wavelengths from 210 to 270 nm.

Colloidal titania-silica-iron oxide nanocomposites and the effect from silica thickness on the photocatalytic and bactericidal activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chanhom, Padtaraporn [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Charoenlap, Nisanart [Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok 10210 (Thailand); Tomapatanaget, Boosayarat [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Insin, Numpon, E-mail: Numpon.I@chula.ac.th [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2017-04-01

New types of colloidal multifunctional nanocomposites that combine superparamagnetic character and high photocatalytic activity were synthesized and investigated. The superparamagnetic nanocomposites composed of anatase titania, silica, and iron oxide nanoparticles (TSI) were synthesized using thermal decomposition method followed by microemulsion method, without calcination at high temperature. Different techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize and confirm the structure of the nanocomposites. These nanocomposites showed high photocatalytic activity when used in the photodegradation of methylene blue under irradiation with a black light lamp. Moreover, the nanocomposites exhibited high antibacterial properties. From our study, the nanocomposites can be useful in various applications such as removal of pollutants with readily separation from the environment using an external magnetic field. These composites could effectively photo-degrade the dye at least three cycles without regeneration. The effects of silica shell thickness on the photocatalytic activity was investigated, and the thickness of 6 nm of the silica interlayer is enough for the inhibition of electron translocation between titania and iron oxide nanoparticles and maintaining the efficiency of photocatalytic activity of titania nanoparticles. - Highlights: • New colloidal nanocomposites of iron oxide-silica-titania were prepared. • The nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activity with magnetic response. • The effects of silica thickness on photocatalytic activity were investigated. • Bactericidal activity of the nanocomposites was demonstrated.

Performance enhancement of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells based on polymer nano-composite catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Hyunwoong; Gopi, Chandu V.V.M.; Kim, Hee-Je; Itagaki, Naho; Koga, Kazunori; Shiratani, Masaharu

2017-01-01

Highlights: •We studied polymer nano-composite containing TiO 2 nano-particles as a catalyst. •Polymer nano-composite was applied for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells. •Polymer nano-composite catalyst was considerably improved with TiO 2 nano-particles. •Polymer nano-composite showed higher photovoltaic performance than conventional Au. -- Abstract: Polymer nano-composite composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) and TiO 2 nano-particles was deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate and applied as an alternative to Au counter electrode of quantum dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSC). It became surface-richer with the increase in nano-particle amount so that catalytic reaction was increased by widened catalytic interface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry clearly demonstrated the enhancement of polymer nano-composite counter electrode. A QDSC based on polymer nano-composite counter electrode showed 0.56 V of V OC , 12.24 mA cm −2 of J SC , 0.57 of FF, and 3.87% of efficiency and this photovoltaic performance was higher than that of QDSC based on Au counter electrode (3.75%).

Fatigue-free PZT-based nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, H J; Sando, M [Nat. Ind. Res. Inst., Nagoya (Japan); Tajima, K [Synergy Ceramics Lab., Fine Ceramics Research Association, Nagoya (Japan); Niihara, K [ISIR, Osaka Univ., Mihogaoka, Ibaraki (Japan)

1999-03-01

The goal of this study is to fabricate fatigue-free piezoelectrics-based nanocomposites. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and metallic platinum (Pt) were selected as a matrix and secondary phase dispersoid. Fine Pt particles were homogeneously dispersed in the PZT matrix. Fatigue properties of the unpoled PZT-based nanocomposite under electrical cyclic loading were investigated. The electrical-field-induced crack growth was monitored by an optical microscope, and it depended on the number of cycles the sample was subjected to. Resistance to fatigue was significantly enhanced in the nanocomposite. The excellent fatigue behavior of the PZT/Pt nanocomposites may result from the grain boundary strenghtening due to the interaction between the matrix and Pt particles. (orig.) 8 refs.

Dielectric property study of poly(4-vinylphenol)-graphene oxide nanocomposite thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Dhrubojyoti

2018-05-01

Thin film capacitor device having a sandwich structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass/polymer or polymer nanocomposite /silver has been fabricated and their dielectric and leakage current properties has been studied. The dielectric properties of the capacitors were characterized for frequencies ranging from 1 KHz to 1 MHz. 5 wt% Poly(4-vinylphenol)(PVPh)-Graphene (GO) nanocomposite exhibited an increase in dielectric constant to 5.6 and small rise in dielectric loss to around˜0.05 at 10 KHz w.r.t polymer. The DC conductivity measurements reveal rise of leakage current in nanocomposite.

Preparation of copper (I) oxide nanohexagon decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite and its application in electrochemical sensing of dopamine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sivasubramanian, R., E-mail: rss@psgias.ac.in; Biji, P.

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Cu{sub 2}O nanohexagon–reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite has been prepared by in-situ reduction method. • The rGO-Cu{sub 2}O/GCE exhibited excellent catalytic properties for dopamine due to the synergistic action of the nanocomposite. • The proposed sensor is highly selective toward dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid. - Graphical Abstract: - Abstract: An electrochemical sensor using copper (I) oxide nanostructure decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite has been proposed for selective detection of dopamine. The rGO–Cu{sub 2}O nanocomposite was synthesized by in-situ chemical reduction method and was characterized using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), UV–vis and Raman Spectroscopy, respectively. From Cyclic Voltammetric (CV) studies, it was inferred that rGO–Cu{sub 2}O/GCE exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward dopamine, which is attributed to the enhanced conductivity as well as the synergistic effect of the nanocomposite. The sensing was carried out using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) wherefrom a Limit of Detection (LOD) of 50 nM with a linear range from 10 µM to 900 µM was estimated. The effect of potential interfering agents such as Uric Acid (UA), Ascorbic Acid (AA), glucose, K{sup +}, Na{sup +}, Cl{sup −}, and SO{sub 4}{sup −} ions toward sensing were investigated. The performance of the sensor toward the estimation of dopamine in human blood and urine samples were analyzed. The facile method for the preparation of a nanocomposite in conjunction with the low detection limit and the wide linear range for dopamine sensing is the advantage of this present study.

Chitosan/zinc oxide-polyvinylpyrrolidone (CS/ZnO-PVP) nanocomposite for better thermal and antibacterial activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Karpuraranjith, M; Thambidurai, S

2017-11-01

A new biopolymer based ZnO-PVP nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by single step in situ precipitation method using chitosan as biosurfactant, zinc chloride as a source material, PVP as stabilizing agent and sodium hydroxide as precipitating agent. The chemical bonding and crystalline behaviors of chitosan, zinc oxide and PVP were confirmed by FT-IR and XRD analysis. The biopolymer connected ZnO particles intercalated PVP matrix was layer and rod like structure appeared in nanometer range confirmed by HR-SEM and TEM analysis. The surface topography image of CS/ZnO-PVP nanocomposite was obtained in the average thickness of 12nm was confirmed by AFM analysis. Thermal stability of cationic biopolymer based ZnO intercalated PVP has higher stability than CS-PVP and chitosan. Consequently, antimicrobial activity of chitosan/ZnO-PVP matrix acts as a better microbial inhibition activity than PVP-ZnO nanocomposite. The obtained above results demonstrate that CS and ZnO intercalated PVP matrix has better reinforced effect than other components. Therefore, Chitosan/ZnO-PVP nanocomposite may be a promising material for the biomedical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of material composition of 3-dimensional graphene oxide and self-doped polyaniline nanocomposites on DNA analytical sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tao; Chen, Huaiyin; Yang, Ruirui; Wang, Xinxing; Nan, Fuxin; Jiao, Kui

2015-09-01

Until now, morphology effects of 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional graphene nanocomposites and the effect of material composition on the biosensors have been rarely reported. In this paper, the various nanocomposites based on graphene oxide and self-doped polyaniline nanofibres for studying the effect of morphology and material composition on DNA sensitivity were directly reported. The isolation and dispersion of graphene oxide were realized via intercalated self-doped polyaniline and ultrasonication, where the ultrasonication prompts the aggregates of graphite oxide to break up and self-doped polyaniline to diffuse into the stacked graphene oxide. Significant electrochemical enhancement has been observed due to the existence of self-doped polyaniline, which bridges the defects for electron transfer and, in the mean time, increases the basal spacing between graphene oxide sheets. Different morphologies can result in different ssDNA surface density, which can further influence the hybridization efficiency. Compared with 2-dimensional graphene oxide, self-doped polyaniline and other morphologies of nanocomposites, 3-dimensional graphene oxide-self-doped polyaniline nanowalls exhibited the highest surface density and hybridization efficiency. Furthermore, the fabricated biosensors presented the broad detection range with the low detection limit due to the specific surface area, a large number of electroactive species, and open accessible space supported by nanowalls. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation, characterization, and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticle-decorated graphene oxide nanocomposite.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Wei; Liu, Xiufeng; Min, Huihua; Dong, Guanghui; Feng, Qingyuan; Zuo, Songlin

2015-04-01

In this work, we report a facile and green approach to prepare a uniform silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite (GO-Ag). The nanocomposite was fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which demonstrated that AgNPs with a diameter of approximately 22 nm were uniformly and compactly deposited on GO. To investigate the silver ion release behaviors, HEPES buffers with different pH (5.5, 7, and 8.5) were selected and the mechanism of release actions was discussed in detail. The cytotoxicity of GO-Ag nanocomposite was also studied using HEK 293 cells. GO-Ag nanocomposite displayed good cytocompatibility. Furthermore, the antibacterial properties of GO-Ag nanocomposite were studied using Gram-negative E. coli ATCC 25922 and Gram-positive S. aureus ATCC 6538 by both the plate count method and disk diffusion method. The nanocomposite showed excellent antibacterial activity. These results demonstrated that GO-Ag nanocomposite, as a kind of antibacterial material, had a great promise for application in a wide range of biomedical applications.

Graphene Oxide/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanocomposite Thin-Film Phototransistor for Logic Circuit Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mansouri, S.; Coskun, B.; El Mir, L.; Al-Sehemi, Abdullah G.; Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed; Yakuphanoglu, F.

2018-04-01

Graphene is a sheet-structured material that lacks a forbidden band, being a good candidate for use in radiofrequency applications. We have elaborated graphene-oxide-doped poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanocomposite to increase the interlayer distance and thereby open a large bandgap for use in the field of logic circuits. Graphene oxide/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (GO/P3HT) nanocomposite thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated on silicon oxide substrate by spin coating method. The current-voltage ( I- V) characteristics of TFTs with various P3HT compositions were studied in the dark and under light illumination. The photocurrent, charge carrier mobility, subthreshold voltage, density of interface states, density of occupied states, and I ON/ I OFF ratio of the devices strongly depended on the P3HT weight ratio in the composite. The effects of white-light illumination on the electrical parameters of the transistors were investigated. The results indicated that GO/P3HT nanocomposite thin-film transistors have high potential for use in radiofrequency applications, and their feasibility for use in digital applications has been demonstrated.

An Effective Way to Optimize the Functionality of Graphene-Based Nanocomposite: Use of the Colloidal Mixture of Graphene and Inorganic Nanosheets

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xiaoyan; Adpakpang, Kanyaporn; Young Kim, In; Mi Oh, Seung; Lee, Nam-Suk; Hwang, Seong-Ju

2015-06-01

The best electrode performance of metal oxide-graphene nanocomposite material for lithium secondary batteries can be achieved by using the colloidal mixture of layered CoO2 and graphene nanosheets as a precursor. The intervention of layered CoO2 nanosheets in-between graphene nanosheets is fairly effective in optimizing the pore and composite structures of the Co3O4-graphene nanocomposite and also in enhancing its electrochemical activity via the depression of interaction between graphene nanosheets. The resulting CoO2 nanosheet-incorporated nanocomposites show much greater discharge capacity of ~1750 mAhg-1 with better cyclability and rate characteristics than does CoO2-free Co3O4-graphene nanocomposite (~1100 mAhg-1). The huge discharge capacity of the present nanocomposite is the largest one among the reported data of cobalt oxide-graphene nanocomposite. Such a remarkable enhancement of electrode performance upon the addition of inorganic nanosheet is also observed for Mn3O4-graphene nanocomposite. The improvement of electrode performance upon the incorporation of inorganic nanosheet is attributable to an improved Li+ ion diffusion, an enhanced mixing between metal oxide and graphene, and the prevention of electrode agglomeration. The present experimental findings underscore an efficient and universal role of the colloidal mixture of graphene and redoxable metal oxide nanosheets as a precursor for improving the electrode functionality of graphene-based nanocomposites.

Superior Photocatalytic Performance of CeO₂ Nanoparticles and Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Prepared by Low Cost Co-Precipitation Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayanthi, Mani; Lavanya, Thirugnanam; Saradha, Nagarajan Anbil; Satheesh, Kaveri; Chenthamarai, SriRangarajan; Jayavel, Ramasamy

2018-05-01

In this article, cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) and reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite have been fabricated through simple, easy and cost effective co-precipitation method. The structural, optical and morphological characterization provides the evidence of successful synthesis of CeO2 NPs and nanocomposite. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic characterization provides useful information about the concentrations and proportions of Ce3+ and Ce4+ ions in nanoparticles as well as in nanocomposite. These studies provide an insight to understand enhanced photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite. The nanocomposite produces 81% photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange compared to only 45% degradation by CeO2 NPs alone.

Reduced graphene oxide/hydroxylated styrene-butadiene-styrene tri-block copolymer electroconductive nanocomposites: Preparation and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiong, Yuanqin; Xie, Yanyan [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Zhang, Fan [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jishou University, Jishou 416000 (China); Ou, Encai; Jiang, Zhuojuan; Ke, Lili; Hu, Ding [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Xu, Weijian, E-mail: weijianxu59@gmail.com [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

2012-08-20

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RGO/HO-SBS nanocomposites are prepared successfully. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The introduction of -OH improves the compatibility between RGO and HO-SBS. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RGO disperse homogeneously and form a compact continuous network in matrix (HO-SBS). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The percolation threshold of the nanocomposites is of 0.2-0.5 wt% (0.09-0.23 vol%) and its conductivity is up to 1.3 S/m. - Abstract: Flexible and electroconductive nanocomposites based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and hydroxylated styrene-butadiene-styrene tri-block copolymer (HO-SBS) were prepared by solution blending method. By the introduction of the groups of -OH and >C=O onto SBS, the compatibility between RGO and SBS was enhanced. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) showed that RGO dispersed homogeneously and formed a compact continuous network in matrix (HO-SBS). The addition of RGO improved the thermal stability of the RGO/HO-SBS nanocomposites while slightly lowered the mechanical property. Moreover, RGO gave the nanocomposites a maximum electrical conductivity up to 1.3 S/m.

Reduced Graphene Oxide/Au Nanocomposite for NO2 Sensing at Low Operating Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Zhang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A reduced grapheme oxide (rGO/Au hybrid nanocomposite has been synthesized by hydrothermal treatment using graphite and HAuCl4 as the precursors. Characterization, including X-ray diffraction (XRD, Raman spectra, X-ray photoelecton spectroscopy (XPS and transmission electron microscopy (TEM, indicates the formation of rGO/Au. A gas sensor fabricated with rGO/Au nanocomposite was applied for NO2 detection at 50 °C. Compared with pure rGO, rGO/Au nanocomposite exhibits higher sensitivity, a more rapid response–recovery process and excellent reproducibility.

A novel high-performance supercapacitor based on high-quality CeO2/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Heydari, Hamid; Gholivand, Mohammad Bagher

2017-03-01

In this work, we have developed a novel nanocomposite via deposition of ceria (CeO2) on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene (CeO2/NRGO). NRGO was synthesized through a facile, safe, and scalable method to achieve simultaneous thermal reduction along with nitrogen doping of graphene oxide (GO) in air at much lower reaction temperature. CeO2/NRGO was prepared via a sonochemical method in which ceria nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on NRGO sheets. The structure and morphology of CeO2/NRGO nanocomposites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy. Electrochemical properties of the proposed nanocomposite electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge, continuous cyclic voltammetry (CCV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. CeO2-NRGO nanocomposite electrodes showed excellent supercapacitive behavior, including much higher specific capacitance (230 F g-1 at 2 mV s-1) and higher rate capability compared to pure N-graphene. The cycling stability of the electrodes was measured by continues cyclic voltammetry (CCV) technique. The CCV showed that the specific capacitance of the CeO2/NRGO and NRGO nanocomposite maintained at 94.1 and 93.2% after 4000 cycles. The results suggest its promising potential as efficient electrode material for supercapacitors.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite powders of calcium phosphate/titanium oxide for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delima, S.A.; Camargo, N.H.A.; Souza, J.C.P.; Gemelli, E., E-mail: sarahamindelima@hotmail.com, E-mail: dem2nhac@joinville.udesc.br, E-mail: souzajulio@joinville.udesc.br, E-mail: gemelli@joinville.udesc.br [Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Joinville, SC (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Tecnologicas

2009-07-01

The nanostructured bioceramics of calcium phosphate are current themes of research and they are becoming important as bone matrix in regeneration of tissues in orthopedic and dental applications. Nanocomposite powders of calcium phosphate, reinforced with nanometric particles of titanium oxide, silica oxide and alumina oxid ealpha, are being widely studied because they offer new microstructures, nanostructures and interconnected microporosity with high superficial area of micropores that contribute to osteointegration and osteoinduction processes. This study is about the synthesis of nanocomposites powders of calcium phosphate reinforced with 1%, 2%, 3% and 5% in volume of titanium oxide and its characterization through the techniques of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Thermogravimetry (TG) and Dilatometry. (author)

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite powders of calcium phosphate/titanium oxide for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delima, S.A.; Camargo, N.H.A.; Souza, J.C.P.; Gemelli, E.

2009-01-01

The nanostructured bioceramics of calcium phosphate are current themes of research and they are becoming important as bone matrix in regeneration of tissues in orthopedic and dental applications. Nanocomposite powders of calcium phosphate, reinforced with nanometric particles of titanium oxide, silica oxide and alumina oxid ealpha, are being widely studied because they offer new microstructures, nanostructures and interconnected microporosity with high superficial area of micropores that contribute to osteointegration and osteoinduction processes. This study is about the synthesis of nanocomposites powders of calcium phosphate reinforced with 1%, 2%, 3% and 5% in volume of titanium oxide and its characterization through the techniques of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Thermogravimetry (TG) and Dilatometry. (author)

Influence of expanded graphite (EG and graphene oxide (GO on physical properties of PET based nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paszkiewicz Sandra

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This work is the continuation and refinement of already published communications based on PET/EG nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization1, 2. In this study, nanocomposites based on poly(ethylene terephthalate with expanded graphite were compared to those with functionalized graphite sheets (GO. The results suggest that the degree of dispersion of nanoparticles in the PET matrix has important effect on the structure and physical properties of the nanocomposites. The existence of graphene sheets nanoparticles enhances the crystallization rate of PET. It has been confirmed that in situ polymerization is the effective method for preparation nanocomposites which can avoid the agglomeration of nanoparticles in polymer matrices and improve the interfacial interaction between nanofiller and polymer matrix. The obtained results have shown also that due to the presence of functional groups on GO surface the interactions with PET matrix can be stronger than in the case of exfoliated graphene (EG and matrix.

Surface acoustic wave sensors with Graphene/PANI nanocomposites for nitric oxide detection

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Beibei; Zheng, Lei; Zhou, Lingling

2017-12-01

Surface acoustic wave sensors with grapheme/PANI nanocomposite sensitive films for detecting nitric oxide (NO) were fabricated and experimentally studied. Morphological characterization and functionalization of the sensing material were explored using SEM and FTIR, respectively. The study of sensor response compared film sensitivity, response time, reversibility, and limit of detection for nanocomposite films, pure grapheme and pure PANI to the detection of NO. The response and recovery times were 40s and 20s when detecting 4ppm NO, respectively. The frequency response was discovered to be linear in the NO concentration range 1-50 ppm. The nanocomposite sensors had improved sensitivities compared to the polymer devices, and better response times.

Fabrication of ammonium perchlorate/copper-chromium oxides core-shell nanocomposites for catalytic thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eslami, Abbas, E-mail: eslami@umz.ac.ir [Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, P.O.Box 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Juibari, Nafise Modanlou [Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, P.O.Box 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hosseini, Seyed Ghorban [Department of Chemistry, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, P.O. Box 16765-3454, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-09-15

The ammonium perchlorate/Cu(II)-Cr(III)-oxides(AP/Cu-Cr-O) core-shell nanocomposites were in-situ prepared by deposition of copper and chromium oxides on suspended ammonium perchlorate particles in ethyl acetate as solvent. The results of differential scanning calorimetery (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments showed that the nanocomposites have excellent catalytic effect on the thermal decomposition of AP, so that the released heat increases up to about 3-fold over initial values, changing from 450 J/g for pure AP to 1510 J/g for most appropriate mixture. For better comparison, single metal oxide/AP core-shell nanocomposite have also been prepared and the results showed that they have less catalytic effect respect to mixed metal oxides system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results revealed homogenous deposition of nanoparticles on the surface of AP and fabrication of core-shell structures. The kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition of both pure AP and AP/Cu-Cr-O samples have been calculated by Kissinger method and the results showed that the values of pre-exponential factor and activation energy are higher for AP/Cu-Cr-O nanocomposite. The better catalytic effect of Cu-Cr-O nanocomposites is probably attributed to the synergistic effect between Cu{sup 2+} and Cr{sup 3+} in the nanocomposites, smaller particle size and more crystal defect. - Highlights: • The Cu-Cr-O nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical liquid deposition method. • Then, the AP/Cu-Cr-O core-shell nanocomposites were prepared. • The core-shell samples showed high catalytic activity for AP decomposition. • Thermal decomposition of samples occurs at lower temperature range.

Silver Nanoparticles-graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Antibacterial Purpose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chook, S.W.; Chia, C.H.; Sarani Zakaria; Mohd Khan Ayob; Chee, K.L.; Neoh, H.M.; Huang, N.M.

2011-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets, a single layer of carbon atoms which can be served as substrates for fabricating metallic nanoparticles-GO nano composites, have been used in this study The nanocomposite of silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide were produced via in-situ synthesis and with the aid of chitosan to investigate the formation of silver nanoparticles on the graphene oxide sheets. XRD and UV-Vis studies confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles on GO sheets, while TEM and FESEM images presented the loading of silver nanoparticles on the GO sheets. The degree of loading and distribution of the silver nanoparticles on the graphene oxide were depended on the procedure during the formation of silver nanoparticles. The nano composites can be potentially used in food packaging and biomedical applications. (author)

Novel porous graphene oxide and hydroxyapatite nanosheets-reinforced sodium alginate hybrid nanocomposites for medical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Guangyao; Luo, Honglin; Zuo, Guifu; Ren, Kaijing; Wan, Yizao

2015-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) are frequently used as reinforcements in polymers to improve mechanical and biological properties. In this work, novel porous hybrid nanocomposites consisting of GO, HAp, and sodium alginate (SA) have been prepared by facile solution mixing and freeze drying in an attempt to obtain a scaffold with desirable mechanical and biological properties. The as-prepared porous GO/HAp/SA hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, and mechanical testing. In addition, preliminary cell behavior was assessed by CCK8 assay. It is found that the GO/HAp/SA nanocomposites show improved compressive strength and modulus over neat SA and HAp/SA nanocomposites. CCK8 results reveal that the GO/HAp/SA nanocomposites show enhanced cell proliferation over neat SA and GO/SA nanocomposite. It has been demonstrated that GO/HAp20/SA holds promise in bone tissue engineering. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Graphene oxide (GO), hydroxyapatite (HAp), and alginate (SA) nanocomposites were fabricated. • The novel porous composites were prepared by solution mixture and freeze drying. • The GO/HAp/SA had porous structure with porosity > 85% and pore size > 150 μm. • The GO/HAp/SA exhibited improved mechanical properties over HAp/SA counterparts. • The GO/HAp/SA showed enhanced cell proliferation over GO/SA counterparts

Novel porous graphene oxide and hydroxyapatite nanosheets-reinforced sodium alginate hybrid nanocomposites for medical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiong, Guangyao [School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang 330013 (China); Luo, Honglin [Research Institute of Biomaterials and Transportation, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang 330013 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory of Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Zuo, Guifu [Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Inorganic Nonmetallic Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei United University, Tangshan 063009 (China); Ren, Kaijing [Department of Joint Surgery, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin 300211 (China); Wan, Yizao, E-mail: yzwantju@126.com [Research Institute of Biomaterials and Transportation, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang 330013 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory of Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2015-09-15

Graphene oxide (GO) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) are frequently used as reinforcements in polymers to improve mechanical and biological properties. In this work, novel porous hybrid nanocomposites consisting of GO, HAp, and sodium alginate (SA) have been prepared by facile solution mixing and freeze drying in an attempt to obtain a scaffold with desirable mechanical and biological properties. The as-prepared porous GO/HAp/SA hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, and mechanical testing. In addition, preliminary cell behavior was assessed by CCK8 assay. It is found that the GO/HAp/SA nanocomposites show improved compressive strength and modulus over neat SA and HAp/SA nanocomposites. CCK8 results reveal that the GO/HAp/SA nanocomposites show enhanced cell proliferation over neat SA and GO/SA nanocomposite. It has been demonstrated that GO/HAp20/SA holds promise in bone tissue engineering. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Graphene oxide (GO), hydroxyapatite (HAp), and alginate (SA) nanocomposites were fabricated. • The novel porous composites were prepared by solution mixture and freeze drying. • The GO/HAp/SA had porous structure with porosity > 85% and pore size > 150 μm. • The GO/HAp/SA exhibited improved mechanical properties over HAp/SA counterparts. • The GO/HAp/SA showed enhanced cell proliferation over GO/SA counterparts.

Ecological approach to graphene oxide reinforced poly (methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimune, Seira; Nishino, Takashi; Goto, Takuya

2012-07-25

Graphene oxide (GO) possesses the desirable characteristic of aqueous solution processability attributed to the oxygen-containing functional groups on the basal planes and edges of graphene. To provide an alternative to conventional procedures for fabricating poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/GO nanocomposites, which use organic solutions and/or surfactants, we have developed an environmentally friendly technique in which PMMA is polymerized by soap-free emulsion polymerization and incorporated with GO using water as a processing medium. Experimental results showed that the fabricated PMMA/GO nanocomposites had excellent mechanical, thermal, and O2 barrier properties with the nanodispersion of GO.

Bioinspired, Ultrastrong, Highly Biocompatible, and Bioactive Natural Polymer/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wen-Kun; Cong, Huai-Ping; Yao, Hong-Bin; Mao, Li-Bo; Asiri, Abdullah M; Alamry, Khalid A; Marwani, Hadi M; Yu, Shu-Hong

2015-09-09

Tough and biocompatible nanocomposite films: A new type of bioinspired ultrastrong, highly biocompatible, and bioactive konjac glucomannan (KGM)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite film is fabricated on a large scale by a simple solution-casting method. Such KGM-GO composite films exhibit much enhanced mechanical properties under the strong hydrogen-bonding interactions, showing great potential in the fields of tissue engineering and food package. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of Polyaniline-Coated Graphene Oxide@SrTiO3 Nanocube Nanocomposites for Enhanced Removal of Carcinogenic Dyes from Aqueous Solution

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Syed Shahabuddin

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The present investigation highlights the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI-coated graphene oxide doped with SrTiO3 nanocube nanocomposites through facile in situ oxidative polymerization method for the efficient removal of carcinogenic dyes, namely, the cationic dye methylene blue (MB and the anionic dye methyl orange (MO. The presence of oxygenated functional groups comprised of hydroxyl and epoxy groups in graphene oxide (GO and nitrogen-containing functionalities such as imine groups and amine groups in polyaniline work synergistically to impart cationic and anionic nature to the synthesised nanocomposite, whereas SrTiO3 nanocubes act as spacers aiding in segregation of GO sheets, thereby increasing the effective surface area of nanocomposite. The synthesised nanocomposites were characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. The adsorption efficiencies of graphene oxide (GO, PANI homopolymer, and SrTiO3 nanocubes-doped nanocomposites were assessed by monitoring the adsorption of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes from aqueous solution. The adsorption efficiency of nanocomposites doped with SrTiO3 nanocubes were found to be of higher magnitude as compared with undoped nanocomposite. Moreover, the nanocomposite with 2 wt % SrTiO3 with respect to graphene oxide demonstrated excellent adsorption behaviour with 99% and 91% removal of MB and MO, respectively, in a very short duration of time.

Design of Magnetic Gelatine/Silica Nanocomposites by Nanoemulsification: Encapsulation versus in Situ Growth of Iron Oxide Colloids

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Joachim Allouche

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The design of magnetic nanoparticles by incorporation of iron oxide colloids within gelatine/silica hybrid nanoparticles has been performed for the first time through a nanoemulsion route using the encapsulation of pre-formed magnetite nanocrystals and the in situ precipitation of ferrous/ferric ions. The first method leads to bi-continuous hybrid nanocomposites containing a limited amount of well-dispersed magnetite colloids. In contrast, the second approach allows the formation of gelatine-silica core-shell nanostructures incorporating larger amounts of agglomerated iron oxide colloids. Both magnetic nanocomposites exhibit similar superparamagnetic behaviors. Whereas nanocomposites obtained via an in situ approach show a strong tendency to aggregate in solution, the encapsulation route allows further surface modification of the magnetic nanocomposites, leading to quaternary gold/iron oxide/silica/gelatine nanoparticles. Hence, such a first-time rational combination of nano-emulsion, nanocrystallization and sol-gel chemistry allows the elaboration of multi-component functional nanomaterials. This constitutes a step forward in the design of more complex bio-nanoplatforms.

Heterogeneous nanocomposites composed of silver sulfide and hollow structured Pd nanoparticles with enhanced catalytic activity toward formic acid oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Dong; Cui, Penglei; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Core–shell Ag-Ag/Pd nanoparticles with an Ag core and an Ag/Pd alloy shell are prepared via galvanic replacement reaction. • Heterogeneous Ag2S-hollow Pd nanocomposites are fabricated by converting the Ag component into Ag2S using element sulfur. • The heterogeneous Ag2S-hollow Pd nanocomposites display enhanced activity for formic acid oxidation due to electronic coupling effect. • The methodology may find applications to produce the semiconductor-metal nanocomposites with interesting architectures and tailored functionalities. - Abstract: Nanocomposites consisting semiconductor and noble metal domains are of great interest for their synergistic effect-based enhanced properties in a given application. Herein, we demonstrate a facile approach for the synthesis of heterogeneous nanocomposites consisting of silver sulfide (Ag 2 S) and hollow structured Pd nanoparticles (hPd). It begins with the preparation of core–shell nanoparticles with an Ag core and an alloy Ag/Pd shell in an organic solvent via galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) between Ag seed particles pre-synthesized and Pd 2+ ion precursors. The Ag component is then removed from the core and shell regions of core–shell Ag-Ag/Pd nanoparticles, and converted into Ag 2 S by elemental sulfur (S). The Ag 2 S forms the semiconductor domain in the nanocomposite and shares the solid-state interface with the resultant hollow structured Pd nanoparticle. As demonstrated, the Ag 2 S-hPd nanocomposites exhibit superior catalytic activity and durability for formic acid oxidation, compared to the pure Pd nanoparticles prepared by oleylamine reduction of Pd ion precursors and commercial Pd/C catalyst, due to the electronic coupling between semiconductor and noble metal domains in the nanocomposites. In addition, the structural transformation from core–shell to heterogeneous nanocomposites may provide new opportunities to design and fabricate hybrid nanostructures with interesting

Understanding the adsorptive and photoactivity properties of Ag-graphene oxide nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Orozco, R D; Rosu, H C; Lee, Soo-Wohn; Rodríguez-González, V

2013-12-15

Nanocomposites of graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthetized using a practical photochemical silver functionalization. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated with two dyes, Rhodamine B and Indigo Carmine, under visible-light irradiation. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by HRTEM, FESEM, XRD, Raman, FTIR and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. These nanocomposites present new defect domains of sp(3) type in combination with several graphitic functional groups that act as nucleation sites for anchoring AgNPs, while the sp(2)-sp(3) edge defects domains of GO generate the photoactivity. Furthermore, their photocatalytic performances are governed by their large adsorption capacity, and strong interaction with dye chromophores. A comprehensive photocatalytic way underlying the importance of adsorption is suggested to explain the low visible-light responsive photoactivity of the AgNPs-GO nanocomposites and the possible binding-site saturation. Then, the usage of H2SO4 allows the production of ionic species and helps to confirm the strong adsorption of both dyes. The ability to synthesize AgNPs-GO nanocomposites with extensive adsorptive capacity is certainly of interest for the efficient removal of hazardous materials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Label-free amino acid detection based on nanocomposites of graphene oxide hybridized with gold nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Zhang, Diming; Lu, Yanli; Xu, Gang; Yao, Yao; Li, Shuang; Liu, Qingjun

2016-03-15

Nanocomposites of graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles (GO/GNPs) were synthesized for label-free detections of amino acids. Interactions between the composites and amino acids were investigated by both naked-eye observation and optical absorption spectroscopy. The GO/GNPs composites displayed apparent color changes and absorption spectra changes in presences of amino acids including glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine. The interaction mechanisms of the composites and amino acids were discussed and explored with sulfhydryl groups and non-α-carboxylic groups on the amino acids. Sensing properties of the composites were tested, while pure gold particles were used as the control. The results suggested that the GO/GNPs composites had better linearity and stability in dose-dependent responses to the amino acids than those of the particles, especially in detections for acidic amino acids. Therefore, the nanocomposites platform can provide a convenient and efficient approach for label-free optical detections of important molecules such as amino acids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facile synthesis of cuprous oxide nanowires decorated graphene oxide nanosheets nanocomposites and its application in label-free electrochemical immunosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Huan; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Yulan; Ma, Hongmin; Du, Bin; Wei, Qin

2017-01-15

In this work, the assembly between one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials was achieved by a simple method. Cuprous oxide nanowires decorated graphene oxide nanosheets (Cu 2 O@GO) nanocomposites were synthesized for the first time by a simple electrostatic self-assembly process. The nanostructure was well confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images. Taking advantages of good electrocatalytic activity and high specific surface area of Cu 2 O@GO nanocomposites, a label-free electrochemical immunosensor was developed by employing Cu 2 O@GO as signal amplification platform for the quantitative detection of alpha fetoprotein (AFP). In addition, toluidine blue (TB) was used as the electron transfer mediator to provide the electrochemical signal, which was adsorbed on graphene oxide nanosheets (GO NSs) by electrostatic attraction. The detection mechanism was based on the monitoring of the electrochemical current response change of TB by the square wave voltammetry (SWV) when immunoreaction occurred on the surface of electrode. Under optimal conditions, the proposed immunosensor displayed a high sensitivity and a low detection limit. This designed method may provide an effective method in the clinical diagnosis of AFP and other tumor markers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apoptosis inducing ability of silver decorated highly reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites in A549 lung cancer

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Khan M

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Merajuddin Khan,1 Mujeeb Khan,1 Abdulhadi H Al-Marri,1 Abdulrahman Al-Warthan,1 Hamad Z Alkhathlan,1 Mohammed Rafiq H Siddiqui,1 Vadithe Lakshma Nayak,2 Ahmed Kamal,2 Syed F Adil1 1Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, CSIR – Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India Abstract: Recently, graphene and graphene-based materials have been increasingly used for various biological applications due to their extraordinary physicochemical properties. Here, we demonstrate the anticancer properties and apoptosis-inducing ability of silver doped highly reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites synthesized by employing green approach. These nano­composites (PGE-HRG-Ag were synthesized by using Pulicaria glutinosa extract (PGE as a reducing agent and were evaluated for their anticancer properties against various human cancer cell lines with tamoxifen as the reference drug. A correlation between the amount of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of highly reduced graphene oxide (HRG and the anticancer activity of nanocomposite was observed, wherein an increase in the concentration of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of HRG led to the enhanced anticancer activity of the nanocomposite. The nanocomposite PGE-HRG-Ag-2 exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than standard drug in A549 cells, a human lung cancer cell line. A detailed investigation was undertaken and Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS analysis demonstrated that the nanocomposite PGE-HRG-Ag-2 showed G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis in A549 cells. Studies such as, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS and Annexin V-FITC staining assay suggested that this compound induced apoptosis in human lung cancer cells. Keywords: plant extract, graphene/silver nanocomposites, anticancer, apoptosis

Chitosan-based nanocomposites

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kesavan Pillai, Sreejarani

2012-08-01

Full Text Available , and hygiene devices. They thus represent a strong and emerging answer for improved and eco-friendly materials. This chapter reviews the recent developments in the area of chitosan-based nanocomposites, with a special emphasis on clay-containing nanocomposites...-sized mineral fillers like silica, talc, and clay are added to reduce the cost and improve chitosan’s performance in some way. However, the mechanical properties such as elongation at break and tensile strength of these composites decrease with the incorporation...

The interfacial chemistry of metallized, oxide coated, and nanocomposite coated polymer films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barker, C.P. [Durham Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Chemistry; Kochem, K.H. [HOECHST Aktiengesellschaft, Werk Kalle/Albert, Geschaftsbereich H, Rheingaustrasse 190-196, D-65174 Wiesbaden (Germany); Revell, K.M. [CAMVAC (Europe) Ltd., Burrell Way, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 3QY (United Kingdom); Kelly, R.S.A. [CAMVAC (Europe) Ltd., Burrell Way, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 3QY (United Kingdom); Badyal, J.P.S. [Durham Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Chemistry

1995-02-15

Aluminium, aluminium oxide, and aluminium/aluminium oxide nanocomposite coated polymer substrates have been characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, argon ion sputter depth profiling, and gas permeation measurements. A comparison of the similarities and differences between these coatings has provided a detailed insight into the physicochemical origins of gas barrier associated with metallized plastics. Keywords: Aluminium; Aluminium oxide; Coatings; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ((orig.))

Polypyrrole–titanium(IV) doped iron(III) oxide nanocomposites: Synthesis, characterization with tunable electrical and electrochemical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nandi, Debabrata; Ghosh, Arup Kumar; Gupta, Kaushik; De, Amitabha; Sen, Pintu; Duttachowdhury, Ankan; Ghosh, Uday Chand

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Synthesis and characterization of polymer nanocomposite based on titanium doped iron(III) oxide. ► Electrical conductivity increased 100 times in composite with respect to polymer. ► Electrochemical capacitance of polymer composites increased with nanooxide content. ► Thermal stability of the polymer enhanced with nano oxide content. -- Abstract: Titanium(IV)-doped synthetic nanostructured iron(III) oxide (NITO) and polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposites was fabricated by in situ polymerization using FeCl 3 as initiator. The polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) and pure NITO were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Föurier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, etc. Thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analyses showed the enhancement of thermal stability of PNCs than the pure polymer. Electrical conductivity of the PNCs had increased significantly from 0.793 × 10 −2 S/cm to 0.450 S/cm with respect to the PPy, and that had been explained by 3-dimensional variable range hopping (VRH) conduction mechanisms. In addition, the specific capacitance of PNCs had increased from 147 F/g to 176 F/g with increasing NITO content than that of pure NITO (26 F/g), presumably due to the growing of mesoporous structure with increasing NITO content in PNCs which reduced the charge transfer resistance significantly.

Hydrothermal synthesis of graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite for removal of Cu (II) and methylene blue

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Zhihang; Zhan, Yingqing; Li, Fei; Wan, Xinyi; He, Yi; Hou, Chunyan; Hu, Hai

2017-09-01

In this work, highly activated graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite adsorbent was prepared from a simple hydrothermal route by using ferrous sulfate as precursor. For this purpose, the graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube architectures were formed through the π-π attractions between them, followed by attaching Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto their surface. The structure and composition of as-prepared ternary nanocomposite were characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, SEM, TEM, Raman, TGA, and BET. It was found that the resultant porous graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite with large surface area could effectively prevent the π-π stacking interactions between graphene oxide nanosheets and greatly improve sorption sites on the surfaces. Thus, owing to the unique ternary nanocomposite architecture and synergistic effect among various components, as-prepared ternary nanocomposite exhibited high separation efficiency when they were used to remove the Cu (II) and methylene blue from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of ternary nanocomposite structures for Cu (II) and methylene blue removal fitted the Langmuir isotherm model. This work demonstrated that the graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite was promising as an efficient adsorbent for heavy metal ions and organic dye removal from wastewater in low concentration.

Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocomposites Tin Oxide-Graphene Doping Pd Using Polyol Method

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Aminuddin Debataraja

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper report on polyol method for Pd doped tin oxide-graphene nanocomposite thin film. XRD result shows sharp peaks at certain 2θ value and match with tin oxide, graphene, and Pd database. FTIR result shows peak from alcohol chain for –OH strong bonded absorption (3444 cm-1, also there are aldehyde and ketone which are indicated by C=O strong absorption (1751 cm-1. Moreover, alkene is also formed for decreasing symmetry intensity C=C (1616 cm-1, while alkyne is formed at strong deformation absorption at 646 and 613 cm-1. SEM and TEM result show SnO2 particles are attached uniformly on graphene surface layer. The composition for C, O, Sn, and Pd are 33.13, 25.58, 35.35 and 5.94%, respectively. This result indicated that the good composition is formed for Pd doped SnO2-graphene nanocomposite. The nanocomposite is promising materials for toxic gas sensor application at low temperature.

Graphene-zinc oxide (G-ZnO nanocomposite for electrochemical supercapacitor applications

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Murugan Saranya

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Graphene-ZnO nanocomposites (G-ZnO were prepared by a facile solvothermal approach. Well, crystalline ZnO nanoparticles with size in the range of 30–70 nm are uniformly deposited on the graphene sheets, as evidenced by different techniques. The electrochemical properties of the prepared nanocomposites were examined by measuring the specific capacitance in 6 M KOH solution using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge techniques. G-ZnO nanocomposites showed a good capacitive behavior with a specific capacitance of 122.4 F/g as compared to graphene oxide (2.13 F/g and rGO (102.5 F/g at 5 mV/s scan rate. Results demonstrated that such hybrid materials are promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitor applications.

Simultaneous electrochemical determination of dopamine and paracetamol on multiwalled carbon nanotubes/graphene oxide nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheemalapati, Srikanth; Palanisamy, Selvakumar; Mani, Veerappan; Chen, Shen-Ming

2013-12-15

In the present study, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite was prepared by homogenous dispersion of MWCNT and GO and used for the simultaneous voltammetric determination of dopamine (DA) and paracetamol (PA). The TEM results confirmed that MWCNT walls were wrapped well with GO sheets. The MWCNT/GO nanocomposite showed superior electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of DA and PA, when compared with either pristine MWCNT or GO. The major reason for the efficient simultaneous detection of DA and PA at nanocomposite was the synergistic effect between MWCNT and GO. The electrochemical oxidation of DA and PA was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry. The nanocomposite modified electrode showed electrocatalytic oxidation of DA and PA in the linear response range from 0.2 to 400 µmol L(-1) and 0.5 to 400 µmol L(-1) with the detection limit of 22 nmol L(-1) and 47 nmol L(-1) respectively. The proposed sensor displayed good selectivity, sensitivity, stability with appreciable consistency and precision. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide/SnO2 Nanocomposite for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Microbial Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Garino, Nadia; Sacco, Adriano; Castellino, Micaela; Muñoz-Tabares, José Alejandro; Chiodoni, Angelica; Agostino, Valeria; Margaria, Valentina; Gerosa, Matteo; Massaglia, Giulia; Quaglio, Marzia

2016-02-01

We report on an easy, fast, eco-friendly, and reliable method for the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/SnO2 nanocomposite as cathode material for application in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The material was prepared starting from graphene oxide that has been reduced to graphene during the hydrothermal synthesis of the nanocomposite, carried out in a microwave system. Structural and morphological characterizations evidenced the formation of nanocomposite sheets, with SnO2 crystals of few nanometers integrated in the graphene matrix. Physico-chemical analysis revealed the formation of SnO2 nanoparticles, as well as the functionalization of the graphene by the presence of nitrogen atoms. Electrochemical characterizations put in evidence the ability of such composite to exploit a cocatalysis mechanism for the oxygen reduction reaction, provided by the presence of both SnO2 and nitrogen. In addition, the novel composite catalyst was successfully employed as cathode in seawater-based MFCs, giving electrical performances comparable to those of reference devices employing Pt as catalyst.

Nanocomposites of recycled polycarbonate and nano-zinc oxide (rPC/nZnO): effect of gamma radiation and nano oxide content on the thermal properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, A.L.F.; Mendes, L.C.; Cestari, S.P.

2014-01-01

In order to promote the barrier action to the ultraviolet radiation and increase of mechanical characteristics, nanocomposites of recycled polycarbonate (rPC) and nano-zinc oxide (nZnO) containing 1, 2 and 3 % (wt/wt) of nano oxide were prepared. Since for obtaining nanocomposites and irradiating polymers are promising tools and attractive for improving the material performance, the effects of nano-zinc oxide and gamma radiation, at doses ranged from 10 to 50 kGy, were evaluated in terms of thermal characteristics of the rPC. The rPC/nZnO nanocomposites were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential explanatory calorimetry (DSC). There was a progressive decrease of the T_g as function of gamma dosage and nano-zinc oxide content. Initially, the Tonset and Tmax decayed as function of gamma dosage but a recovery was observed. The amount of nano-zinc oxide induced a decreasing of T_o_n_s_e_t and T_m_a_x. (author)

Hollow carbon sphere/metal oxide nanocomposites anodes for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenelska, K.; Ottmann, A.; Schneider, P.; Thauer, E.; Klingeler, R.; Mijowska, E.

2016-01-01

HCS (Hollow carbon spheres) covered with metal oxide nanoparticles (SnO_2 and MnO_2, respectively) were successfully synthesized and investigated regarding their potential as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Raman spectroscopy shows a high degree of graphitization for the HCS host structure. The mesoporous nature of the nanocomposites is confirmed by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. For both metal oxides under study, the metal oxide functionalization of HCS yields a significant increase of electrochemical performance. The charge capacity of HCS/SnO_2 is 370 mA hg"−"1 after 45 cycles (266 mA hg"−"1 in HCS/MnO_2) which clearly exceeds the value of 188 mA hg"−"1 in pristine HCS. Remarkably, the data imply excellent long term cycling stability after 100 cycles in both cases. The results hence show that mesoporous HCS/metal oxide nanocomposites enable exploiting the potential of metal oxide anode materials in Lithium-ion batteries by providing a HCS host structure which is both conductive and stable enough to accommodate big volume change effects. - Highlights: • Strategy to synthesize hollow carbon spheres decorated by metal oxides nanoparticles. • High-performance of HCS/MOx storage as mesoporous hybrid material. • The results hence demonstrate high electrochemical activity of the HCS/MOx.

Single-Stroke Synthesis of Tin Sulphide/Oxide Nanocomposites Within Engineering Thermoplastic and Their Humidity Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Adkar, Dattatraya; Adhyapak, Parag; Mulik, Uttamrao; Jadkar, Sandesh; Vutova, Katia; Amalnerkar, Dinesh

2018-05-01

SnS nanostructured materials have attracted enormous interest due to their important properties and potential application in low cost solar energy conversion systems and optical devices. From the perspective of SnS based device fabrication, we offer single-stroke in-situ technique for the generation of Sn based sulphide and oxide nanostructures inside the polymer network via polymer-inorganic solid state reaction route. In this method, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS)-an engineering thermoplastic-acts as chalcogen source as well as stabilizing matrix for the resultant nano products. Typical solid state reaction was accomplished by simply heating the physical admixtures of the tin salts (viz. tin acetate/tin chloride) with PPS at the crystalline melting temperature (285 °C) of PPS in inert atmosphere. The synthesized products were characterized by using various physicochemical characterization techniques. The prima facie observations suggest the concurrent formation of nanocrystalline SnS with extraneous oxide phase. The TEM analysis revealed formation of nanosized particles of assorted morphological features with polydispersity confined to 5 to 50 nm. However, agglomerated particles of nano to submicron size were also observed. The humidity sensing characterization of these nanocomposites was also performed. The resistivity response with the level of humidity (20 to 85% RH) was compared for these nanocomposites. The linear response was obtained for both the products. Nevertheless, the nanocomposite product obtained from acetate precursor showed higher sensitivity towards the humidity than that of one prepared from chloride precursor.

Poly(2-aminothiazole)-silica nanocomposite particles: Synthesis and morphology control

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Hua; Wu, Di; Sun, Hao; Chen, Suwu; Wang, Xia

2018-04-01

Synthesis of conducting polymer-silica colloidal nanocomposites has been recognized as an effective method to overcome the poor processability of heterocyclic conducting polymers prepared by chemical oxidative method. However, the morphology control of such conducting polymer-silica nanocomposites was seldomly reported in the literature. Novel poly(2-aminothiazole)(PAT)-silica nanocomposite particles can be conveniently prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of 2-aminothiazole using CuCl2 oxidant in the presence of ∼20 nm silica nanoparticles. The effects of varying the oxidant/monomer ratio and silica sol concentration on the morphology and size of the resulting PAT-silica nanocmposites have been studied. Optimization of the oxidant/monomer molar ratio and initial silica sol concentration allows relatively round spherical particles of 150-350 nm in diameter to be achieved. The nanocomposite particles have a well-defined raspberry-like morphology with a silica-rich surface, but a significant fraction of PAT component still exists on the surface and, which is beneficial for its applications. Furthermore, the surface compositions of the colloidal nanocomposites could be regulated to some extent. Based on the above results, a possible formation mechanism of the spherical nanocomposite particles is proposed.

Graphene oxide-silver nanocomposite as a promising biocidal agent against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Moraes ACM

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Ana Carolina Mazarin de Moraes,1 Bruna Araujo Lima,2 Andreia Fonseca de Faria,1 Marcelo Brocchi,2 Oswaldo Luiz Alves1 1Laboratory of Solid State Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA has been responsible for serious hospital infections worldwide. Nanomaterials are an alternative to conventional antibiotic compounds, because bacteria are unlikely to develop microbial resistance against nanomaterials. In the past decade, graphene oxide (GO has emerged as a material that is often used to support and stabilize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs for the preparation of novel antibacterial nanocomposites. In this work, we report the synthesis of the graphene-oxide silver nanocomposite (GO-Ag and its antibacterial activity against relevant microorganisms in medicine. Materials and methods: GO-Ag nanocomposite was synthesized through the reduction of silver ions (Ag+ by sodium citrate in an aqueous GO dispersion, and was extensively characterized using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by microdilution assays and time-kill experiments. The morphology of bacterial cells treated with GO-Ag was investigated via transmission electron microscopy. Results: AgNPs were well distributed throughout GO sheets, with an average size of 9.4±2.8 nm. The GO-Ag nanocomposite exhibited an excellent antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli. All (100% MRSA cells were inactivated after 4 hours of exposure to GO-Ag sheets. In addition, no toxicity was found for either pristine GO or bare Ag

Dielectric properties of modified graphene oxide filled polyurethane nanocomposites and its correlation with rheology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sadasivuni, K.K.; Ponnamma, D.; Kumar, B.; Strankowski, M.; Cardinaels, R.M.; Moldenaers, P.; Thomas, S.; Grohens, Y.

2014-01-01

This study aims at investigating the dynamic mechanical, dielectric and rheological properties of reinforced polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites containing hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) and/or hydrophobic modified graphene oxide (mGO) sheets. The organic modification of GO was performed with

Extrusion of polysaccharide nanocrystal reinforced polymer nanocomposites through compatibilization with poly(ethylene oxide).

Science.gov (United States)

Pereda, Mariana; El Kissi, Nadia; Dufresne, Alain

2014-06-25

Polysaccharide nanocrystals with a rodlike shape but with different dimensions and specific surface area were prepared from cotton and capim dourado cellulose, and with a plateletlike morphology from waxy maize starch granules. The rheological behavior of aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with different molecular weights when adding these nanoparticles was investigated evidencing specific interactions between PEO chains and nanocrystals. Because PEO also bears hydrophobic moieties, it was employed as a compatibilizing agent for the melt processing of polymer nanocomposites. The freeze-dried mixtures were used to prepare nanocomposite materials with a low density polyethylene matrix by extrusion. The thermal and mechanical behavior of ensuing nanocomposites was studied.

High Performances of Artificial Nacre-Like Graphene Oxide-Carrageenan Bio-Nanocomposite Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenkun; Chen, Tao; Li, Yi; Lei, Jia; Chen, Xin; Yao, Weitang; Duan, Tao

2017-05-16

This study was inspired by the unique multi-scale and multi-level 'brick-and-mortar' (B&M) structure of nacre layers. We prepared the B&M, environmentally-friendly graphene oxide-carrageenan (GO-Car) nanocomposite films using the following steps. A natural polyhydroxy polymer, carrageenan, was absorbed on the surface of monolayer GO nanosheets through hydrogen-bond interactions. Following this, a GO-Car hybridized film was produced through a natural drying process. We conducted structural characterization in addition to analyzing mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of the films. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that the nanocomposite films had a similar morphology and structure to nacre. Furthermore, the results from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) were used to explain the GO-Car interaction. Analysis from static mechanical testers showed that GO-Car had enhanced Young's modulus, maximum tensile strength and breaking elongation compared to pure GO. The GO-Car nanocomposite films, containing 5% wt. of Car, was able to reach a tensile strength of 117 MPa. The biocompatibility was demonstrated using a RAW264.7 cell test, with no significant alteration found in cellular morphology and cytotoxicity. The preparation process for GO-Car films is simple and requires little time, with GO-Car films also having favorable biocompatibility and mechanical properties. These advantages make GO-Car nanocomposite films promising materials in replacing traditional petroleum-based plastics and tissue engineering-oriented support materials.

Helix-sense-selective co-precipitation for preparing optically active helical polymer nanoparticles/graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huajun; Li, Weifei; Shi, Yan; Deng, Jianping

2017-05-25

Constructing optically active helical polymer based nanomaterials without using expensive and limited chirally helical polymers has become an extremely attractive research topic in both chemical and materials science. In this study, we prepared a series of optically active helical polymer nanoparticles/graphene oxide (OAHPNs/GO) hybrid nanocomposites through an unprecedented strategy-the co-precipitation of optically inactive helical polymers and chirally modified GO. This approach is named helix-sense-selective co-precipitation (HSSCP), in which the chirally modified GO acted as a chiral source for inducing and further stabilizing the predominantly one-handed helicity in the optically inactive helical polymers. SEM and TEM images show quite similar morphologies of all the obtained OAHPNs/GO nanocomposites; specifically, the chirally modified GO sheets were uniformly decorated with spherical polymer nanoparticles. Circular dichroism (CD) and UV-vis absorption spectra confirmed the preferentially induced helicity in the helical polymers and the optical activity of the nanocomposites. The established HSSCP strategy is thus proven to be widely applicable and is expected to produce numerous functional OAHPNs/GO nanocomposites and even the analogues.

Dynamic mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite/polyethylene oxide nanocomposites: characterizing isotropic and post-processing microstructures

Science.gov (United States)

Shofner, Meisha; Lee, Ji Hoon

2012-02-01

Compatible component interfaces in polymer nanocomposites can be used to facilitate a dispersed morphology and improved physical properties as has been shown extensively in experimental results concerning amorphous matrix nanocomposites. In this research, a block copolymer compatibilized interface is employed in a semi-crystalline matrix to prevent large scale nanoparticle clustering and enable microstructure construction with post-processing drawing. The specific materials used are hydroxyapatite nanoparticles coated with a polyethylene oxide-b-polymethacrylic acid block copolymer and a polyethylene oxide matrix. Two particle shapes are used: spherical and needle-shaped. Characterization of the dynamic mechanical properties indicated that the two nanoparticle systems provided similar levels of reinforcement to the matrix. For the needle-shaped nanoparticles, the post-processing step increased matrix crystallinity and changed the thermomechanical reinforcement trends. These results will be used to further refine the post-processing parameters to achieve a nanocomposite microstructure with triangulated arrays of nanoparticles.

rGO-ZnO nanocomposites for high electrocatalytic effect on water oxidation obtained by microwave-hydrothermal method

Science.gov (United States)

Romeiro, Fernanda C.; Rodrigues, Mônica A.; Silva, Luiz A. J.; Catto, Ariadne C.; da Silva, Luis F.; Longo, Elson; Nossol, Edson; Lima, Renata C.

2017-11-01

Reduced graphene oxide-zinc oxide (rGO-ZnO) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized using a facile microwave-hydrothermal method under mild conditions, and their electrocatalytic properties towards O2 evolution were investigated. The microwave radiation played an important role in obtainment of well dispersed ZnO nanoparticles directly on reduced graphene oxide sheets without any additional reducing reagents or passivation agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and infrared spectroscopies indicated the reduction of GO as well as the successful synthesis of rGO-ZnO nanocomposites. The chemical states of the samples were shown by XPS analyses. Due to the synergic effect, the resulting nanocomposites exhibited high electronic interaction between ZnO and rGO sheets, which improved the electrocatalytic oxidation of water with low onset potential of 0.48 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in neutral pH and long-term stability, with high current density during electrolysis. The overpotential for water oxidation decreased in alkaline pH, suggesting useful insight on the catalytic mechanism for O2 evolution.

A Facile Route to Metal Oxides/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Macrofilm Nanocomposites for Energy Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Zeyuan; Wei, Bingqing

2015-05-01

Nanocomposites consisting of transition-metal oxides and carbon nanomaterials with a desired size and structure are highly demanded for high performance energy storage devices. Here, a facile two-step and cost-efficient approach relying on directly thermal treatment of chemical-vapor-deposition products is developed as a general synthetic method to prepare a family of metal oxides (MxOy (M=Fe, Co, Ni))/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) macrofilm nanocomposites. The MxOy nanoparticles obtained are of 3-17 nm in diameter and homogeneously anchor on the free-standing SWNT macrofilms. NiO/SWNT also exhibits a high specific capacitance of 400 F g-1 and fast charge-transfer Faradaic redox reactions to achieve asymmetric supercapacitors with a high power and energy density. All MxOy/SWNT nanocomposites could deliver a high capacity beyond 1000 mAh g-1 and show excellent cycling stability for lithium-ion batteries. The impressive results demonstrate the promise for energy storage devices and the general approach may pave the way to synthesize other functional nanocomposites.

A Facile Route to Metal Oxides/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Macrofilm Nanocomposites for Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeyuan eCao

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposites consisting of transition-metal oxides and carbon nanomaterials with a desired size and structure are highly demanded for high performance energy storage devices. Here, a facile two-step and cost-efficient approach relying on directly thermal treatment of chemical-vapor-deposition products is developed as a general synthetic method to prepare a family of metal oxides (MxOy (M=Fe, Co, Ni/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT macrofilm nanocomposites. The MxOy nanoparticles obtained are of 3-17 nm in diameter and homogeneously anchor on the free-standing SWNT macrofilms. NiO/SWNT also exhibits a high specific capacitance of 400 F g-1 and fast charge-transfer Faradaic redox reactions to achieve asymmetric supercapacitors with a high power and energy density. All MxOy/SWNT nanocomposites could deliver a high capacity beyond 1000 mAh g-1 and show excellent cycling stability for lithium-ion batteries. The impressive results demonstrate the promise for energy storage devices and the general approach may pave the way to synthesize other functional nanocomposites.

In-situ synthesis and performance of titanium oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandugula, Uttam C; Clayton, L M; Harmon, J P; Kumar, Ashok

2005-05-01

Polymer nanocomposites have elicited extensive research efforts due to their potential to exhibit spectacular properties. They have immense potential and are befitting materials to serve as an ideal and futuristic alternative for varied applications. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and titanium oxide (TiO2) nanocomposites used in this study were fabricated by an in-situ free radical polymerization process. Three point bend tests were conducted with a modified universal microtribometer to evaluate fracture toughness. The results indicated that the stress intensity values increase as the concentration of titanium oxide increases up to 1 vol% and subsequently decrease at higher concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of fracture surfaces afforded clues as to the possible deformation mechanism. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) evaluated the degree of transparency of the nanocomposites. It was observed that samples became opaque as the concentration was increased beyond 0.01% volume fraction. X-ray diffraction characterized the TiO2 crystalline phase and Scherrer's equation was used to calculate the crystallite size. Among the concentrations considered the 3% volume fraction sample had the largest crystallite size. Finally, microhardness measurements further characterized the mechanical properties of the composites.

Characterization of an Olive Flounder Bone Gelatin-Zinc Oxide Nanocomposite Film and Evaluation of Its Potential Application in Spinach Packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Beak, Songee; Kim, Hyeri; Song, Kyung Bin

2017-11-01

Olive flounder bone gelatin (OBG) was used for a film base material in this study. In addition, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) were incorporated into the OBG film to prepare a nanocomposite film and to impart antimicrobial activity to it. The tensile strength of the OBG film increased by 6.62 MPa, and water vapor permeability and water solubility decreased by 0.93 × 10 -9 g/m s Pa and 13.79%, respectively, by the addition of ZnO to the OBG film. In particular, the OBG-ZnO film exhibited antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes. To investigate the applicability of the OBG-ZnO packaging film, fresh spinach was wrapped in this film and stored for a week. The results indicated that the OBG-ZnO film showed antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes inoculated on spinach without affecting the quality of spinach, such as vitamin C content and color. Thus, the OBG-ZnO nanocomposite film can be applied as an efficient antimicrobial food packaging material. As a base material of edible films, gelatin was extracted from olive flounder bone, which is fish processing by-product. Olive flounder bone gelatin (OBG) nanocomposite films were prepared with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO). For an application to antimicrobial packaging, spinach was wrapped with the OBG-ZnO nanocomposite film. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Synthesis and morphology of hydroxyapatite/polyethylene oxide nanocomposites with block copolymer compatibilized interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji Hoon; Shofner, Meisha

2012-02-01

In order to exploit the promise of polymer nanocomposites, special consideration should be given to component interfaces during synthesis and processing. Previous results from this group have shown that nanoparticles clustered into larger structures consistent with their native shape when the polymer matrix crystallinity was high. Therefore in this research, the nanoparticles are disguised from a highly-crystalline polymer matrix by cloaking them with a matrix-compatible block copolymer. Specifically, spherical and needle-shaped hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were synthesized using a block copolymer templating method. The block copolymer used, polyethylene oxide-b-polymethacrylic acid, remained on the nanoparticle surface following synthesis with the polyethylene oxide block exposed. These nanoparticles were subsequently added to a polyethylene oxide matrix using solution processing. Characterization of the nanocomposites indicated that the copolymer coating prevented the nanoparticles from assembling into ordered clusters and that the matrix crystallinity was decreased at a nanoparticle spacing of approximately 100 nm.

Graphenated polyaniline-doped tungsten oxide nanocomposite sensor for real time determination of phenanthrene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tovide, Oluwakemi; Jaheed, Nazeem; Mohamed, Nurali; Nxusani, Ezo; Sunday, Christopher E.; Tsegaye, Abebaw; Ajayi, Rachel F.; Njomo, Njagi; Makelane, Hlamulo; Bilibana, Mawethu; Baker, Priscilla G.; Williams, Avril; Vilakazi, Sibulelo; Tshikhudo, Robert; Iwuoha, Emmanuel I.

2014-01-01

A graphenated polyaniline/tungsten oxide (PANI/WO 3 /GR) nanocomposite sensor was prepared by electropolymerisation of a mixture of aniline monomer and tungsten oxide on a graphene-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The PANI/WO 3 /GR/GCE nanocomposite electrode was tested as a sensor for the determination of phenanthrene. The direct electro-oxidation behaviour of phenanthrene on the PANI/WO 3 /GR modified GCE was carefully investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The results indicated that the PANI/WO 3 /GR/GCE sensor was more sensitive to phenanthrene (with a dynamic linear range of 1.0 - 6.0 pM and a detection limit of 0.123 pM.) than GCE, PANI/GCE or PANI/WO 3 /GCE. The sensor exhibited excellent reproducibility and long-term stability. The sensor exhibits lower detection sensitivity than the WHO permissible level of 1.12 nM phenanthrene in wastewater

Freeze drying-assisted synthesis of Pt@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as excellent hydrogen sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xiaojing; Song, Xinjie; Gu, Cuiping; Ren, Haibo; Sun, Yufeng; Huang, Jiarui

2018-05-01

Quick and efficient detection of low concentrations of hydrogen remains a challenge because of the stability of hydrogen. A sensor based on reduced oxide graphene functionalized with Pt nanoparticles is successfully fabricated using a freeze-drying method followed by heat treatment. The structure and morphology of the Pt@rGO nanocomposites are well analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-prepared Pt@rGO nanocomposites show excellent hydrogen gas sensing properties at a low working temperature of 50 °C. The sensitivity toward 0.5% hydrogen is 8%. The response and recovery times of the sensor exposed to 0.5% hydrogen are 63 and 104 s, respectively. The gas-sensing mechanism of Pt@rGO sensor is also discussed.

Vegetable Oil-Based Hyperbranched Thermosetting Polyurethane/Clay Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Deka, Harekrishna; Karak, Niranjan

2009-04-25

The highly branched polyurethanes and vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites have been showing fruitful advantages across a spectrum of potential field of applications. Mesua ferrea L. seed oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)/clay nanocomposites were prepared at different dose levels by in situ polymerization technique. The performances of epoxy-cured thermosetting nanocomposites are reported for the first time. The partially exfoliated structure of clay layers was confirmed by XRD and TEM. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. The present investigation outlines the significant improvement of tensile strength, scratch hardness, thermostability, water vapor permeability, and adhesive strength without much influencing impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to pristine HBPU thermoset. An increment of two times the tensile strength, 6 degrees C of melting point, and 111 degrees C of thermo-stability were achieved by the formation of nanocomposites. An excellent shape recovery of about 96-99% was observed for the nanocomposites. Thus, the formation of partially exfoliated clay/vegetable oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites significantly improved the performance.

Synthesis and characterization of fly ash-zinc oxide nanocomposite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kunal Yeole

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Fly ash, generated in thermal power plants, is recognized as an environmental pollutant. Thus, measures are required to be undertaken to dispose it in an environmentally friendly method. In this paper an attempt is made to coat zinc oxide nano-particles on the surface of fly ash by a simple and environmentally friendly facile chemical method, at room temperature. Zinc oxide may serve as effective corrosion inhibitor by providing sacrificial protection. Concentration of fly ash was varied as 5, 10 and 15 (w/w % of zinc oxide. It was found that crystallinity increased, whereas particle size, specific gravity and oil absorption value decreased with increased concentration of fly ash in zinc oxide, which is attributed to the uniform distribution of zinc oxide on the surface of fly ash. These nanocomposites can potentially be used in commercial applications as additive for anticorrosion coatings.

Enhanced catalytic hydrogenation activity of Ni/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite prepared by a solid-state method

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yizhao; Cao, Yali; Jia, Dianzeng

2018-01-01

A simple solid-state method has been applied to synthesize Ni/reduced graphene oxide (Ni/rGO) nanocomposite under ambient condition. Ni nanoparticles with size of 10-30 nm supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets are obtained through one-pot solid-state co-reduction among nickel chloride, graphene oxide, and sodium borohydride. The Ni/rGO nanohybrid shows enhanced catalytic activity toward the reduction of p-nitrophenol (PNP) into p-aminophenol compared with Ni nanoparticles. The results of kinetic research display that the pseudo-first-order rate constant for hydrogenation reaction of PNP with Ni/rGO nanocomposite is 7.66 × 10-3 s-1, which is higher than that of Ni nanoparticles (4.48 × 10-3 s-1). It also presents superior turnover frequency (TOF, 5.36 h-1) and lower activation energy ( E a, 29.65 kJ mol-1) in the hydrogenation of PNP with Ni/rGO nanocomposite. Furthermore, composite catalyst can be magnetically separated and reused for five cycles. The large surface area and high electron transfer property of rGO support are beneficial for good catalytic performance of Ni/rGO nanocomposite. Our study demonstrates a simple approach to fabricate metal-rGO heterogeneous nanostructures with advanced functions.

Preparation, Characterization, and Properties of In Situ Formed Graphene Oxide/Phenol Formaldehyde Nanocomposites

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Weihua Xu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO has shown great potential to be used as fillers to develop polymer nanocomposites for important applications due to their special 2D geometrical structure as well as their outstanding mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. In this work, GO was incorporated into phenol formaldehyde (PF resin by in situ polymerization. The morphologies and structures of GO sheets were characterized by FTIR, XRD, and AFM methods. The structure and properties of the GO/PF nanocomposites were characterized using FTIR, XRD, DSC, and TGA methods. Effects of GO content, reactive conditions, and blending methods on the structure and properties of GO/PF nanocomposites were studied. It was found that due to the well dispersion of GO sheets in polymer matrix and the strong interfacial interaction between the GO sheets and PF matrix, the thermal stability and thermal mechanical properties of the GO/PF nanocomposites were greatly enhanced.

Chemical synthesis, characterization and electro-oxidation of hydrazine via a carbon paste electrode modified with poly (P-phenylendiamine/Al2O3) nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emamgholizadeh, Abbas; Omrani, Abdollah; Rostami, Abbas Ali

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A novel nanocomposite based on poly (P-phenylendiamine)/alumina was synthesized. ► It was observed that the nanocomposite increased the surface catalytic activity of CPE toward oxidation of hydrazine. ► The EIS measurements showed that the values of R ct decreases by the nanoalumina presence. - Abstract: In this article, the chemical synthesis and characterization of Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles dispersed into poly (P-phenylendiamine) (PpDP) was reported. The morphology, conductivity and structure of the nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), four probe testing and XRD experiment, respectively. Catalytic activity and stability for the oxidation of hydrazine were studied by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the nanocomposite significantly enhances the effective surface area and the catalytic activity of the CPE (carbon paste electrode) for oxidation of hydrazine. The results obtained confirmed that the dispersion of the Al 2 O 3 particles is connected with catalytic response to a higher activity. The nanotubular morphology of poly (P-phenylendiamine) helps in the effective dispersion of Al 2 O 3 particles facilitating the easier access of hydrazine to the catalytic sites. The poly (P-phenylendiamine) nanotubes modified with Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles cause a great increase in electroactivity and the electro-catalytic properties of CPE for hydrazine oxidation.

Nanocomposites of manganese oxides and carbon nanotubes for aqueous supercapacitor stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Shengwen; Peng Chuang; Ng, Kok C. [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Chen, George Z., E-mail: george.chen@nottingham.ac.u [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom)

2010-10-30

Symmetrical supercapacitors and their serially connected two-cell stacks via a bipolar electrode were constructed with nanocomposites of manganese oxides and carbon nanotubes (MnO{sub x}/CNTs) as the electrode materials. Nanocomposites with different contents of MnO{sub x} were synthesised through the redox reaction between KMnO{sub 4} and CNTs in aqueous solutions. The nanocomposites were characterised by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, BET nitrogen adsorption and X-ray diffraction before being examined in a three-electrode cell with a novel trenched graphite disc electrode by electrochemical means, including cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charging-discharging, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The nanocomposites demonstrated capacitive behaviour in the potential range of 0-0.85 V (vs Ag/AgCl) in aqueous KCl electrolytes with less than 9% capacitance decrease after 9000 charging-discharging cycles. Symmetrical supercapacitors of identical positive and negative MnO{sub x}/CNTs electrodes showed capacitive performance in good agreement with the individual electrodes (e.g. 0.90 V, 0.53 F, 1.3 cm{sup 2}). The bipolarly connected two-cell stacks of the symmetrical cells exhibited characteristics in accordance with expectation, including a doubled stack voltage and reduced internal resistance per cell.

Investigation of space charge distribution of low-density polyethylene/GO-GNF (graphene oxide from graphite nanofiber) nanocomposite for HVDC application.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yoon Jin; Ha, Son-Tung; Lee, Gun Joo; Nam, Jin Ho; Ryu, Ik Hyun; Nam, Su Hyun; Park, Cheol Min; In, Insik; Kim, Jiwan; Han, Chul Jong

2013-05-01

This paper reported a research on space charge distribution in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites with different types of graphene and graphene oxide (GO) at low filler content (0.05 wt%) under high DC electric field. Effect of addition of graphene oxide or graphene, its dispersion in LDPE polymer matrix on the ability to suppress space charge generation will be investigated and compared with MgO/LDPE nanocomposite at the same filler concentration. At an applied electric field of 80 kV/mm, a positive packet-like charge was observed in both neat LDPE, MgO/LDPE, and graphene/LDPE nanocomposites, whereas only little homogenous space charge was observed in GO/LDPE nanocomposites, especially with GO synthesized from graphite nano fiber (GNF) which is only -100 nm in diameter. Our research also suggests that dispersion of graphene oxide particles on the polymer matrix plays a significant role to the performance of nanocomposites on suppressing packet-like space charge. From these results, it is expected that nano-sized GO synthesized from GNF can be a promising filler material to LDPE composite for HVDC applications.

High Performances of Artificial Nacre-Like Graphene Oxide-Carrageenan Bio-Nanocomposite Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenkun Zhu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study was inspired by the unique multi-scale and multi-level ‘brick-and-mortar’ (B&M structure of nacre layers. We prepared the B&M, environmentally-friendly graphene oxide-carrageenan (GO-Car nanocomposite films using the following steps. A natural polyhydroxy polymer, carrageenan, was absorbed on the surface of monolayer GO nanosheets through hydrogen-bond interactions. Following this, a GO-Car hybridized film was produced through a natural drying process. We conducted structural characterization in addition to analyzing mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of the films. Scanning electron microscope (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD analyses showed that the nanocomposite films had a similar morphology and structure to nacre. Furthermore, the results from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and Thermogravimetric (TG/DTG were used to explain the GO-Car interaction. Analysis from static mechanical testers showed that GO-Car had enhanced Young’s modulus, maximum tensile strength and breaking elongation compared to pure GO. The GO-Car nanocomposite films, containing 5% wt. of Car, was able to reach a tensile strength of 117 MPa. The biocompatibility was demonstrated using a RAW264.7 cell test, with no significant alteration found in cellular morphology and cytotoxicity. The preparation process for GO-Car films is simple and requires little time, with GO-Car films also having favorable biocompatibility and mechanical properties. These advantages make GO-Car nanocomposite films promising materials in replacing traditional petroleum-based plastics and tissue engineering-oriented support materials.

Magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction based on graphene oxide/Fe3 O4 @polythionine nanocomposite followed by atomic absorption spectrometry for zinc monitoring in water, flour, celery and egg.

Science.gov (United States)

Babaei, Azar; Zeeb, Mohsen; Es-Haghi, Ali

2018-07-01

Magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposite has been proposed as a promising and sustainable sorbent for the extraction and separation of target analytes from food matrices. Sample preparation based on nanocomposite presents several advantages, such as desired efficiency, reasonable selectivity and high surface-area-to-volume ratio. A new graphene oxide/Fe 3 O 4 @polythionine (GO/Fe 3 O 4 @PTh) nanocomposite sorbent was introduced for magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction and flame atomic absorption spectrometric detection of zinc(II) in water, flour, celery and egg. To fabricate the sorbent, an oxidative polymerization of thionine on the surface of magnetic GO was applied, while polythionine was simply employed as a surface modifier to improve extraction yield. The properties of the sorbent were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The calibration curve showed linearity in the range of 0.5-30 ng mL -1 . Limits of detection (S/N = 3) and quantification (S/N = 10) were 0.08 and 0.5 ng mL -1 , respectively. The method was applied for trace-level determination of Zn(II) in water and food samples, and its validation was investigated by recovery experiments and analyzing certified reference material. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Novel hybrid light-emitting devices based on MAPbBr3 nanoplatelets:PVK nanocomposites and zinc oxide nanorod arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Szu-Ping; Chang, Chun-Kai; Yang, Sheng-Hsiung; Chang, Che-Yu; Chao, Yu-Chiang

2018-01-01

In this research, we demonstrate inverted perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) based on zinc oxide nanorod arrays (ZnO NAs) as the electron transport layer and methylammonium lead bromide nanoplatelets (MAPbBr3 NPLs) as the emissive material for the first time. The polyethyleneimine ethoxylated (PEIE) was inserted between the ZnO NAs and the MAPbBr3 NPLs layer to reduce the energy barrier and improve the electron injection efficiency. Besides, different weight ratios of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) were blended with MAPbBr3 NPLs to make evenly dispersed nanocomposite films, thereby enhancing the performance of devices. Meanwhile, the photoluminescence of MAPbBr3 NPLs:PVK nanocomposite film was increased due to reduced self-quenching and prolonged carrier lifetime. Inverted PeLEDs with the configuration of ITO/PEIE-modified ZnO NAs/MAPbBr3 NPLs:PVK/TFB/Au were fabricated and evaluated, using TFB as the hole transport layer. The current density of the devices containing PVK matrix was significantly suppressed compared to those without PVK. Herein, the best device revealed a max brightness of 495 cd m-2 and a low turn-on voltage of 3.1 V that shows potential use in light-emitting applications.

Vegetable Oil-Based Hyperbranched Thermosetting Polyurethane/Clay Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deka Harekrishna

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The highly branched polyurethanes and vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites have been showing fruitful advantages across a spectrum of potential field of applications.Mesua ferreaL. seed oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU/clay nanocomposites were prepared at different dose levels by in situ polymerization technique. The performances of epoxy-cured thermosetting nanocomposites are reported for the first time. The partially exfoliated structure of clay layers was confirmed by XRD and TEM. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. The present investigation outlines the significant improvement of tensile strength, scratch hardness, thermostability, water vapor permeability, and adhesive strength without much influencing impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to pristine HBPU thermoset. An increment of two times the tensile strength, 6 °C of melting point, and 111 °C of thermo-stability were achieved by the formation of nanocomposites. An excellent shape recovery of about 96–99% was observed for the nanocomposites. Thus, the formation of partially exfoliated clay/vegetable oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites significantly improved the performance.

NIR-Vis-UV Light-Responsive Actuator Films of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhangxiang; Wang, Tianjie; Li, Xiao; Zhang, Yihe; Yu, Haifeng

2015-12-16

To take full advantage of sunlight for photomechanical materials, NIR-vis-UV light-responsive actuator films of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were fabricated. The strategy is based on phase transition of LCs from nematic to isotropic phase induced by combination of photochemical and photothermal processes in the PDLC/GO nanocomposites. Upon mechanical stretching of the film, both topological shape change and mesogenic alignment occurred in the separated LC domains, enabling the film to respond to NIR-vis-UV light. The homodispersed GO flakes act as photoabsorbent and nanoscale heat source to transfer NIR or VIS light into thermal energy, heating the film and photothermally inducing phase transition of LC microdomains. By utilizing photochemical phase transition of LCs upon UV-light irradiation, one azobenzene dye was incorporated into the LC domains, endowing the nanocomposite films with UV-responsive property. Moreover, the light-responsive behaviors can be well-controlled by adjusting the elongation ratio upon mechanical treatment. The NIR-vis-UV light-responsive PDLC/GO nanocomposite films exhibit excellent properties of easy fabrication, low-cost, and good film-forming and mechanical features, promising their numerous applications in the field of soft actuators and optomechanical systems driven directly by sunlight.

Hazy Al2O3-FTO Nanocomposites: A Comparative Study with FTO-Based Nanocomposites Integrating ZnO and S:TiO2 Nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan-Ting Zhang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we report the use of Al2O3 nanoparticles in combination with fluorine doped tin oxide (F:SnO2, aka FTO thin films to form hazy Al2O3-FTO nanocomposites. In comparison to previously reported FTO-based nanocomposites integrating ZnO and sulfur doped TiO2 (S:TiO2 nanoparticles (i.e., ZnO-FTO and S:TiO2-FTO nanocomposites, the newly developed Al2O3-FTO nanocomposites show medium haze factor HT of about 30%, while they exhibit the least loss in total transmittance Ttot. In addition, Al2O3-FTO nanocomposites present a low fraction of large-sized nanoparticle agglomerates with equivalent radius req > 1 μm; effectively 90% of the nanoparticle agglomerates show req < 750 nm. The smaller feature size in Al2O3-FTO nanocomposites, as compared to ZnO-FTO and S:TiO2-FTO nanocomposites, makes them more suitable for applications that are sensitive to roughness and large-sized features. With the help of a simple optical model developed in this work, we have simulated the optical scattering by a single nanoparticle agglomerate characterized by bottom radius r0, top radius r1, and height h. It is found that r0 is the main factor affecting the HT(λ, which indicates that the haze factor of Al2O3-FTO and related FTO nanocomposites is mainly determined by the total surface coverage of all the nanoparticle agglomerates present.

Synergistic effect of cellulose nanocrystals/graphene oxide nanosheets as functional hybrid nanofiller for enhancing properties of PVA nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

El Miri, Nassima; El Achaby, Mounir; Fihri, Aziz; Larzek, Mohamed; Zahouily, Mohamed; Abdelouahdi, Karima; Barakat, Abdellatif; Solhy, Abderrahim

2016-02-10

Novel functional hybrid nanofillers composed of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and graphene oxide nanosheets (GON), at different weight ratios (2:1, 1:1 and 1:2), were successfully prepared and characterized, and their synergistic effect in enhancing the properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites was investigated. Due to the synergistic reinforcement, it was found that the Young's modulus, tensile strength and toughness of the PVA nanocomposite containing 5 wt% hybrid nanofiller (1:2) were significantly improved by 320%, 124% and 159%, respectively; and the elongation at break basically remained compared to the neat PVA matrix. In addition, the glass and melting temperatures as well as the moisture sorption of nanocomposites were also enhanced. This synergistic effect improved the dispersion homogeneity by avoiding the agglomeration phenomenon of nanofillers within the polymer matrix, resulting in nanocomposites with largely enhanced properties compared to those prepared from single nanofiller (CNC or GON). The preparation of these hybrid nanofillers and their incorporation into a polymer provided a novel method for the development of novel multifunctional nanocomposites based on the combination of existing nanomaterials. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanocomposites Based on Biodegradable Polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilaria Armentano

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In the present review paper, our main results on nanocomposites based on biodegradable polymers (on a time scale from 2010 to 2018 are reported. We mainly focused our attention on commercial biodegradable polymers, which we mixed with different nanofillers and/or additives with the final aim of developing new materials with tunable specific properties. A wide list of nanofillers have been considered according to their shape, properties, and functionalization routes, and the results have been discussed looking at their roles on the basis of different adopted processing routes (solvent-based or melt-mixing processes. Two main application fields of nanocomposite based on biodegradable polymers have been considered: the specific interaction with stem cells in the regenerative medicine applications or as antimicrobial materials and the active role of selected nanofillers in food packaging applications have been critically revised, with the main aim of providing an overview of the authors’ contribution to the state of the art in the field of biodegradable polymeric nanocomposites.

Synthesis of NiO–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites by sol–gel process and their use as catalyst for the oxidation of styrene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadav, Sudheer Kumar; Jeevanandam, P., E-mail: jeevafcy@iitr.ac.in

2014-10-15

Highlights: • NiO–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites have been synthesized by sol–gel method. • The synthesis takes shorter time (∼48 h) compared to reported methods. • The nanocomposites show high catalytic activity for the oxidation of styrene compared to NiO. - Abstract: NiO–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites were prepared by sol–gel method. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. XRD results indicate that the NiO–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites consist of small NiO crystallites (mean size ∼2.6 nm). TEM results indicate uniform distribution of NiO nanoparticles in the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} matrix. Increase in the band gap of NiO in the nanocomposites compared to pure NiO nanoparticles is observed and the nanocomposites show superparamagnetic behaviour. The NiO–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites show high catalytic activity for the oxidation of styrene using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant and also show higher selectivity for styrene oxide with higher total conversion compared to pure NiO nanoparticles.

Charge transport in metal oxide nanocrystal-based materials

Science.gov (United States)

Runnerstrom, Evan Lars

structure. Charge transport can obviously be taken to mean the conduction of electrons, but it also refers to the motion of ions, such as lithium ions and protons. In many cases, the transport of ions is married to the motion of electrons as well, either through an external electrical circuit, or within the same material in the case of mixed ionic electronic conductors. The collective motion of electrons over short length scales, that is, within single nanocrystals, is also a subject of study as it pertains to plasmonic nanocrystals. Finally, charge transport can also be coupled to or result from the formation of defects in metal oxides. All of these modes of charge transport in metal oxides gain further complexity when considered in nanocrystalline systems, where the introduction of numerous surfaces can change the character of charge transport relative to bulk systems, providing opportunities to exploit new physical phenomena. Part I of this dissertation explores the combination of electronic and ionic transport in electrochromic devices based on nanocrystals. Colloidal chemistry and solution processing are used to fabricate nanocomposites based on electrochromic tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanocrystals. The nanocomposites, which are completely synthesized using solution processing, consist of ITO nanocrystals and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (LiTFSI) salt dispersed in a lithium ion-conducting polymer matrix of either poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). ITO nanocrystals are prepared by colloidal synthetic methods and the nanocrystal surface chemistry is modified to achieve favorable nanocrystal-polymer interactions. Homogeneous solutions containing polymer, ITO nanocrystals, and lithium salt are thus prepared and deposited by spin casting. Characterization by DC electronic measurements, microscopy, and x-ray scattering techniques show that the ITO nanocrystals form a complete, connected electrode within a polymer electrolyte

Aloe vera mediated hydrothermal synthesis of reduced graphene oxide decorated ZnO nanocomposite: Luminescence and antioxidant properties

Science.gov (United States)

Kavyashree, D.; Nagabhushana, H.; Ananda Kumari, R.; Basavaraj, R. B.; Suresh, D.; Daruka Prasad, B.; Sharma, S. C.

2016-05-01

A zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/rGO) nanocomposite was fabricated by facile hydrothermal route using Aloe vera gel as surfactant. The PL emission spectrum of the ZnO/rGO composite consists of four peaks at around 380, 394, 449 and 465nm. The PL intensity is found to diminish in ZnO-rGO composites rather than in pure ZnO, which was attributed to electron transfer from ZnO to rGO. A single intense glow curve was recorded in rGo-ZnO for a dose range of 1-8kGy. The TL response curve of rGO-ZnO is found to be a simple glow curve structure, linear dependence over a dose range of 1-8kGy. The obtained ZnO/rGO composite could provide a facile and eco-friendly method for the development of graphene-based nanocomposites with promising applications in radiation dosimetry and antioxidant activities.

Sorption of Sr(II) onto nanocomposites of graphene oxide-polymeric matrix

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bubeníková, M.; Ecorchard, Petra; Szatmáry, L.; Mrózek, Ondřej; Salačová, P.; Tolasz, Jakub

2018-01-01

Roč. 315, č. 2 (2018), s. 263-272 ISSN 0236-5731 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TA04020222 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Graphene oxide * Nanocomposite * PA66 * Polystyrene * Radiostrontium removal Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry OBOR OECD: Inorganic and nuclear chemistry Impact factor: 1.282, year: 2016

Physical and mechanical properties of hybrid montmorillonite/zinc oxide reinforced carboxymethyl cellulose nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahedi, Younes; Fathi-Achachlouei, Bahram; Yousefi, Ali Reza

2018-03-01

In this research, a novel carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based nanocomposite films containing sodium montmorillonite (MMT) (5%wt) and zinc oxide (ZnO) (1, 2, 3 and 4%wt) nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated via casting method. The results revealed that addition of NPs decreased water vapor permeability of the films by about 53%, while moisture content, density and glass transition temperature increased. The nanomaterials enhanced resistance of the nanocomposites against tensile stress at the expense of elongation at break. Nano-ZnO was very effective than nanoclay in UV-light blocking (99% vs. 60%) associated with sacrificing the films transparency. Formation of hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups of CMC and MMT was evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy. According to the XRD analysis, clay nanolayers formed an exfoliated structure in the nanocomposites, whereas ZnO NPs raised crystallinity. SEM micrographs showed well-dispersed MMT and ZnO NPs through the films surface. Antibacterial test showed that vulnerability of Gram-positive S. aureus toward ZnO NPs was more than that of Gram-negative E. Coli. In conclusion, simultaneous incorporation of MMT and ZnO NPs improved the functional characteristics of CMC film and extended the potential for food packaging applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multifunctional pH-sensitive superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanocomposites for targeted drug delivery and MR imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lijuan; Wang, Dali; Wei, Xuan; Zhu, Xinyuan; Li, Jianqi; Tu, Chunlai; Su, Yue; Wu, Jieli; Zhu, Bangshang; Yan, Deyue

2013-08-10

A multifunctional pH-sensitive superparamagnetic iron-oxide (SPIO) nanocomposite system was developed for simultaneous tumor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and therapy. Small-size SPIO nanoparticles were chemically bonded with antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) and biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) through pH-sensitive acylhydrazone linkages, resulting in the formation of SPIO nanocomposites with magnetic targeting and pH-sensitive properties. These DOX-conjugated SPIO nanocomposites exhibited not only good stability in aqueous solution but also high saturation magnetizations. Under an acidic environment, the DOX was quickly released from the SPIO nanocomposites due to the cleavage of pH-sensitive acylhydrazone linkages. With the help of magnetic field, the DOX-conjugated SPIO nanocomposites showed high cellular uptake, indicating their magnetic targeting property. Comparing to free DOX, the DOX-conjugated SPIO nanocomposites showed better antitumor effect under magnetic field. At the same time, the relaxivity value of these SPIO nanocomposites was higher than 146s(-1)mM(-1) Fe, leading to ~4 times enhancement compared to that of free SPIO nanoparticles. As a negative contrast agent, these SPIO nanocomposites illustrated high resolution in MRI diagnosis of tumor-bearing mice. All of these results confirm that these pH-sensitive SPIO nanocomposites are promising hybrid materials for synergistic MRI diagnosis and tumor therapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel layered manganese oxide/poly(aniline-co-o-anisidine) nanocomposite and its application for electrochemical supercapacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Xiaofeng; Wang Gengchao; Wang Ruiyu; Li Xingwei

2010-01-01

A novel layered manganese oxide/poly(aniline-co-o-anisidine) nanocomposite [MnO 2 /P(An-co-oAs)] was successfully synthesized by a delamination/reassembling process using P(An-co-oAs) ionomer and layered manganese oxide in aqueous solution. This nanocomposite obtained was then characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. X-ray diffraction and electron microscope analysis showed that the MnO 2 /P(An-co-oAs) nanocomposite had a lamellar structure with increasing interlayer spacing. The MnO 2 /P(An-co-oAs) nanocomposite exhibited substantially improved conductivity, which was near 100 times greater than that of its pristine MnO 2 (3.5 x 10 -7 S cm -1 ). The specific capacitance of the MnO 2 /P(An-co-oAs) nanocomposite reached 262 F g -1 in 1 M Na 2 SO 4 at a current density of 1 A g -1 , which was significantly higher than that of either of its two pristine materials [MnO 2 (182 F g -1 ) or P(An-co-oAs) (127 F g -1 )] owing to the synergic effect between the two pristine components. The fabrication mechanism of the nanocomposite was also proposed and discussed in this paper.

The preparation and characteristic of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite and its application for supercapacitor electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mao, Xiling [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China); Yang, Wenyao [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Electronic Information Technology and Application, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing 402160 (China); He, Xin; Chen, Yan; Zhao, Yuetao; Zhou, Yujiu; Yang, Yajie [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China); Xu, Jianhua, E-mail: jianhuaxu8023@126.com [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • A facile method to prepare PEDOT/rGO nanocomposite. • Taking full advantages of electrochemical polymerization and laser-writing methods. • The PEDOT/rGO nanocomposite possesses excellent electrochemical properties. - Abstract: Here we demonstrate a facile electrochemical polymerization and laser induction process to fabricate poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/reduced graphene oxide (PEDOT/rGO) nanocomposite, which can be used as supercapacitor electrode material. Firstly, a PEDOT film is deposited on ITO substrate using an electrochemical polymerization method and a graphene oxide (GO) film is successively deposited on as-prepared PEDOT film through a spin-coating method. Then, by using a laser-writing method, the GO film is transformed into the rGO and a PEDOT/rGO nanocomposite is obtained. The resulting nanocomposite shows high areal capacitance about 43.75 mF/cm{sup 2}, which is nearly 3 times higher than that of the PEDOT film at a current density of 0.2 mA/cm{sup 2}. The PEDOT/rGO nanocomposite exhibits excellent cyclic stability, which can retain 83.6% of its initial capacitance after 1000 charge-discharge cycles. Furthermore, this nanocomposite can be deposited on varied substrates as electrode materials, which shows promising application to prepare high performance energy storage materials.

Ferroferric oxide/polystyrene (Fe3O4/PS superparamagnetic nanocomposite via facile in situ bulk radical polymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Organo-modified ferroferric oxide superparamagnetic nanoparticles, synthesized by the coprecipitation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in presence of oleic acid (OA, were incorporated in polystyrene (PS by the facile in situ bulk radical polymerization by using 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN as initiator. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM analysis of the resultant uniform ferroferric oxide/polystyrene superparamagnetic nanocomposite (Fe3O4/PS showed that the superparamagnetic nanoparticles had been dispersed homogeneously in the polymer matrix due to the surface grafted polystyrene, confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA. The superparamagnetic property of the Fe3O4/PS nanocomposite was testified by the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM analysis. The strategy developed is expected to be applied for the large-scale industrial manufacturing of the superparamagnetic polymer nanocomposite.

Facile hydrothermal growth graphene/ZnO nanocomposite for development of enhanced biosensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Low, Sze Shin [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Division of Materials, Mechanics and Structures, Center of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Tan, Michelle T.T., E-mail: Michelle.Tan@nottingham.edu.my [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Division of Materials, Mechanics and Structures, Center of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Loh, Hwei-San [School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Biotechnology Research Centre, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Khiew, Poi Sim [Division of Materials, Mechanics and Structures, Center of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Chiu, Wee Siong [Low Dimensional Materials Research Center, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2016-01-15

Graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite was synthesised via a facile, green and efficient approach consisted of novel liquid phase exfoliation and solvothermal growth for sensing application. Highly pristine graphene was synthesised through mild sonication treatment of graphite in a mixture of ethanol and water at an optimum ratio. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) affirmed the hydrothermal growth of pure zinc oxide nanoparticles from zinc nitrate hexahydrate precursor. The as-prepared graphene/zinc oxide (G/ZnO) nanocomposite was characterised comprehensively to evaluate its morphology, crystallinity, composition and purity. All results clearly indicate that zinc oxide particles were homogenously distributed on graphene sheets, without any severe aggregation. The electrochemical performance of graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry analysis. The resulting electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) in a linear range of 1–15 mM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9977. The sensitivity of the graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite-modified hydrogen peroxide sensor was 3.2580 μAmM{sup −1} with a limit of detection of 7.4357 μM. An electrochemical DNA sensor platform was then fabricated for the detection of Avian Influenza H5 gene based on graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite. The results obtained from amperometry study indicate that the graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite-enhanced electrochemical DNA biosensor is significantly more sensitive (P < 0.05) and efficient than the conventional agarose gel electrophoresis. - Highlights: • One step, green and facile exfoliation of graphite in ethanol/water mixture. • G/ZnO nanocomposite prepared via simple, green low temperature solvothermal method. • CV and amperometric study of G/ZnO nanocomposite towards H{sub 2}O{sub 2} with R{sup 2} of 0.9977. �

Magnetic nanocomposites based on phosphorus-containing polymers—structural characterization and thermal analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Alosmanov, R. M.; Szuwarzyński, M.; Schnelle-Kreis, J.; Matuschek, G.; Magerramov, A. M.; Azizov, A. A.; Zimmermann, R.; Zapotoczny, S.

2018-04-01

Fabrication of magnetic nanocomposites containing iron oxide nanoparticles formed in situ within a phosphorus-containing polymer matrix as well as its structural characterization and its thermal degradation is reported here. Comparative structural studies of the parent polymer and nanocomposites were performed using FTIR spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The results confirmed the presence of dispersed iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The formed composite combines the properties of porous polymer carriers and magnetic particles enabling easy separation and reapplication of such polymeric carriers used in, for example, catalysis or environmental remediation. Studies on thermal degradation of the composites revealed that the process proceeds in three stages while a significant influence of the embedded magnetic particles on that process was observed in the first two stages. Magnetic force microscopy studies revealed that nanocomposites and its calcinated form have strong magnetic properties. The obtained results provide a comprehensive characterization of magnetic nanocomposites and the products of their calcination that are important for their possible applications as sorbents (regeneration conditions, processing temperature, disposal, etc).

Self-assembly of a superparamagnetic raspberry-like silica/iron oxide nanocomposite using epoxy-amine coupling chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Cano, Manuel; de la Cueva-Méndez, Guillermo

2015-02-28

The fabrication of colloidal nanocomposites would benefit from controlled hetero-assembly of ready-made particles through covalent bonding. Here we used epoxy-amine coupling chemistry to promote the self-assembly of superparamagnetic raspberry-like nanocomposites. This adaptable method induced the covalent attachment of iron oxide nanoparticles sparsely coated with amine groups onto epoxylated silica cores in the absence of other reactants.

Selective Clay Placement Within a Silicate-Clay Epoxy Blend Nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Sandi G (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A clay-epoxy nanocomposite may be prepared by dispersing a layered clay in an alkoxy epoxy, such as a polypropylene oxide based epoxide before combining the mixture with an aromatic epoxy to improve the nanocomposite's thermal and mechanical properties.

Superparamagnetic magnetite nanocrystals-graphene oxide nanocomposites: facile synthesis and their enhanced electric double-layer capacitor performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qihua; Wang, Dewei; Li, Yuqi; Wang, Tingmei

2012-06-01

Superparamagnetic magnetite nanocrystals-graphene oxide (FGO) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized through a simple yet versatile one-step solution-processed approach at ambient conditions. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanocrystals (NCs) with a size of 10-50 nm were uniformly deposited on the surfaces of graphene oxide (GO) sheets, which were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission election microscopy (HAADF-STEM) studies. FGO with different Fe3O4 loadings could be controlled by simply manipulating the initial weight ratio of the precursors. The M-H measurements suggested that the as-prepared FGO nanocomposites have a large saturation magnetizations that made them can move regularly under an external magnetic field. Significantly, FGO nanocomposites also exhibit enhanced electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) activity compared with pure Fe3O4 NCs and GO in terms of specific capacitance and high-rate charge-discharge.

Highly Controlled Diffusion Drug Release from Ureasil-Poly(ethylene oxide)-Na+-Montmorillonite Hybrid Hydrogel Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Jesus, Celso R N; Molina, Eduardo F; Pulcinelli, Sandra H; Santilli, Celso V

2018-06-06

In this work, we report the effects of incorporation of variable amounts (1-20 wt %) of sodium montmorillonite (MMT) into a siloxane-poly(ethylene oxide) hybrid hydrogel prepared by the sol-gel route. The aim was to control the nanostructural features of the nanocomposite, improve the release profile of the sodium diclofenac (SDCF) drug, and optimize the swelling behavior of the hydrophilic matrix. The nanoscopic characteristics of the siloxane-cross-linked poly(ethylene oxide) network, the semicrystallinity of the hybrid, and the intercalated or exfoliated structure of the clay were investigated by X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, and differential scanning calorimetry. The correlation between the nanoscopic features of nanocomposites containing different amounts of MMT and the swelling behavior revealed the key role of exfoliated silicate in controlling the water uptake by means of a flow barrier effect. The release of the drug from the nanocomposite displayed a stepped pattern kinetically controlled by the diffusion of SDCF molecules through the mass transport barrier created by the exfoliated silicate. The sustained SDCF release provided by the hybrid hydrogel nanocomposite could be useful for the prolonged treatment of painful conditions, such as arthritis, sprains and strains, gout, migraine, and pain after surgical procedures.

Reduced graphene oxide-germanium quantum dot nanocomposite: electronic, optical and magnetic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Amollo, Tabitha A.; Mola, Genene T.; Nyamori, Vincent O.

2017-12-01

Graphene provides numerous possibilities for structural modification and functionalization of its carbon backbone. Localized magnetic moments can, as well, be induced in graphene by the formation of structural defects which include vacancies, edges, and adatoms. In this work, graphene was functionalized using germanium atoms, we report the effect of the Ge ad atoms on the structural, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of graphene. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-germanium quantum dot nanocomposites of high crystalline quality were synthesized by the microwave-assisted solvothermal reaction. Highly crystalline spherical shaped germanium quantum dots, of diameter ranging between 1.6-9.0 nm, are anchored on the basal planes of rGO. The nanocomposites exhibit high electrical conductivity with a sheet resistance of up to 16 Ω sq-1. The electrical conductivity is observed to increase with the increase in Ge content in the nanocomposites. High defect-induced magnetization is attained in the composites via germanium adatoms. The evolution of the magnetic moments in the nanocomposites and the coercivity showed marked dependence on the Ge quantum dots size and concentration. Quantum confinement effects is evidenced in the UV-vis absorbance spectra and photoluminescence emission spectra of the nanocomposites which show marked size-dependence. The composites manifest strong absorption in the UV region, strong luminescence in the near UV region, and a moderate luminescence in the visible region.

Developing the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using a SnO2-doped graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposite as a photo-anode

Science.gov (United States)

Sasikumar, Ragu; Chen, Tse-Wei; Chen, Shen-Ming; Rwei, Syang-Peng; Ramaraj, Sayee Kannan

2018-05-01

Tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) doped on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) sheets for application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The effective incorporation of SnO2 on the surface of GO sheets were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Raman spectroscopy. The morphology of the GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. This current study involvement with the effect of different photo-anodes such as GO, SnO2, and GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the triiodide electrolyte based DSSCs. Remarkably, GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite based photo-anode for DSSC observed PCE of 8.3% and it is about 12% higher than that of un-doped TiO2 photo-anode. The equivalent short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 16.67 mA cm-2, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.77 V, and fill factor (FF) of 0.65 respectively. The achieved results propose that the hybrid nanocomposite is an appropriate photo-anodic material for DSSCs applications.

Synergetic effect of graphene oxide-carbon nanotube on nanomechanical properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Jyoti, Jeevan; Pratap Singh, Bhanu; Chockalingam, Sreekumar; Joshi, Amish G.; Gupta, Tejendra K.; Dhakate, S. R.

2018-04-01

Herein, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes (GCNTs) hybrid reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) nanocomposites have been prepared by micro twin screw extruder with back flow channel and the effect of different type of fillers on the nanomechanical properties are studied. The combination of both graphene oxide and CNT has enhanced the dispersion in polymer matrix and lower the probability of CNTs aggregation. GCNTs hybrid have been synthesized via novel chemical route and well characterized using Raman spectroscopic technique. The nanoindentation hardness and elastic modulus of GCNTs-ABS hybrid nanocomposites were improved from 211.3 MPa and 4.12 GPa of neat ABS to 298.9 MPa and 6.02 GPa, respectively at 5wt% GCNTs loading. In addition to hardness and elastic modulus, other mechanical properties i.e. plastic index parameter, elastic recovery, ratio of residual displacement after load removal and displacement at the maximum load and plastic deformation energy have also been investigated. These results were correlated with Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) techniques and microstructural characterizations (scanning electron microscopy). Our demonstration would provide guidelines for the fabrication of hard and scratches nanocomposite materials for potential use in, automotive trim components and bumper bars, carrying cases and electronic industries and electromagnetic interference shielding.

Non-enzymatic glucose sensing platform using self assembled cobalt oxide/graphene nanocomposites immobilized graphite modified electrode

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vivekananth, R.; Babu, R. Suresh; Prasanna, K.

2018-01-01

A new strategy to prepare the densely packed cobalt oxide (Co3O4)/graphene nanocomposites by a self-assembly method were adopted in this work. A new non-enzymatic glucose determination has been fabricated by using Co3O4/graphene nanocomposites modified electrode as a sensing material. The nanocom...... of the modified electrode for glucose determination has been evaluated in urine samples....

Cu-Hemin Metal-Organic-Frameworks/Chitosan-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites with Peroxidase-Like Bioactivity for Electrochemical Sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Li; Yang, Han; He, Juan; Zhang, Yayun; Yu, Jie; Song, Yonghai

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: A simple, sensitive and effective method to detect hydrogen peroxide based on a hybrid Cu-hemin metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs)/chitosan-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (CS-rGO) nanocomposite was achieved via Cu-hemin MOFs constructing with CS-rGO in room temperature. The Cu-hemin MOFs/CS-rGO nanomaterials exhibited a unique peroxidase-like activity and good electrical conductivity as well as some novel properties. And the as-prepared electrode resulted in a perfect electrochemical performance towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide which was superior to natural enzymes and some inorganic mimic enzymes. - Highlights: • A hybrid Cu-hemin MOF/CS-rGO with a unique peroxidase-like activity was prepared. • The CS-rGO improved electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites greatly. • The 3D porous structure enhanced the catalytic activity of hemin for H 2 O 2 . • A novel sensitive electrochemical biosensing for H 2 O 2 detection was achieved. - Abstract: Herein, a Cu-hemin metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs)/chitosan (CS)-reduced graphene oxide (CS-rGO) nanocomposite with unique peroxidase-like bioactivity and good electrical conductivity was prepared for electrochemical H 2 O 2 sensing for the first time. The prepared Cu-hemin MOFs/CS-rGO nanocomposites were well characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. The results showed that after the Cu-hemin MOFs were formed on the CS-rGO surface, the crystalline structure of the Cu-hemin MOFs was kept while the size of Cu-hemin MOFs was decreased and the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites was enhanced greatly as compared with that of Cu-hemin MOFs. The unique peroxidase-like bioactivity and good electrical conductivity as well as some novel properties of Cu-hemin MOFs/CS-rGO nanocomposites resulted in

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of KNbO3(100)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites investigated using first-principles calculations: RGO reductivity effect

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Pan; Shen, Yanqing; Wu, Wenjing; Li, Jun; Zhou, Zhongxiang

2018-03-01

Although a number of various reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-based nanomaterials with enhanced photocatalytic performance have recently been characterized, the effect of RGO reductivity on their performance is still not clear. Herein, KNbO3(100) surface modification with three RGO sheets of different reductivity is investigated using first-principles calculations, revealing that increasing RGO reductivity enhances the photocatalytic performance of KNbO3(100)/RGO nanocomposites. In contrast to CeO2/RGO nanocomposites, the O atoms of RGO inhibit the photoactivity of KNbO3/RGO nanocomposites by restraining the effect of inducing a red shift of the corresponding photocatalytic absorption spectra by C 2p states. Increased RGO reductivity extends its absorption edge to the visible light region of the optical absorption and also promotes charge transfer from the KNbO3(100) surface to RGO sheets, in contrast to the behavior observed for g-C3N4/RGO composites. Overall, this work provides a reasonable explanation of controversial experimental results obtained previously, paving the way to the development of highly efficient RGO-based photocatalysts and promoting further photocatalytic applications of KNbO3/RGO nanocomposites.

Impressive nonlinear optical response exhibited by Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite films

Science.gov (United States)

Sabira, K.; Saheeda, P.; Divyasree, M. C.; Jayalekshmi, S.

2017-12-01

In the present work, the nonlinear optical properties of free-standing films of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite are investigated to assess their suitability as efficient optical limiters. The PVDF/RGO nanocomposite films are generated by mixing different concentrations of RGO as the filler, with PVDF, using solution casting method. The XRD and FTIR data of these nanocomposite films confirm the enhancement in the β phase of PVDF when RGO is added to PVDF, which is one of the prime factors, enhancing the nonlinear response of the nanocomposite. The open aperture and closed aperture Z-scan technique under nanosecond excitation (532 nm, 7 ns) is used to investigate the nonlinear optical characteristics of the PVDF/RGO nanocomposite films. These films are found to exhibit two photon absorption assisted optical non linearity in the nanosecond regime. The highlight of the present work is the observation of quite low values of the normalized transmittance and low optical limiting threshold power in free standing films of PVDF/RGO nanocomposite. These flexible, free-standing and stable nanocomposite films offer high application prospects in the design of efficient optical limiting devices of any desired size or shape.

Effect of temperature on the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical properties of MgO-doped graphene oxide nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Kimiagar, Salimeh; Abrinaei, Fahimeh

2018-01-01

Magnesium oxide (MgO)-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were prepared by the hydrothermal method at different temperatures. The effect of growth temperature on the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical (NLO) parameters was investigated. The decoration of MgO on GO sheets was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy analyses. The energy band-gaps of MgO-GO nanocomposites were calculated from UV-vis spectrum using Tauc plot. The NLO parameters of MgO-GO nanocomposites were calculated for the first time by the simple Z-scan technique with nanosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. The nonlinear absorption coefficient β and nonlinear refractive index n2 for MgO-GO nanocomposites at the laser intensity of 1.1×108 W/cm2 were measured to be in the order of 10-7 cm/W and 10-12 cm2/W, respectively. The third-order NLO susceptibility of MgO-GO nanocomposites was measured in the order of 10-9 esu. The results showed that MgO-GO structures have negative nonlinearity as well as good nonlinear two-photon absorption at 532 nm. Furthermore, the NLO parameters increased by the enhancement of the growth temperature. As the investigation of new materials plays an important role in the advancement of optoelectronics, MgO-GO nanocomposites possess potential applications in NLO devices.

A novel lable-free electrochemical immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen based on gold nanoparticles-thionine-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite film modified glassy carbon electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Fen-Ying; Xu, Mao-Tian; Xu, Jing-Juan; Chen, Hong-Yuan

2011-10-15

In this paper, gold nanoparticle-thionine-reduced graphene oxide (GNP-THi-GR) nanocomposites were prepared to design a label-free immunosensor for the sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The nanocomposites with good biocompatibility, excellent redox electrochemical activity and large surface area were coated onto the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface and then CEA antibody (anti-CEA) was immobilized on the electrode to construct the immunosensor. The morphologies and electrochemistry of the formed nanocomposites were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) studies demonstrated that the formation of antibody-antigen complexes decreased the peak current of THi in the GNP-THi-GR nanocomposites. The decreased currents were proportional to the CEA concentration in the range of 10-500 pg/mL with a detection limit of 4 pg/mL. The proposed method was simple, fast and inexpensive for the determination of CEA at very low levels. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of dosimetric characteristics of graphene oxide/PVC nanocomposite for gamma radiation applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feizi, Shahzad; Malekie, Shahryar; Ziaie, Farhood [Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Radiation Application Research School; Rahighi, Reza; Tayyebi, Ahmad [Univ. of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Physics

2017-04-01

Graphene oxide-polyvinyl chloride composite was prepared using tetrahydrofuran solvent-assisted dispersion of characterized nano flakes of graphene oxide in polymer matrix. Electrical percolation threshold of GO/PVC nanocomposite was determined via a finite element simulation method with a 2D model and compared with experimental results. A conductive cell with two silver coated walls was designed and fabricated for exploring dosimetric properties of the composite. Some characteristics of the new nanocomposite such as linearity of dose response, repeatability, sensitivity and angular dependence are investigated. According to 2D proposed method, obtained data associated to electrical conductivity of the GO/polymer composite for PVC matrix plotted in different GO weight percentages and had good compatibility (validity) with experimental data. The dose response is linear in the 17-51 mGy dose range and it can be introduced for gamma radiation dosimetry in diagnostic activities.

A comparative study of silver-graphene oxide nanocomposites as a recyclable catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol: Support effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahed, Bahareh; Hosseini-Monfared, Hassan, E-mail: monfared@znu.ac.ir

2015-02-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Characteristics of three different graphene oxide (GO) are studied as a support for Ag nanoparticles. • The required conditions for a best support are determined. • For the first time the silver nanoparticles decorated GO as catalyst for aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol and the effects of the degree of reduction of GO on AgNPs on GO are reported. - Abstract: Three different nanocomposites of silver and graphene oxide, namely silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) immobilized on reduced graphene oxide (AgNPs/rGO), partially reduced graphene oxide (AgNPs/GO) and thiolated partially reduced graphene oxide (AgNPs/GOSH), were synthesized in order to compare their properties. Characterizations were carried out by infrared and UV–Vis and Raman spectroscopy, ICP, X-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM, confirming both the targeted chemical modification and the composite formation. The nanocomposites were successfully employed in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol at atmospheric pressure. AgNPs/GOSH is stable and recyclable catalyst which showed the highest activity in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in the presence of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) to give benzaldehyde with 58% selectivity in 24 h at 61% conversion. The favorite properties of AgNPs/GOSH are reasonably attributed to the stable and well distributed AgNPs over GOSH due to strong adhesion between AgNPs and GOSH.

Facile hydrothermal growth graphene/ZnO nanocomposite for development of enhanced biosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Low, Sze Shin; Tan, Michelle T T; Loh, Hwei-San; Khiew, Poi Sim; Chiu, Wee Siong

2016-01-15

Graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite was synthesised via a facile, green and efficient approach consisted of novel liquid phase exfoliation and solvothermal growth for sensing application. Highly pristine graphene was synthesised through mild sonication treatment of graphite in a mixture of ethanol and water at an optimum ratio. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) affirmed the hydrothermal growth of pure zinc oxide nanoparticles from zinc nitrate hexahydrate precursor. The as-prepared graphene/zinc oxide (G/ZnO) nanocomposite was characterised comprehensively to evaluate its morphology, crystallinity, composition and purity. All results clearly indicate that zinc oxide particles were homogenously distributed on graphene sheets, without any severe aggregation. The electrochemical performance of graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry analysis. The resulting electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a linear range of 1-15 mM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9977. The sensitivity of the graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite-modified hydrogen peroxide sensor was 3.2580 μAmM(-1) with a limit of detection of 7.4357 μM. An electrochemical DNA sensor platform was then fabricated for the detection of Avian Influenza H5 gene based on graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite. The results obtained from amperometry study indicate that the graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite-enhanced electrochemical DNA biosensor is significantly more sensitive (P < 0.05) and efficient than the conventional agarose gel electrophoresis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/CeO2 nanocomposites and their photocatalytic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Zhenyuan; Shen Xiaoping; Li Minzhi; Zhu Guoxing; Zhou Hu; Chen Kangmin

2013-01-01

With a unique structure and extraordinary properties, graphene has attracted tremendous attention in the preparation of graphene-based composites for various applications. In this study, two different strategies, including in situ growth and a self-assembly approach, have been developed to load CeO 2 nanoparticles onto reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets. The microstructure and morphology of the as-synthesized RGO/CeO 2 nanocomposites were investigated by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results reveal that CeO 2 nanoparticles with well-controlled size and a uniform distribution on RGO sheets with tunable density can be achieved through the self-assembly approach. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity of the RGO/CeO 2 nanocomposites in comparison with bare CeO 2 nanoparticles was revealed by the degradation of methylene blue under simulated sunlight irradiation, which can be attributed to the improved separation of electron–hole pairs and enhanced adsorption performance due to the presence of RGO. A suitable loading content of CeO 2 on RGO was found to be crucial for optimizing the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites. It is expected that this convenient assembly approach with high controllability can be extended to the attachment of other functional nanoparticles to RGO sheets, and the resultant RGO-supported highly dispersed nanoparticles are attractive for catalysis, sensing and power source applications. (paper)

Thermal conductivity and viscosity of hybrid nanfluids prepared with magnetic nanodiamond-cobalt oxide (ND-Co3O4 nanocomposite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Syam Sundar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Synthesis of magnetic nanodiamond-cobalt oxide (ND-Co3O4 nanocomposite material; preparation of nanofluids and estimation of thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and viscosity has been explained experimentally in this paper. The nanocomposite material has been synthesized by using in-situ growth technique and chemical coprecipitation between cobalt chloride and sodium borohydrate. The various techniques such as XRD, TEM, XPS and VSM have been used to confirm the ND and Co3O4 phase of synthesized nanocomposite. The hybrid nanofluids have been prepared by dispersing synthesized ND-Co3O4 nanocomposite in water, ethylene glycol/water mixtures. The thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and viscosity have been measured experimentally at different weight concentrations and temperatures. The results reveal that the thermal conductivity enhancements are about 16%, 9%, 14%, 11% and 10% for water, EG, 20:80%, 40:60%, and 60:40% EG/W based nanofluids at 0.15 wt% concentrations and at 60 °C respectively. Similarly the viscosity enhancements are about 1.45-times, 1.46-times, 1.15-times, 1.19-times, and 1.51-times for water, EG, 20:80%, 40:60%, and 60:40% EG/W based nanofluids at 0.15 wt% concentrations and at 60 °C respectively. Based on the experimental data new correlations for thermal conductivity and viscosity have been developed.

Surface characterization of poly(methylmethacrylate) based nanocomposite thin films containing Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, S.; Haynes, V.; Wheeler-Jones, R.; Sly, J.; Perks, R.M.; Piccirillo, L.

2010-01-01

Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) based nanocomposite electron beam resists have been demonstrated by spin coating techniques. When TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles were directly dispersed into the PMMA polymer matrix, the resulting nanocomposites produced poor quality films with surface roughnesses of 322 and 402 nm respectively. To improve the surface of the resists, the oxide nanoparticles were encapsulated in toluene and methanol. Using the zeta potential parameter, it was found that the stabilities of the toluene/oxide nanoparticle suspensions were 7.7 mV and 19.4 mV respectively, meaning that the suspension was not stable. However, when the TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles were encapsulated in methanol the zeta potential parameter was 31.9 mV and 39.2 mV respectively. Therefore, the nanoparticle suspension was stable. This method improved the surface roughness of PMMA based nanocomposite thin films by a factor of 6.6 and 6.4, when TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 were suspended in methanol before being dispersed into the PMMA polymer.

Characterization of thermal reaction of aluminum/copper (II) oxide/poly(tetrafluoroethene) nanocomposite by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, mass spectrometry and X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiangyu; Yang, Hongtao; Li, Yan-chun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The thermal reaction properties of the Al/CuO/PTFE nanocomposite were investigated. • The Al/PTFE and CuO/PTFE nanocomposites were prepared and tested for comparison. • TG/DSC–MS and XRD analysis were performed. • PTFE is oxidizing Al and reducing CuO during the thermal decomposition. - Abstract: The application of fluoropolymers as reactive agent in energetic materials have attracted significant interest recently. In this study, the thermal reaction properties of the aluminum nanoparticles/copper (II) oxide nanoparticles/poly(tetrafluoroethene) (Al-NPs/CuO-NPs/PTFE) nanocomposite (mass ratio of Al-NPs/CuO-NPs/PTFE = 20/60/20) were investigated by means of thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry–mass spectrometry (TG/DSC–MS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The Al-NPs/PTFE (mass ratio of Al-NPs/PTFE = 50/50) and CuO-NPs/PTFE (mass ratio of CuO-NPs/PTFE = 75/25) nanocomposites were also prepared and tested for comparison. It is observed that PTFE is acting as both oxidizer and reducer during the thermal decomposition process of Al-NPs/CuO-NPs/PTFE nanocomposites. Before 615 °C, PTFE is oxidized by CuO-NPs and oxidizing Al-NPs, resulting mass reduction. After 615 °C, the excessive aluminum and copper (I)/copper (II) oxide will proceed the exothermic condensed phase reaction.

Electrical conductivity of activated carbon-metal oxide nanocomposites under compression: a comparison study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barroso-Bogeat, A; Alexandre-Franco, M; Fernández-González, C; Macías-García, A; Gómez-Serrano, V

2014-12-07

From a granular commercial activated carbon (AC) and six metal oxide (Al2O3, Fe2O3, SnO2, TiO2, WO3 and ZnO) precursors, two series of AC-metal oxide nanocomposites were prepared by wet impregnation, oven-drying at 120 °C, and subsequent heat treatment at 200 or 850 °C in an inert atmosphere. Here, the electrical conductivity of the resulting products was studied under moderate compression. The influence of the applied pressure, sample volume, mechanical work, and density of the hybrid materials was thoroughly investigated. The DC electrical conductivity of the compressed samples was measured at room temperature by the four-probe method. Compaction assays suggest that the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites are largely determined by the carbon matrix. Both the decrease in volume and the increase in density were relatively small and only significant at pressures lower than 100 kPa for AC and most nanocomposites. In contrast, the bulk electrical conductivity of the hybrid materials was strongly influenced by the intrinsic conductivity, mean crystallite size, content and chemical nature of the supported phases, which ultimately depend on the metal oxide precursor and heat treatment temperature. The supported nanoparticles may be considered to act as electrical switches either hindering or favouring the effective electron transport between the AC cores of neighbouring composite particles in contact under compression. Conductivity values as a rule were lower for the nanocomposites than for the raw AC, all of them falling in the range of semiconductor materials. With the increase in heat treatment temperature, the trend is toward the improvement of conductivity due to the increase in the crystallite size and, in some cases, to the formation of metals in the elemental state and even metal carbides. The patterns of variation of the electrical conductivity with pressure and mechanical work were slightly similar, thus suggesting the predominance of the pressure

Investigation of optical properties of aluminium oxide doped polystyrene polymer nanocomposite films

Science.gov (United States)

Bhavsar, Shilpa; Patel, Gnansagar B.; Singh, N. L.

2018-03-01

In the present work, a simple solution casting method was utilized to synthesize aluminium oxide (Al2O3) doped polystyrene (PS) polymer nanocomposite films. As synthesized films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultra violet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline nature of the films was found to decrease after incorporation of filler in the polymer matrix as revealed by XRD results. A new carbonyl group was appeared in the FTIR spectra and confirmed the charge transfer reaction between filler and polymer matrix. The decrease in the band gap was found with the filler concentration in the synthesized polymer nanocomposite films. Photoluminescence emission spectra of nanocomposites were observed at 411 nm, 435 nm and 462 nm, respectively in violet-blue region which indicates interaction between the dopant and the polymer matrix. The PL emission spectra of polymer nanocomposite films with 3 wt% of Al2O3 filler exhibited higher peak intensity. The Al2O3 filler dispersion is found to reduce band gap and promote luminescence property in polystyrene. SEM analysis indicates the agglomeration of Al2O3 nanoparticles into PS matrix at higher concentration.

Graphene oxide-silver nanocomposite as a promising biocidal agent against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

de Moraes, Ana Carolina Mazarin; Lima, Bruna Araujo; de Faria, Andreia Fonseca; Brocchi, Marcelo; Alves, Oswaldo Luiz

2015-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been responsible for serious hospital infections worldwide. Nanomaterials are an alternative to conventional antibiotic compounds, because bacteria are unlikely to develop microbial resistance against nanomaterials. In the past decade, graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a material that is often used to support and stabilize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the preparation of novel antibacterial nanocomposites. In this work, we report the synthesis of the graphene-oxide silver nanocomposite (GO-Ag) and its antibacterial activity against relevant microorganisms in medicine. GO-Ag nanocomposite was synthesized through the reduction of silver ions (Ag(+)) by sodium citrate in an aqueous GO dispersion, and was extensively characterized using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by microdilution assays and time-kill experiments. The morphology of bacterial cells treated with GO-Ag was investigated via transmission electron microscopy. AgNPs were well distributed throughout GO sheets, with an average size of 9.4±2.8 nm. The GO-Ag nanocomposite exhibited an excellent antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli. All (100%) MRSA cells were inactivated after 4 hours of exposure to GO-Ag sheets. In addition, no toxicity was found for either pristine GO or bare AgNPs within the tested concentration range. Transmission electronic microscopy images offered insights into how GO-Ag nanosheets interacted with bacterial cells. Our results indicate that the GO-Ag nanocomposite is a promising antibacterial agent against common nosocomial bacteria, particularly antibiotic-resistant MRSA. Morphological injuries on MRSA cells revealed a likely loss of viability as a result of the

PVDF-PZT nanocomposite film based self-charging power cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Yujing; Xue, Xinyu; Cui, Chunxiao; He, Bin; Nie, Yuxin; Deng, Ping; Lin Wang, Zhong

2014-03-14

A novel PVDF-PZT nanocomposite film has been proposed and used as a piezoseparator in self-charging power cells (SCPCs). The structure, composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and lead zirconate titanate (PZT), provides a high piezoelectric output, because PZT in this nanocomposite film can improve the piezopotential compared to the pure PVDF film. The SCPC based on this nanocomposite film can be efficiently charged up by the mechanical deformation in the absence of an external power source. The charge capacity of the PVDF-PZT nanocomposite film based SCPC in 240 s is ∼0.010 μA h, higher than that of a pure PVDF film based SCPC (∼0.004 μA h). This is the first demonstration of using PVDF-PZT nanocomposite film as a piezoseparator for SCPC, and is an important step for the practical applications of SCPC for harvesting and storing mechanical energy.

Hierarchical Nanocomposites of Polyaniline Nanowire Arrays on Reduced Graphene Oxide Sheets for Supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li; Ye, Yinjian; Lu, Xingping; Wen, Zhubiao; Li, Zhuang; Hou, Haoqing; Song, Yonghai

2013-12-01

Here we reported a novel route to synthesize a hierarchical nanocomposite (PANI-frGO) of polyaniline (PANI) nanowire arrays covalently bonded on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). In this strategy, nitrophenyl groups were initially grafted on rGO via C-C bond, and then reduced to aminophenyl to act as anchor sites for the growth of PANI arrays on rGO. The functionalized process was confirmed by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The electrochemical properties of the PANI-frGO as supercapacitor materials were investigated. The PANI-frGO nanocomposites showed high capacitance of 590 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, and had no loss of capacitance after 200 cycles at 2 A g-1. The improved electrochemical performance suggests promising application of the PANI-frGO nanocomposites in high-performance supercapacitors.

Synthesis and characterization of Zinc (II)-loaded Zeolite/Graphene oxide nanocomposite as a new drug carrier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khatamian, M. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, C.P. 51664 Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Divband, B., E-mail: baharakdivband@yahoo.com [Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Inorganic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, C.P. 51664 Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Farahmand-zahed, F. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, C.P. 51664 Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-09-01

Current research has focused on the preparation of Zinc-clinoptilolite/Graphene Oxide (Zn-Clin/GO) hybrid nanostructure and investigating its biocompatibility for the first time. As prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). In order to use it as a drug carrier two important factors were investigated: cytocompatibility of nanocomposites and their drug loading capacity. The results showed that the prepared nanocomposite is cytocompatible and its high loading capacity and slow release performance for Doxorubicin (DOX), as a cancer drug, proved that it can be used as a drug carrier. At last in-vitro toxicity of DOX loaded nanocomposite was compared with pure DOX. - Graphical abstract: Biocompatible Zn-clinoptilolite/Graphene oxide hybrid nanostructure as in vitro drug delivery systems (DDS) was able to store and release substantial amounts of doxorubicin to the lung cancer cell lines. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Zn-Clin/GO nanocomposite as a new in vitro drug carrier with high loading capacity is synthesized. • Two synthesis methods (Microwave assisted hydrothermal method and Reflux method) are used. • All of the carriers (Zn-Clin, Zn-Clin/GO, GO) showed high biocompatibility.

Synthesis and characterization of Zinc (II)-loaded Zeolite/Graphene oxide nanocomposite as a new drug carrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatamian, M.; Divband, B.; Farahmand-zahed, F.

2016-01-01

Current research has focused on the preparation of Zinc-clinoptilolite/Graphene Oxide (Zn-Clin/GO) hybrid nanostructure and investigating its biocompatibility for the first time. As prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). In order to use it as a drug carrier two important factors were investigated: cytocompatibility of nanocomposites and their drug loading capacity. The results showed that the prepared nanocomposite is cytocompatible and its high loading capacity and slow release performance for Doxorubicin (DOX), as a cancer drug, proved that it can be used as a drug carrier. At last in-vitro toxicity of DOX loaded nanocomposite was compared with pure DOX. - Graphical abstract: Biocompatible Zn-clinoptilolite/Graphene oxide hybrid nanostructure as in vitro drug delivery systems (DDS) was able to store and release substantial amounts of doxorubicin to the lung cancer cell lines. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Zn-Clin/GO nanocomposite as a new in vitro drug carrier with high loading capacity is synthesized. • Two synthesis methods (Microwave assisted hydrothermal method and Reflux method) are used. • All of the carriers (Zn-Clin, Zn-Clin/GO, GO) showed high biocompatibility.

A prototype Ultraviolet Light Sensor based on ZnO Nanoparticles/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Using Low Temperature Hydrothermal Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Fandi, M; Oweis, R; Khwailah, H; Al-Hattami, S; Al-Shawwa, E; Albiss, B A; Al-Akhras, M-Ali; Qutaish, H; AlZoubi, T

2015-01-01

A new prototype UV nanosensor using ZnO nanoparticles (NPs)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite (ZnO-NP/GO) on silicon substrate is reported in this paper. The hybrid nanocomposite structure has been developed by an optimized hydrothermal process at low growth temperature (∼50 °C). In this hybrid nanosensor, the ZnO nanoparticles act as UV- absorbing and charge carrier generating material, while graphene with its superior electrical conductivity has been used as a charge transporting material. Various nanostructure characterization techniques were intensively utilized including SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR and UV-VIS. Also, the I-V measurement was employed to evaluate the prototype sensor. The morphological SEM analysis showed that the ZnO-NPs (average diameter of 20 nm) were dispersed evenly on the GO sheets. As well, the EDX spectra confirmed the exact chemical composition of the intended structure. The room temperature UV-VIS measurement revealed an enhanced optical absorption of UV-light at an absorption band centered on 375 nm. The improved optical and electrical properties were observed at an optimum relative concentration of 1:10. Under UV light illumination, the measured I-V characteristic of the prototype detector exhibited a considerable photocurrent increase of the ZnO-NP/GO nanocomposite compared to pristine ZnO nanostructure. These results can be promising for future enhanced UV- sensing applications. (paper)

Solar Light Responsive Photocatalytic Activity of Reduced Graphene Oxide-Zinc Selenide Nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Koushik; Ibrahim, Sk; Das, Poulomi; Ghosh, Surajit; Pal, Tanusri

2017-10-01

Solution processable reduced graphene oxide-zinc selenide (RGO-ZnSe) nanocomposite has been successfully synthesized by an easy one-pot single-step solvothermal reaction. The RGO-ZnSe composite was characterized structurally and morphologically by the study of XRD analysis, SEM and TEM imaging. Reduction in graphene oxide was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy analysis. Photocatalytic efficiency of RGO-ZnSe composite was investigated toward the degradation of Rhodamine B under solar light irradiation. Our study indicates that the RGO-ZnSe composite is catalytically more active compared to the controlled-ZnSe under the solar light illumination. Here, RGO plays an important role for photoinduced charge separation and subsequently hinders the electron-hole recombination probability that consequently enhances photocatalytic degradation efficiency. We expect that this type of RGO-based optoelectronics materials opens up a new avenue in the field of photocatalytic degradation of different organic water pollutants.

Fabrication of a Biomass-Based Hydrous Zirconium Oxide Nanocomposite for Preferable Phosphate Removal and Recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Hui; Liang, Chen; Zhang, Xiaolin; Chen, Mindong; Zhao, Yunxia; Tao, Tao; Xu, Zhengwen; Liu, Gang

2015-09-23

Advanced removal of phosphate by low-cost adsorbents from municipal wastewater or industrial effluents is an effective and economic way to prevent the occurrence of eutrophication. Here, we proposed a novel method to immobilize hydrous zirconium oxide nanoparticle within quaternary-aminated wheat straw, and obtained an inexpensive, eco-friendly nanocomposite Ws-N-Zr. The biomass-based Ws-N-Zr exhibited higher preference toward phosphate than commercial anion exchanger IRA-900 when competing sulfate ions coexisted at relatively high levels. Such excellent performance of Ws-N-Zr resulted from its specific hybrid structure, the quaternary ammonium groups bonded on the host favor the preconcentration of phosphate ions inside the wheat straw based on Donnan effect, and the encapsulated HZO nanoparticle exhibits preferable sequestration of phosphate ions through specific interaction, as further demonstrated by FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cycle adsorption and regeneration experiments demonstrated that Ws-N-Zr could be employed for repeated use without significant capacity loss, when the binary NaOH-NaCl solution was employed as the regenerant. The influence of solution pH and contact time was also examined. The results suggested that Ws-N-Zr has a great potential in efficient removal of phosphate in contaminated waters.

Facile fabrication of hollow mesosphere of crystalline SnO2 nanoparticles and synthesis of SnO2@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide nanocomposite as efficient Pt-Free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Wasim; Yao, Jixin; Zhang, Kang; Zuo, Xueqin; Yang, Qun; Tang, Huaibao; Ur Rehman, Khalid Mehmood; Li, Guang; Wu, Mingzai; Zhu, Kerong; Zhang, Haijun

2018-06-01

In this research, SnO2@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide based nanocomposite was synthesized by a one step hydrothermal method and reported new cost effective platinum-free counter-electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The CEs were formed by using the nanocomposites with the help of a pipette using a doctor-blade technique. The efficiency of this nanocomposite revealed significant elctrocatalytic properties upon falling the triiodide, possessing to synergistic effect of SnO2 nano particles and improved conductivity when SWCNTs dispersed on graphene sheet. Therefore, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of prepared SnO2@SWCNTs@RGO nanocomposite CE attained of (6.1%) in DSSCs which is equivalent to the value (6.2%) which attained to the value (6.2%) with pure Pt CE as a reference. SnO2@SWCNTs@RGO nanocomposite CEs give more stable catalytic activities for triiodide reduction than SnO2 and SWCNTs CEs in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis. Furthermore, to the subsistence of graphene oxide, the nanocomposite acquired both higher stability and efficiency in the nanocomposite.

Enhanced polymer light-emitting diode property using fluorescent conducting polymer-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as active emissive layer

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Jyoti Prakash; Saha, Uttam; Jaiswal, Rimpa; Anand, Raghubir Singh; Srivastava, Anurag; Goswami, Thako Hari

2014-11-01

The present article reports the polymer light-emitting diode property of the nanocomposite comprising poly 9,9-dioctyl fluorene- alt-bithiophene and reduced graphene oxide used as an emissive layer. Two times repetition of Hummers oxidation and hydrazine hydrate reduction method produce reduced graphene oxide (term as rGO2) with more uniform distribution in size and thickness. In addition, this uniquely synthesized rGO2 induces favorable shift in balance of electron and hole recombination zone toward the center of emissive layer owing to increase in in-plane crystallite size and high localize aromatic confinement. Five times increase in maximum device efficiency (Cd/A) and three times increase in maximum brightness (Cd/m2) are achieved with the LED device using nanocomposite as emissive layer compared to neat polymer. Also, the fabricated device requires relatively low turn-on voltage (4 V) because of low energy barrier between PEDOT work function (-5.0 eV) and HOMO levels of bi-thiophene copolymer -5.67 eV) and nanocomposite (-5.66 eV).

Shape-memory effect of nanocomposites based on liquid-crystalline elastomers

Science.gov (United States)

Marotta, A.; Lama, G. C.; Gentile, G.; Cerruti, P.; Carfagna, C.; Ambrogi, V.

2016-05-01

In this work, nanocomposites based on liquid crystalline (LC) elastomers were prepared and characterized in their shape memory properties. For the synthesis of materials, p-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)-α-methylstilbene (DOMS) was used as mesogenic epoxy monomer, sebacic acid (SA) as curing agent and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene oxide (GO) as fillers. First, an effective compatibilization methodology was set up to improve the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the carbonaceous nanofillers, thus obtaining homogeneous distribution and dispersion of the nanofillers within the polymer phase. Then, the obtained nanocomposite films were characterized in their morphological and thermal properties. In particular, the effect of the addition of the nanofillers on liquid crystalline behavior, as well as on shape-memory properties of the realized materials was investigated. It was found that both fillers were able to enhance the thermomechanical response of the LC elastomers, making them good candidates as shape memory materials.

La0.3Sr0.2Mn0.1Zn0.4 oxide-Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 (LSMZ-SDC) nanocomposite cathode for low temperature SOFCs.

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Rizwan; Abbas, Ghazanfar; Liu, Qinghua; Patel, Imran; Zhu, Bin

2012-06-01

Nanocomposite based cathode materials compatible for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs) are being developed. In pursuit of compatible cathode, this research aims to synthesis and investigation nanocomposite La0.3Sr0.2Mn0.1Zn0.4 oxide-Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 (LSMZ-SDC) based system. The material was synthesized through wet chemical method and investigated for oxide-ceria composite based electrolyte LTSOFCs. Electrical property was studied by AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The microstructure, thermal properties, and elemental analysis of the samples were characterized by TGA/DSC, XRD, SEM, respectively. The AC conductivity of cathode was obtained for 2.4 Scm(-1) at 550 degrees C in air. This cathode is compatible with ceria-based composite electrolytes and has improved the stability of the material in SOFC cathode environment.

Effect of temperature on the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical properties of MgO-doped graphene oxide nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimiagar Salimeh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Magnesium oxide (MgO-graphene oxide (GO nanocomposites were prepared by the hydrothermal method at different temperatures. The effect of growth temperature on the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical (NLO parameters was investigated. The decoration of MgO on GO sheets was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and UV-visible (UV-vis spectroscopy analyses. The energy band-gaps of MgO-GO nanocomposites were calculated from UV-vis spectrum using Tauc plot. The NLO parameters of MgO-GO nanocomposites were calculated for the first time by the simple Z-scan technique with nanosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. The nonlinear absorption coefficient β and nonlinear refractive index n2 for MgO-GO nanocomposites at the laser intensity of 1.1×108 W/cm2 were measured to be in the order of 10−7 cm/W and 10−12 cm2/W, respectively. The third-order NLO susceptibility of MgO-GO nanocomposites was measured in the order of 10−9 esu. The results showed that MgO-GO structures have negative nonlinearity as well as good nonlinear two-photon absorption at 532 nm. Furthermore, the NLO parameters increased by the enhancement of the growth temperature. As the investigation of new materials plays an important role in the advancement of optoelectronics, MgO-GO nanocomposites possess potential applications in NLO devices.

Microwave assisted facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-silver (RGO-Ag) nanocomposite and their application as active SERS substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadhwa, Heena; Kumar, Devender; Mahendia, Suman; Kumar, Shyam

2017-01-01

The present paper represents the facile and rapid synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-silver (RGO-Ag) nanocomposite with the help of microwave irradiation. The graphene oxide (GO) solution has been prepared in bulk using Hummer's method followed by microwave assisted in-situ reduction of GO and silver nitrate (AgNO_3) by hydrazine hydrate in a short spam of 5 min. The prepared nanocomposite has been characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV–Visible spectroscopy. TEM analysis shows that Ag nanoparticles with average size 32 nm are uniformly entangled with in RGO layers. The UV–Visible absorption spectrum of nanocomposite depicts the reduction of GO to RGO along with the formation of Ag nanoparticles with the presence of characteristic surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of Ag nanoparticles at 422 nm. The performance of prepared nanocomposite has been tested as the active Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) substrate for Rhodamine 6G with detection limit 0.1 μM. - Highlights: • The RGO and RGO-Ag nanocomposite were synthesized with microwave irradiation. • Ag nanoparticles of average size 32 nm are uniformly entangled within RGO layers. • RGO itself is a florescence quencher with SERS detection limit 1 μM for R6G. • RGO-Ag nanocomposite show good SERS activity for R6G with detection limit 0.1 μM.

Nanotechnology : emerging applications of cellulose-based green magnetic nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Tao Wang; Zhiyong Cai; Lei Liu; Ilker S. Bayer; Abhijit Biswas

2010-01-01

In recent years, a new type of nanocomposite – cellulose based hybrid nanocomposites, which adopts cellulose nanofibers as matrices, has been intensively developed. Among these materials, hybrid nanocomposites consisting of cellulosic fibers and magnetic nanoparticles have recently attracted much attention due to their potential novel applications in biomedicine,...

Nickel oxide/polypyrrole/silver nanocomposites with core/shell/shell structure: Synthesis, characterization and their electrochemical behaviour with antimicrobial activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Dhaneswar; Nath, Bikash C. [Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam (India); Phukon, Pinkee [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam (India); Saikia, Bhaskar J.; Kamrupi, Isha R. [Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam (India); Dolui, Swapan K., E-mail: dolui@tezu.ernet.in [Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, Assam (India)

2013-10-01

Magnetic and conducting Nickel oxide–polypyrrole (NiO/PPy) nanoparticles with core–shell structure were prepared in the presence of Nickel oxide (NiO) in aqueous solution containing sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) as a surfactant as well as dopant. A stable dispersion of silver (Ag) nanoparticles was synthesized by chemical (citrate reduction) method. NiO/PPy nanocomposites were added to the Ag colloid under stirring. Ag nanoparticles could be electrostatically attracted on the surface of NiO/PPy nanocomposites, leading to formation of NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites with core/shell/shell structure. The morphology, structure, particle size and composition of the products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and current–voltage (I–V) analysis. The resultant nanocomposites have the good conductivity and excellent electrochemical and catalytic properties of PPy and Ag nanoparticles. Furthermore, the nanocomposites showed excellent antibacterial behaviour due to the presence of Ag nanoparticles in the composite. The thermal stability of NiO–PPy as well as NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites was higher than that of pristine PPy. Studies of IR spectra suggest that the increased thermal stability may be due to interactions between NiO and Ag nanoparticles with the PPy backbone. - Highlights: • NiO nanoparticles were synthesized by two step soft chemical synthesis route. • Ag nanoparticles were prepared by using citrate reduction method. • NiO/PPy nanocomposites are synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization process. • NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites can be used in the water purification technology.

Nickel oxide/polypyrrole/silver nanocomposites with core/shell/shell structure: Synthesis, characterization and their electrochemical behaviour with antimicrobial activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Dhaneswar; Nath, Bikash C.; Phukon, Pinkee; Saikia, Bhaskar J.; Kamrupi, Isha R.; Dolui, Swapan K.

2013-01-01

Magnetic and conducting Nickel oxide–polypyrrole (NiO/PPy) nanoparticles with core–shell structure were prepared in the presence of Nickel oxide (NiO) in aqueous solution containing sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) as a surfactant as well as dopant. A stable dispersion of silver (Ag) nanoparticles was synthesized by chemical (citrate reduction) method. NiO/PPy nanocomposites were added to the Ag colloid under stirring. Ag nanoparticles could be electrostatically attracted on the surface of NiO/PPy nanocomposites, leading to formation of NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites with core/shell/shell structure. The morphology, structure, particle size and composition of the products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and current–voltage (I–V) analysis. The resultant nanocomposites have the good conductivity and excellent electrochemical and catalytic properties of PPy and Ag nanoparticles. Furthermore, the nanocomposites showed excellent antibacterial behaviour due to the presence of Ag nanoparticles in the composite. The thermal stability of NiO–PPy as well as NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites was higher than that of pristine PPy. Studies of IR spectra suggest that the increased thermal stability may be due to interactions between NiO and Ag nanoparticles with the PPy backbone. - Highlights: • NiO nanoparticles were synthesized by two step soft chemical synthesis route. • Ag nanoparticles were prepared by using citrate reduction method. • NiO/PPy nanocomposites are synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization process. • NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites can be used in the water purification technology

Enhanced mechanical properties of hydrothermal carbamated cellulose nanocomposite film reinforced with graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Sinyee; Zakaria, Sarani; Syed Jaafar, Sharifah Nabihah

2017-09-15

Cellulose carbamate (CC) was synthesized via hydrothermal process and mixed with graphene oxide (GO) to form a homogeneous cellulose matrix nanocomposite films. The properties of CC/GO nanocomposite films fabricated using simple solution-mixing method with different GO loadings were studied. Transmission electron microscope analysis showed the exfoliation of self-synthesized GO nanosheets within the CC matrix. X-ray diffraction results confirmed the crystalline structure of CC/GO films as the CC/GO mass ratio increased from 100/0 to 100/4. The mechanical properties of CC/GO film were significantly improved as compared to neat CC film. From thermogravimetric analysis result, the introduction of GO enhanced the thermal stability and carbon yields. The 3D homogeneous porous structures of the CC/GO films were observed under Field emission scanning electron microscope. These improvements in nanocomposite film properties could be confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy due to the strong and good interactions between CC and GO. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smart nanocomposite hydrogels based on azo crosslinked graphene oxide for oral colon-specific drug delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Lin; Shi, Yuyang; Jiang, Guixiang; Liu, Wei; Han, Huili; Feng, Qianhua; Ren, Junxiao; Yuan, Yujie; Wang, Yongchao; Shi, Jinjin; Zhang, Zhenzhong

2016-08-01

A safe and efficient nanocomposite hydrogel for colon cancer drug delivery was synthesized using pH-sensitive and biocompatible graphene oxide (GO) containing azoaromatic crosslinks as well as poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) (GO-N=N-GO/PVA composite hydrogels). Curcumin (CUR), an anti-cancer drug, was encapsulated successfully into the hydrogel through a freezing and thawing process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were performed to confirm the formation and morphological properties of the nanocomposite hydrogel. The hydrogels exhibited good swelling properties in a pH-sensitive manner. Drug release studies under conditions mimicking stomach to colon transit have shown that the drug was protected from being released completely into the physiological environment of the stomach and small intestine. In vivo imaging analysis, pharmacokinetics and a distribution of the gastrointestinal tract experiment were systematically studied and evaluated as colon-specific drug delivery systems. All the results demonstrated that GO-N=N-GO/PVA composite hydrogels could protect CUR well while passing through the stomach and small intestine to the proximal colon, and enhance the colon-targeting ability and residence time in the colon site. Therefore, CUR loaded GO-N=N-GO/PVA composite hydrogels might potentially provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of colon cancer with high efficiency and low toxicity.

Swift heavy ion induced modification in morphological and physico-chemical properties of tin oxide nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaiswal, Manoj Kumar [University School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi 110 078 (India); Kanjilal, D. [Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067 (India); Kumar, Rajesh, E-mail: rajeshkumaripu@gmail.com [University School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi 110 078 (India)

2013-11-15

Nanocomposite thin films of tin oxide (SnO{sub 2})/titanium oxide (TiO{sub 2}) were grown on silicon (1 0 0) substrates by electron beam evaporation deposition technique using sintered nanocomposite pellet of SnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} in the percentage ratio of 95:5. Sintering of the nanocomposite pellet was done at 1300 °C for 24 h. The thicknesses of these films were measured to be 100 nm during deposition using piezo-sensor attached to the deposition chamber. TiO{sub 2} doped SnO{sub 2} nanocomposite films were irradiated by 100 MeV Au{sup 8+} ion beam at fluence range varying from 1 × 10{sup 11} ions/cm{sup 2} to 5 × 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2} at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi, India. Chemical properties of pristine and ion irradiation modified thin films were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR peak at 610 cm{sup −1} confirms the presence of O–Sn–O bridge of tin (IV) oxide signifying the composite nature of pristine and irradiated thin films. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in tapping mode was used to study the surface morphology and grain growth due to swift heavy ion irradiation at different fluencies. Grain size calculations obtained from sectional analysis of AFM images were compared with results obtained from Glancing Angle X-ray Diffraction (GAXRD) measurements using Scherrer’s formulae. Phase transformation due to irradiation was observed from Glancing Angle X-ray Diffraction (GAXRD) results. The prominent 2θ peaks observed in GAXRD spectrum are at 30.67°, 32.08°, 43.91°, 44.91° and 52.35° in the irradiated films.

Nanocomposites of gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide towards an stable label-free electrochemical immunosensor for detection of cardiac marker troponin-I.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guozhen; Qi, Meng; Zhang, Yin; Cao, Chaomin; Goldys, Ewa M

2016-02-25

A stable label-free amperometric immunosensor is presented based on gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide nanocomposites for detection of cardiac troponin-I in the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction. For designing of the sensing platform, firstly the nanocomposites based on GO and AuNPs were prepared and anchored on electrode surfaces. The formed nanocomposites provided a platform with big surface area for loading anti-cTnI capture antibody, and worked as a bridge for fast electron transfer subsequently increased the sensitivity. Moreover, the linkages between AuNP, GO, and electrodes were based on covalent bonding by aryldiazonium salt coupling chemistry, which favors the stability of the sensing interface. Finally, the anti-cTnI detection antibody was immobilized on GO tailored with ferrocene molecules, functioning as the signal reporter for the detection of cTnI. The modification process was monitored using electrochemistry, SEM, XPS. The herein immunosensor demonstrates a good selectivity and high sensitivity against human-cTnI, and is capable of detecting cTnI at concentrations as low as 0.05 ng mL(-1), which is 100 times lower than that possible by conventional methods. It is potential to design the portable sensing platform based on AuNPs and GO nanocomposites for future point-of-care diagnostics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetoelectric Nanocomposites for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Al-Nassar, Mohammed Y.

2015-09-01

Flexibility, low cost, versatility, miniaturization and multi-functionality are key aspects driving research and innovation in many branches of the electronics industry. With many anticipated emerging applications, like wearable, transparent and biocompatible devices, interest among the research community in pursuit for novel multifunctional miniaturized materials have been amplified. In this context, multiferroic polymer-based nanocomposites, possessing both ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, are highly appealing. Most importantly, these nanocomposites possess tunable ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties based on the parameters of their constituent materials as well as the magnetoelectric effect, which is the coupling between electric and magnetic properties. This tunability and interaction is a fascinating fundamental research field promising tremendous potential applications in sensors, actuators, data storage and energy harvesting. This dissertation work is devoted to the investigation of a new class of multiferroic polymer-based flexible nanocomposites, which exhibits excellent ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously at room temperature, with the goal of understanding and optimizing the origin of their magnetoelectric coupling. The nanocomposites consist of high aspect ratio ferromagnetic nanowires (NWs) embedded inside a ferroelectric co-polymer, poly(vinylindene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE) matrix. First, electrochemical deposition of ferromagnetic NWs inside anodic aluminum oxide membranes is discussed. Characterization of electrodeposited iron, nickel and highly magnetostrictive iron-gallium alloy NWs was done using XRD, electron and magnetic force microscopy. Second, different nanocomposite films have been fabricated by means of spin coating and drop casting techniques. The effect of incorporation of NWs inside the ferroelectric polymer on its electroactive phase is discussed. The remanent and saturation polarization as well

Polymer encapsulated upconversion nanoparticle/iron oxide nanocomposites for multimodal imaging and magnetic targeted drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Huan; Cheng, Liang; Wang, Chao; Ma, Xinxing; Li, Yonggang; Liu, Zhuang

2011-12-01

Multimodal imaging and imaging-guided therapies have become a new trend in the current development of cancer theranostics. In this work, we encapsulate hydrophobic upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) together with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) by using an amphiphilic block copolymer, poly (styrene-block-allyl alcohol) (PS(16)-b-PAA(10)), via a microemulsion method, obtaining an UC-IO@Polymer multi-functional nanocomposite system. Fluorescent dye and anti-cancer drug molecules can be further loaded inside the UC-IO@Polymer nanocomposite for additional functionalities. Utilizing the Squaraine (SQ) dye loaded nanocomposite (UC-IO@Polymer-SQ), triple-modal upconversion luminescence (UCL)/down-conversion fluorescence (FL)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, and also applied for in vivo cancer cell tracking in mice. On the other hand, a chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin, is also loaded into the nanocomposite, forming an UC-IO@Polymer-DOX complex, which enables novel imaging-guided and magnetic targeted drug delivery. Our work provides a method to fabricate a nanocomposite system with highly integrated functionalities for multimodal biomedical imaging and cancer therapy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Capture of atmospheric CO2 into (BiO)2CO3/graphene or graphene oxide nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Wendong; Dong, Fan; Zhang, Wei

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanoflakes on graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets were realized by a one-pot efficient capture of atmospheric CO 2 at room temperature. - Highlights: • A facile one-step method was developed for graphene-based composites. • The synthesis was conducted by utilization of atmospheric CO 2 . • (BiO) 2 CO 3 -graphene and (BiO) 2 CO 3 -graphene oxide composites were synthesized. • The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: Self-assembly of (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanoflakes on graphene (Ge) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, as an effective strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured materials, were realized by a one-pot efficient capture of atmospheric CO 2 at room temperature. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV–vis DRS, Time-resolved ns-level PL and BET-BJH measurement. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was evaluated by the removal of NO at the indoor air level under simulated solar-light irradiation. Compared with pure (BiO) 2 CO 3 , (BiO) 2 CO 3 /Ge and (BiO) 2 CO 3 /GO nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity due to their large surface areas and pore volume, and efficient charge separation and transfer. The present work could provide a simple method to construct 2D nanocomposites by efficient utilization of CO 2 in green synthetic strategy.

Synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-anatase TiO2 nanocomposite and its improved photo-induced charge transfer properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ping; Zhai, Yueming; Wang, Dejun; Dong, Shaojun

2011-04-01

The construction of reduced graphene oxide or graphene oxide with semiconductor has gained more and more attention due to its unexpected optoelectronic and electronic properties. The synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or graphene oxide-semiconductor nanocomposite with well-dispersed decorated particles is still a challenge now. Herein, we demonstrate a facile method for the synthesis of graphene oxide-amorphous TiO(2) and reduced graphene oxide-anatase TiO(2) nanocomposites with well-dispersed particles. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The photovoltaic properties of RGO-anatase TiO(2) were also compared with that of similar sized anatase TiO(2) by transient photovoltage technique, and it was interesting to find that the combination of reduced graphene oxide with anatase TiO(2) will significantly increase the photovoltaic response and retard the recombination of electron-hole pairs in the excited anatase TiO(2).

Recent Progress on Cellulose-Based Electro-Active Paper, Its Hybrid Nanocomposites and Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Asif; Abas, Zafar; Kim, Heung Soo; Kim, Jaehwan

2016-07-26

We report on the recent progress and development of research into cellulose-based electro-active paper for bending actuators, bioelectronics devices, and electromechanical transducers. The cellulose electro-active paper is characterized in terms of its biodegradability, chirality, ample chemically modifying capacity, light weight, actuation capability, and ability to form hybrid nanocomposites. The mechanical, electrical, and chemical characterizations of the cellulose-based electro-active paper and its hybrid composites such as blends or coatings with synthetic polymers, biopolymers, carbon nanotubes, chitosan, and metal oxides, are explained. In addition, the integration of cellulose electro-active paper is highlighted to form various functional devices including but not limited to bending actuators, flexible speaker, strain sensors, energy harvesting transducers, biosensors, chemical sensors and transistors for electronic applications. The frontiers in cellulose paper devices are reviewed together with the strategies and perspectives of cellulose electro-active paper and cellulose nanocomposite research and applications.

Recent Progress on Cellulose-Based Electro-Active Paper, Its Hybrid Nanocomposites and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asif Khan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available We report on the recent progress and development of research into cellulose-based electro-active paper for bending actuators, bioelectronics devices, and electromechanical transducers. The cellulose electro-active paper is characterized in terms of its biodegradability, chirality, ample chemically modifying capacity, light weight, actuation capability, and ability to form hybrid nanocomposites. The mechanical, electrical, and chemical characterizations of the cellulose-based electro-active paper and its hybrid composites such as blends or coatings with synthetic polymers, biopolymers, carbon nanotubes, chitosan, and metal oxides, are explained. In addition, the integration of cellulose electro-active paper is highlighted to form various functional devices including but not limited to bending actuators, flexible speaker, strain sensors, energy harvesting transducers, biosensors, chemical sensors and transistors for electronic applications. The frontiers in cellulose paper devices are reviewed together with the strategies and perspectives of cellulose electro-active paper and cellulose nanocomposite research and applications.

Tunable green graphene-silk biomaterials: Mechanism of protein-based nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fang; Jyothirmayee Aravind, S S; Wu, Hao; Forys, Joseph; Venkataraman, Venkat; Ramanujachary, Kandalam; Hu, Xiao

2017-10-01

Green graphene materials prepared by photoreduction of graphite oxide were first time blended with aqueous-based silk fibroin proteins to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of silk biomaterials, and their nanocomposite interaction mechanism was illustrated. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the complete exfoliation of graphite oxide to graphene in presence of focused pulses of solar radiation. By varying the concentration of graphene (0.1wt% to 10wt%), a series of free standing graphene-silk films were prepared and were systematically characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoindentation measurements. The homogeneity of graphene in silk as well as the thermal stability of the composite films was demonstrated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). Surprisingly, silk composite film containing only 0.5wt% of graphene gives the highest Young's modulus of 1.65GPa (about 5.8 times higher than the pure silk's modulus), indicating a nano-composite to micro-composite transition of silk-graphene structure occurred around this mixing ratio. This finding provided an easy approach to improve the elastic modulus and other physical properties of silk materials by adding a tiny amount of graphene sheets. Fibroblast cells studies also proved that these graphene-silk materials can significantly improve cell adhesion, growth and proliferation. This protein nanocomposite study provided a useful model to understand how to manipulate the hydrophobic-hydrophobic and polar-polar interactions between high-surface-area inorganic nanomaterials and amphiphilic protein materials, which has many emerging applications in the material science and engineering, such as bio-device fabrication, drug storage and release, and tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A sensitive electrochemical chlorophenols sensor based on nanocomposite of ZnSe quantum dots and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jianjun; Li, Xiao; Yang, Ran; Qu, Lingbo; Harrington, Peter de B.

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: A very sensitive and simple electrochemical sensor for chlorophenols (CPs) based on nanocomposite of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and ZnSe quantum dots (ZnSe–CTAB) through electrostatic self-assembly technology was built for the first time. The nanocomposite of ZnSe–CTAB introduced a favorable access for the electron transfer and showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of CPs. -- Highlights: •Nanocomposite based ZnSe QDs and CTAB was prepared and characterized. •A novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of CPs was built. •The proposed sensor was more sensitive, simple and environment-friendly. -- Abstract: In this work, a very sensitive and simple electrochemical sensor for chlorophenols (CPs) based on a nanocomposite of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and ZnSe quantum dots (ZnSe–CTAB) through electrostatic self-assembly technology was built for the first time. The composite of ZnSe–CTAB introduced a favorable access for the electron transfer and gave superior electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of CPs than ZnSe QDs and CTAB alone. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used for the quantitative determination of the CPs including 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP). Under the optimum conditions, the peak currents of the CPs were proportional to their concentrations in the range from 0.02 to 10.0 μM for 2-CP, 0.006 to 9.0 μM for 2,4-DCP, and 0.06 to 8.0 for PCP. The detection limits were 0.008 μM for 2-CP, 0.002 μM for 2,4-DCP, and 0.01 μM for PCP, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination of CPs in waste water with satisfactory recoveries. This ZnSe–CTAB electrode system provides operational access to design environment-friendly CPs sensors

Research Progress on Visible-light Responding ZnO-based Nanocomposite Photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHAO Yan-ru

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this review, different types and properties, photocatalysis and functional mechanism of ZnO-based nanocomposite were summarized. Besides, the research advances were discussed in applications of visible-light responding ZnO-based nanocomposite in fields of degradation of organic pollutants,photocatalytic hydrogen production and antibacterial agents, and the way of thinking and suggestions for further research on ZnO-based nanocomposite photocatalyst were put forward. With the developing of basic research and application, ZnO-based nanocomposite photocatalyst will be widely used in the fields of high efficiency catalyst, environmental purification, solar energy conversion and so on.

Au Based Nanocomposites Towards Plasmonic Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Panniello, A.; Curri, M. L.; Placido, T.; Reboud, V.; Kehagias, N.; Sotomayor Torres, C. M.; Mecerreyes, D.; Agostiano, A.; Striccoli, M.

2010-06-01

Incorporation of nano-sized metals in polymers can transfer their unique features to the host matrix, providing nanocomposite materials with improved optical, electric, magnetic and mechanical properties. In this work, colloidal Au nanorods have been incorporated into PMMA based random co-polymer, properly functionalized with amino groups and the optical and morphological properties of the resulting nanocomposite have been investigated by spectroscopic and AFM measurements. Au nanorods have demonstrated to preserve the plasmon absorption and to retain morphological features upon the incorporation, thus making the final metal modified polymer composite exploitable for the fabrication of plasmonic devices. The prepared nanocomposites have been then patterned by Nano Imprint Lithography technique in order to demonstrate the viability of the materials towards optical applications.

Structural and Electrical Properties of Graphene Oxide-Doped PVA/PVP Blend Nanocomposite Polymer Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Shahenoor Basha

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO nanoparticles were incorporated in PVA/PVP blend polymers for the preparation of nanocomposite polymer films by the solution cast technique. XRD, FTIR, DSC, SEM, and UV-visible studies were performed on the prepared nanocomposite polymer films. XRD revealed the amorphous nature of the prepared films. Thermal analysis of the nanocomposite polymer films was analyzed by DSC. SEM revealed the morphological features and the degree of roughness of the samples. DC conductivity studies were under taken on the samples, and the conductivity was found to be 6.13 × 10−4 S·cm−1 for the polymer film prepared at room temperature. A solid-state battery has been fabricated with the chemical composition of Mg+/(PVA/PVP  :  GO/(I2 + C + electrolyte, and its cell parameters like power density and current density were calculated.

PBAT based nanocomposites for medical and industrial applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, Kikku; Wu, Meng-Hsiu; Bocchini, Sergio; Rasyida, Amaliya; Yang, Ming-Chien

2012-01-01

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) based nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending PBAT with 5 and 10 wt.% of clay nanoparticles (unmodified and modified montmorillonites, unmodified and modified fluoro-hectorites, and unmodified sepiolites). All nanocomposites showed a good level of clay distribution and dispersion into PBAT, especially nanocomposites with high clay chemical affinity with the polymer matrix. DSC results showed that addition of layered silicates slightly hindered kinetics and extent of crystallization of PBAT; however, sepiolite particles were able to promote polymer crystallization kinetics and the transformation of the PBAT crystal structure to a more ordered form. Similar increases in the thermal stability of PBAT in nitrogen and air were obtained upon addition of all clays, due to a barrier effect of the clays toward polymer decomposition product ablation. Preliminary biocompatibility tests indicated that PBAT based materials with 10% clay content have good biological safety and display almost no cytotoxicity. The addition of all nanofillers increased the hardness of PBAT matrix. The DMA analysis showed that all nanocomposites presented higher E′ values than neat PBAT, indicating that addition of clays improved the mechanical properties of PBAT. For layered silicate nanocomposites, the main influencing factors on the thermo-mechanical properties appeared to be the aspect ratio and dispersion of clay nanoplatelets, rather than polymer/clay chemical affinity. The highest E′ values of sepiolite based nanocomposites make this nanoparticle the most attractive material for tissue engineering and environmental industrial applications. Highlights: ► PBAT nanocomposites with high thermo-mechanical properties were obtained. ► The effects of clay presence on PBAT crystalline structure were elucidated. ► The presence of the clays used in PBAT showed good biological safety. ► Sepiolites brought the higher improvements in PBAT

Microwave assisted facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-silver (RGO-Ag) nanocomposite and their application as active SERS substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wadhwa, Heena, E-mail: heenawadhwa1988@gmail.com; Kumar, Devender, E-mail: devkumsaroha@kuk.ac.in; Mahendia, Suman, E-mail: mahendia@gmail.com; Kumar, Shyam, E-mail: profshyam@gmail.com

2017-06-15

The present paper represents the facile and rapid synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-silver (RGO-Ag) nanocomposite with the help of microwave irradiation. The graphene oxide (GO) solution has been prepared in bulk using Hummer's method followed by microwave assisted in-situ reduction of GO and silver nitrate (AgNO{sub 3}) by hydrazine hydrate in a short spam of 5 min. The prepared nanocomposite has been characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV–Visible spectroscopy. TEM analysis shows that Ag nanoparticles with average size 32 nm are uniformly entangled with in RGO layers. The UV–Visible absorption spectrum of nanocomposite depicts the reduction of GO to RGO along with the formation of Ag nanoparticles with the presence of characteristic surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of Ag nanoparticles at 422 nm. The performance of prepared nanocomposite has been tested as the active Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) substrate for Rhodamine 6G with detection limit 0.1 μM. - Highlights: • The RGO and RGO-Ag nanocomposite were synthesized with microwave irradiation. • Ag nanoparticles of average size 32 nm are uniformly entangled within RGO layers. • RGO itself is a florescence quencher with SERS detection limit 1 μM for R6G. • RGO-Ag nanocomposite show good SERS activity for R6G with detection limit 0.1 μM.

Graphene oxide/MnO2 nanocomposite as destructive adsorbent of nerve-agent simulants in aqueous media

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šťastný, Martin; Tolasz, Jakub; Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří; Žižka, D.

2017-01-01

Roč. 412, AUG (2017), s. 19-28 ISSN 0169-4332 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2015073 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Graphene oxide * Manganese oxide * Nanocomposite * Destructive adsorption * Nerve agent simulants * Dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) * Triethyl phosphate (TEP) Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry OBOR OECD: Inorganic and nuclear chemistry Impact factor: 3.387, year: 2016

Synthesized chitosan/ iron oxide nanocomposite and shrimp shell in removal of nickel, cadmium and lead from aqueous solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Keshvardoostchokami

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, an easy synthesized method for preparation of chitosan/iron oxide nanocomposite as a bio-sorbent has been applied. Analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction; Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to survey of morphological structure and the functional groups characterization. The histogram of frequency of particle size confirmed that medium size of the synthesized nanoparticles was 50 nm. Beside the obtained nanocomposite, application of chitosan as the precursor and shrimp shell as natural chitin and a natural polymer were assessed as adsorbents for decontamination of Ni2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ as examples of heavy metals from drinking water. Batch studies were performed for adsorption experiments by changing variables such as pH, contact time and adsorbent dose. Based on the experimental sorption capacities, 58, 202 and 12 mg of Ni, Cd and Pb per g of Chitosan-Fe2O3 nanocomposite as adsorbent respectively, confirm that combination of Fe2O3 nanoparticles with chitosan makes a more efficient adsorbent than chitosan and chitin. Adsorbents in uptake of the mentioned heavy metals are in the order of Chitosan-Fe2O3 nanocomposite > chitosan> chitin. In addition, the kinetics and isotherm investigations were surveyed. Moreover, it has been shown that the synthesized nanocomposite significantly reduces the amount of the mentioned ions from the real wastewater sample.

Preparation and characterization of polymer nanocomposites based on PVDF/PVC doped with graphene nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.S. Elashmawi

Full Text Available Novel nanocomposites based on PVDF/PVC blend containing graphene oxide nanoparticles (GO were prepare using sonicator. IR analysis revealed that the addition of GO prompts a crystal transformation of α-phase of PVDF. The change of the structural before and after adding GO to PVDF/PVC were studied by X-ray diffraction. A decrease in activation energy gap from UV data was observed with increasing GO content, implying a variation of reactivity as a result of reaction extent. The variation of ε′ with frequency is nearly the same as that of ε″. At higher frequencies, the decrease of both ε′ and ε″ becomes nearly constant. The dispersion at lower frequencies ε′ of ε′ polarization is of Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization but at higher frequencies, it levels off. The behavior of conductivity (σAC tends to acquire constant values approaching it DC values. The values of σAC was increased after doped GO with exponential increase after the critical value of frequency. All nanocomposites behaved the same fashion revealing that a higher number of polarons were getting added to conducting pool in composites as graphene content was increased. Conduction mechanism appeared to be getting expedited with increasing frequency due to fact that increase in frequency enhances polaron hopping frequency. Keywords: Nanocomposites, Graphene oxide, FT-IR, X-ray, AC conductivity

Influence of deposition temperature and amorphous carbon on microstructure and oxidation resistance of magnetron sputtered nanocomposite Crsbnd C films

Science.gov (United States)

Nygren, Kristian; Andersson, Matilda; Högström, Jonas; Fredriksson, Wendy; Edström, Kristina; Nyholm, Leif; Jansson, Ulf

2014-06-01

It is known that mechanical and tribological properties of transition metal carbide films can be tailored by adding an amorphous carbon (a-C) phase, thus making them nanocomposites. This paper addresses deposition, microstructure, and for the first time oxidation resistance of magnetron sputtered nanocomposite Crsbnd C/a-C films with emphasis on studies of both phases. By varying the deposition temperature between 20 and 700 °C and alternating the film composition, it was possible to deposit amorphous, nanocomposite, and crystalline Crsbnd C films containing about 70% C and 30% Cr, or 40% C and 60% Cr. The films deposited at temperatures below 300 °C were X-ray amorphous and 500 °C was required to grow crystalline phases. Chronoamperometric polarization at +0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl (sat. KCl) in hot 1 mM H2SO4 resulted in oxidation of Crsbnd C, yielding Cr2O3 and C, as well as oxidation of C. The oxidation resistance is shown to depend on the deposition temperature and the presence of the a-C phase. Physical characterization of film surfaces show that very thin C/Cr2O3/Crsbnd C layers develop on the present material, which can be used to improve the oxidation resistance of, e.g. stainless steel electrodes.

Sensitive electrochemical sensors for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid based on Au@Pd-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jingjing; Du, Xuezhong

2014-09-01

Sensitive electrochemical sensors were fabricated with reduced graphene oxide-supported Au@Pd (Au@Pd-RGO) nanocomposites by one-step synthesis for individual and simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) with low detection limits and wide concentration ranges. From the Au@Pd-RGO-modified electrodes, well-separated oxidation peaks and enhanced peak currents of AA, DA, and UA were observed owing to the superior conductivity of RGO and the excellent catalytic activity of Au@Pd nanoparticles. For individual detection, the linear responses of AA, DA, and UA were in the concentration ranges of 0.1-1000, 0.01-100, and 0.02-500 μM with detection limits of 0.02, 0.002, and 0.005 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. For simultaneous detection by synchronous change of the concentrations of AA, DA, and UA, the linear response ranges were 1-800, 0.1-100, and 0.1-350 μM with detection limits of 0.28, 0.024, and 0.02 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The fabricated sensors were further applied to the detection of AA, DA, and UA in urine samples. The Au@Pd-RGO nanocomposites have promising applications in highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing.Sensitive electrochemical sensors were fabricated with reduced graphene oxide-supported Au@Pd (Au@Pd-RGO) nanocomposites by one-step synthesis for individual and simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) with low detection limits and wide concentration ranges. From the Au@Pd-RGO-modified electrodes, well-separated oxidation peaks and enhanced peak currents of AA, DA, and UA were observed owing to the superior conductivity of RGO and the excellent catalytic activity of Au@Pd nanoparticles. For individual detection, the linear responses of AA, DA, and UA were in the concentration ranges of 0.1-1000, 0.01-100, and 0.02-500 μM with detection limits of 0.02, 0.002, and 0.005 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. For simultaneous detection by synchronous change of the

Synthesize of Graphene-Tin Oxide Nanocomposite and Its Photocatalytic Properties for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants Under Visible Light.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanmugam, M; Jayavel, R

2015-09-01

Graphene-tinoxide nanocomposite has been synthesised by coating SnO2 nanoparticles on graphene sheets by the redox reaction between graphene oxide (GO) and tin chloride. Graphene oxide was reduced to graphene and Sn2+ was oxidized to SnO2 during the redox reaction, resulting in the uniform distribution of SnO2 nanoparticles on graphene sheets. The synthesised material was characterized by XRD, SEM, AFM, FT-IR, UV-vis, TGA and Raman spectroscopic studies. SEM and AFM studies reveal the formation of wrinkled paper like structure of graphene sheets with uniform coating of SnO2 nanoparticles on either side. The strong photocatalytic degradation of Methylene orange (MO) dye was analysed using G-SnO2 nanocomposite under the visible light irradiation.

Attapulgite-CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} ternary nanocomposite for photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Xiazhang, E-mail: lixiazhang509@163.com [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Environment Functional Materials, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009 (China); W.M.Keck Center for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 (United States); Zhang, Zuosong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Yao, Chao [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Lu, Xiaowang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Zhao, Xiaobing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Environment Functional Materials, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009 (China); Ni, Chaoying [W.M.Keck Center for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 (United States)

2016-02-28

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Novel attapulgite(ATP)-CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} ternary nanocomposites were fabricated. • ATP possessed outstanding adsorption property and enhanced the stability of the network structure. • CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} couples facilitated the separation of photo-induced electrons and holes. • Mass ratio of CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} influenced the photocatalytic oxidation desulfurization. - Abstract: Novel attapulgite(ATP)-CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} ternary nanocomposites were synthesized by microwave assisted assembly method. The structures of the nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, UV–vis, XPS and in situ TEM. The photocatalytic activities of ATP-CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} composites were investigated by degradating dibenzothiophene (DBT) in gasoline under visible light irradiation. The effect of the mass ratio of CeO{sub 2} to MoS{sub 2} on photocatalytic activity was investigated. The results indicate that the three-dimensional network structure is firmly constructed by ATP skeleton, CeO{sub 2} particles and MoS{sub 2} nanosheet which effectively increase the surface area of the composites and promote the separation of electrons and holes by resulting electronic transmission channels of multi-channel in space. The degradation rate of DBT can reach 95% under 3 h irradiation when the mass ratio of CeO{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2} is 4/10. A plausible mechanism for the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of this nanocomposite is put forward.

Carbon-Nickel oxide nanocomposites: Preparation and charecterisation

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Tile, N

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposite materials have wide range of applications in solar energy conversion. In this work, C-NiO nanocomposite coatings are prepared using sol-gel synthesis and deposited on aluminium substrates using a spin coater. The coatings are prepared...

Distortion of chain conformation and reduced entanglement in polymer-graphene oxide nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Weir, Michael; Boothroyd, Stephen; Johnson, David; Thompson, Richard; Coleman, Karl; Clarke, Nigel

Graphene and related two-dimensional materials are excellent candidates as filler materials in polymer nanocomposites due to their extraordinary physical properties and high aspect ratio. To explore the mechanism by which the filler affects the bulk properties of these unique systems, and to build understanding from the macromolecular level upwards, we use a combination of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and oscillatory rheology. Where a good dispersion is achieved in poly(methyl methacrylate)-graphene oxide (PMMA-GO) nanocomposites, we observe a reduction in the polymer radius of gyration with increasing GO concentration that is consistent with the predicted behavior of polymer melt chains at a solid interface. We use concepts from thin-film polymer physics to formulate a scaling relation for the reduction in entanglements caused by the GO interfaces. Using these scaling arguments, we utilize SANS results to directly estimate the changes to the elastic plateau modulus of the network of entangled polymer chains, and find a correlation with the measured bulk rheology. We present a direct link between interfacial confinement effects and the bulk polymer nanocomposite properties, whilst demonstrating a model system for measuring thin film polymer physics in the bulk.

Preparation and optical properties of indium tin oxide/epoxy nanocomposites with polyglycidyl methacrylate grafted nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Peng; Viswanath, Anand; Schadler, Linda S; Benicewicz, Brian C; Siegel, Richard W

2011-09-01

Visibly highly transparent indium tin oxide (ITO)/epoxy nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) grafted ITO nanoparticles into a commercial epoxy resin. The oleic acid stabilized, highly crystalline, and near monodisperse ITO nanoparticles were synthesized via a nonaqueous synthetic route with multigram batch quantities. An azido-phosphate ligand was synthesized and used to exchange with oleic acid on the ITO surface. The azide terminal group allows for the grafting of epoxy resin compatible PGMA polymer chains via Cu(I) catalyzed alkyne-azide "click" chemistry. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation shows that PGMA grafted ITO particles were homogeneously dispersed within the epoxy matrix. Optical properties of ITO/epoxy nanocomposites with different ITO concentrations were studied with an ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectrometer. All the ITO/epoxy nanocomposites show more than 90% optical transparency in the visible light range and absorption of UV light from 300 to 400 nm. In the near-infrared region, ITO/epoxy nanocomposites demonstrate low transmittance and the infrared (IR) transmission cutoff wavelength of the composites shifts toward the lower wavelength with increased ITO concentration. The ITO/epoxy nanocomposites were applied onto both glass and plastic substrates as visibly transparent and UV/IR opaque optical coatings.

Nanodiamond-Gold Nanocomposites with the Peroxidase-Like Oxidative Catalytic Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Chul; Lee, Dukhee; Jeong, Seong Hoon; Lee, Sang-Yup; Kang, Eunah

2016-12-21

Novel nanodiamond-gold nanocomposites (NDAus) are prepared, and their oxidative catalytic activity is examined. Gold nanoparticles are deposited on carboxylated nanodiamonds (NDs) by in situ chemical reduction of gold precursor ions to produce NDAus, which exhibit catalytic activity for the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine in the presence of hydrogen peroxide similarly to a peroxidase. This remarkable catalytic activity is exhibited only by the gold nanoparticle-decorated NDs and is not observed for either Au nanoparticles or NDs separately. Kinetic oxidative catalysis studies show that NDAus exhibit a ping-pong mechanism with an activation energy of 93.3 kJ mol -1 , with the oxidation reaction rate being proportional to the substrate concentration. NDAus retain considerable activity even after several instances of reuse and are compatible with a natural enzyme, allowing the detection of xanthine using cascade catalysis. Association with gold nanoparticles makes NDs a good carbonic catalyst due to charge transfer at the metal-carbon interface and facilitated substrate adsorption. The results of this study suggest that diverse carbonic catalysts can be obtained by interfacial incorporation of various metal/inorganic substances.

Flexible Transparent Supercapacitors Based on Hierarchical Nanocomposite Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fanhong; Wan, Pengbo; Xu, Haijun; Sun, Xiaoming

2017-05-31

Flexible transparent electronic devices have recently gained immense popularity in smart wearable electronics and touch screen devices, which accelerates the development of the portable power sources with reliable flexibility, robust transparency and integration to couple these electronic devices. For potentially coupled as energy storage modules in various flexible, transparent and portable electronics, the flexible transparent supercapacitors are developed and assembled from hierarchical nanocomposite films of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and aligned polyaniline (PANI) nanoarrays upon their synergistic advantages. The nanocomposite films are fabricated from in situ PANI nanoarrays preparation in a blended solution of aniline monomers and rGO onto the flexible, transparent, and stably conducting film (FTCF) substrate, which is obtained by coating silver nanowires (Ag NWs) layer with Meyer rod and then coating of rGO layer on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Optimization of the transparency, the specific capacitance, and the flexibility resulted in the obtained all-solid state nanocomposite supercapacitors exhibiting enhanced capacitance performance, good cycling stability, excellent flexibility, and superior transparency. It provides promising application prospects for exploiting flexible, low-cost, transparent, and high-performance energy storage devices to be coupled into various flexible, transparent, and wearable electronic devices.

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of glucose oxidase immobilized on reduced graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles nanocomposite modified electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Palanisamy, Selvakumar; Karuppiah, Chelladurai; Chen, Shen-Ming

2014-02-01

The direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOx) was successfully realized on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles (RGO/Ag) nanocomposite modified electrode. The fabricated nanocomposite was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The GOx immobilized nanocomposite modified electrode showed a pair of well-defined redox peaks with a formal potential (E°) of -0.422 V, indicating that the bioactivity of GOx was retained. The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (Ks) of GOx at the nanocomposite was calculated to be 5.27 s(-1), revealing a fast direct electron transfer of GOx. The GOx immobilized RGO/Ag nanocomposite electrode exhibited a good electrocatalytic activity toward glucose over a linear concentration range from 0.5 to 12.5 mM with a detection limit of 0.16 mM. Besides, the fabricated biosensor showed an acceptable sensitivity and selectivity for glucose. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attapulgite-CeO2/MoS2 ternary nanocomposite for photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiazhang; Zhang, Zuosong; Yao, Chao; Lu, Xiaowang; Zhao, Xiaobing; Ni, Chaoying

2016-02-01

Novel attapulgite(ATP)-CeO2/MoS2 ternary nanocomposites were synthesized by microwave assisted assembly method. The structures of the nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis, XPS and in situ TEM. The photocatalytic activities of ATP-CeO2/MoS2 composites were investigated by degradating dibenzothiophene (DBT) in gasoline under visible light irradiation. The effect of the mass ratio of CeO2 to MoS2 on photocatalytic activity was investigated. The results indicate that the three-dimensional network structure is firmly constructed by ATP skeleton, CeO2 particles and MoS2 nanosheet which effectively increase the surface area of the composites and promote the separation of electrons and holes by resulting electronic transmission channels of multi-channel in space. The degradation rate of DBT can reach 95% under 3 h irradiation when the mass ratio of CeO2/MoS2 is 4/10. A plausible mechanism for the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of this nanocomposite is put forward.

Rare earth ions doped polyaniline/cobalt ferrite nanocomposites via a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal route: Preparation and microwave-absorbing properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Chunming; Jiang, Junjun; Liu, Xiaohua; Yin, Chengjie; Deng, Cuifen

2016-04-15

Polyaniline/CoRE{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} (RE=La, Ce, Y, x=0.05–0.25) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal method, and doped by sulfosalicylic acid. The resultant nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and electromagnetic measurements. The composites mainly showed nanofibers with a diameter of ca. 70 nm and a length longer than 2 μm. The surface of composites was uniformly covered with numerous nanoparticles with an average size of ca. 10–20 nm. Microwave absorption properties of polyaniline/CoRE{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} nanocomposites doped with La ion were found to be better than those doped with Ce and Y ions. For the polyaniline/CoLa{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} nanocomposite, the optimal microwave absorption performance is at x=0.15, that is, the mass ratio of La in CoLa{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} is 7.5%, with the conductivity of the composite about 0.833 S/cm. Furthermore, when the layer thickness is 2 mm, the maximum reflection loss achieves the maximum number of −42.65 dB at 15.91 GHz with a bandwidth of 6.14 GHz above −10 dB loss, suggesting that these nanocomposites are excellent in microwave absorbing capacity. - Graphical abstract: Scheme PAn/CoRE{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} nanocomposites prepared via a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal route. - Highlights: • An organic–inorganic hybrid―polyaniline/CoRE{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} (RE=La, Ce, Y, x=0.05–0.25) nanocomposites was prepared via a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal route. • The as-prepared polyaniline/CoRE{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} nanocomposites exhibit excellent microwave absorbing performance compared with the composites prepared by using conventional method. • The novel method reported in this work could

Rare earth ions doped polyaniline/cobalt ferrite nanocomposites via a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal route: Preparation and microwave-absorbing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chunming; Jiang, Junjun; Liu, Xiaohua; Yin, Chengjie; Deng, Cuifen

2016-01-01

Polyaniline/CoRE_xFe_2_−_xO_4 (RE=La, Ce, Y, x=0.05–0.25) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal method, and doped by sulfosalicylic acid. The resultant nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and electromagnetic measurements. The composites mainly showed nanofibers with a diameter of ca. 70 nm and a length longer than 2 μm. The surface of composites was uniformly covered with numerous nanoparticles with an average size of ca. 10–20 nm. Microwave absorption properties of polyaniline/CoRE_xFe_2_−_xO_4 nanocomposites doped with La ion were found to be better than those doped with Ce and Y ions. For the polyaniline/CoLa_xFe_2_−_xO_4 nanocomposite, the optimal microwave absorption performance is at x=0.15, that is, the mass ratio of La in CoLa_xFe_2_−_xO_4 is 7.5%, with the conductivity of the composite about 0.833 S/cm. Furthermore, when the layer thickness is 2 mm, the maximum reflection loss achieves the maximum number of −42.65 dB at 15.91 GHz with a bandwidth of 6.14 GHz above −10 dB loss, suggesting that these nanocomposites are excellent in microwave absorbing capacity. - Graphical abstract: Scheme PAn/CoRE_xFe_2_−_xO_4 nanocomposites prepared via a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal route. - Highlights: • An organic–inorganic hybrid―polyaniline/CoRE_xFe_2_−_xO_4 (RE=La, Ce, Y, x=0.05–0.25) nanocomposites was prepared via a novel coordination-oxidative polymerization-hydrothermal route. • The as-prepared polyaniline/CoRE_xFe_2_−_xO_4 nanocomposites exhibit excellent microwave absorbing performance compared with the composites prepared by using conventional method. • The novel method reported in this work could be employed to prepare other conductive polymers/inorganic nanocomposites as well.

Nanostructure and Volatile Organic Compounds Sensing Properties of α-Fe2O3/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Derived by Spray Method

Science.gov (United States)

Zolghadr, S.; Kimiagar, S.; Khojier, K.

2017-12-01

This paper investigates the α-Fe2O3/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite as a volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensor. The α-Fe2O3/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites of about 370 nm thickness were synthesized by a spray method with different rGO contents (3%, 4%, and 5%) on SiO2/Si substrates. The samples were structurally and morphologically characterized by x-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. These analyses showed that an increase in rGO content decreases the crystallinity of the samples. In order to study the VOCs sensing properties, the sensitivity and selectivity of the samples were tested with different VOCs vapors including ethanol, methanol, toluene, benzene, and formic acid in the temperature range of 200-400°C. The results show that the α-Fe2O3/rGO nanocomposites are more selective to ethanol than the other vapors, while an increase in rGO content decreases the sensitivity of the samples. The α-Fe2O3/rGO (3%)-based ethanol sensor also shows a good stability with respect to relative humidity in the range of 20-50% with a 1-ppm detection limit at the operating temperature of 280°C.

Self-assembly of glucose oxidase on reduced graphene oxide-magnetic nanoparticles nanocomposite-based direct electrochemistry for reagentless glucose biosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pakapongpan, Saithip; Poo-Arporn, Rungtiva P

2017-07-01

A novel approach of the immobilization of a highly selective and stable glucose biosensor based on direct electrochemistry was fabricated by a self-assembly of glucose oxidase (GOD) on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) covalently conjugated to magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) modified on a magnetic screen-printed electrode (MSPE). The RGO-Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite has remarkable enhancement in large surface areas, is favorable environment for enzyme immobilization, facilitates electron transfer between enzymes and electrode surfaces and possesses superparamagnetism property. The morphology and electrochemical properties of RGO-Fe 3 O 4 /GOD were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry. The modified electrode was a fast, direct electron transfer with an apparent electron transfer rate constant (k s ) of 13.78s -1 . The proposed biosensor showed fast amperometric response (3s) to glucose with a wide linear range from 0.05 to 1mM, a low detection limit of 0.1μM at a signal to noise ratio of 3 (S/N=3) and good sensitivity (5.9μA/mM). The resulting biosensor has high stability, good reproducibility, excellent selectivity and successfully applied detection potential at -0.45V. This mediatorless glucose sensing used the advantages of covalent bonding and self-assembly as a new approach for immobilizing enzymes without any binder. It would be worth noting that it opens a new avenue for fabricating excellent electrochemical biosensors. This is a new approach that reporting the immobilization of glucose oxidase on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) covalently conjugated to magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) by electrostatic interaction and modified screen printed electrode. We propose the reagentless with fabrication method without binder and adhesive agents for immobilized enzyme. Fe 3 O 4 NPs increasing surface area to enhance the immobilization and prevent

Metal–carbon nanocomposites based on pyrolysed polyacrylonitrile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina A. Zaporotskova

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The electronic structure and geometry of metal−carbon nanocomposites based on pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (PPAN with Cu, Si, Fe, Co and Ni atoms using the DFT method have been theoretically studied. The effect of nitrogen on the stability of PPAN and its conductivity has been determined. The electrophysical properties and structure of metal nanocomposites have been studied using the XFA method. The composites have been produced by IR heating. We suggest that metal−carbon nanocomposites form due to the special processing of the (PAN−MeR samples. Metal nanoparticles are regularly dispersed in the nanocrystalline matrix of PPAN. The conductivity of these metal−carbon nanocomposites has an activation character and varies from 10−1 to 103 Om/cm depending on synthesis temperature (T=600–900 °С. The results of theoretical and experimental research are in a good agreement.

In situ chemical oxidative polymerization preparation of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/graphene nanocomposites with enhanced thermoelectric performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Kongli; Chen, Guangming; Qiu, Dong

2015-05-01

Three different in situ chemical oxidative polymerization routes, that is, (A) spin-coating and subsequent liquid layer polymerization, (B) spin-coating followed by vapor phase polymerization, and (C) in situ polymerization and then post-treatment by immersion in ethylene glycol (EG), have been developed to achieve poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/reduced graphene oxide (PEDOT/rGO) nanocomposites. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopic and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic techniques, PEDOT has been successfully coated on the surface of the rGO nanosheets by each of the three preparation routes. Importantly, all of the nanocomposites display a greatly enhanced thermoelectric performance (power factors) relative to those of the corresponding neat PEDOT. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrophoretic deposition of graphene oxide reinforced chitosan-hydroxyapatite nanocomposite coatings on Ti substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y Y; Li, M; Liu, Q; Jia, Z J; Xu, X C; Cheng, Y; Zheng, Y F

2016-03-01

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a facile and feasible technique to prepare functional nanocomposite coatings for application in orthopedic-related implants. In this work, a ternary graphene oxide-chitosan-hydroxyapatite (GO-CS-HA) composite coating on Ti substrate was successfully fabricated by EPD. Coating microstructure and morphologies were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle test, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found GO-CS surface were uniformly decorated by HA nanoparticles. The potentiodynamic polarization test in simulated body fluid indicated that the GO-CS-HA coatings could provide effective protection of Ti substrate from corrosion. This ternary composite coating also exhibited good biocompatibility during incubation with MG63 cells. In addition, the nanocomposite coatings could decrease the attachment of Staphylococcus aureus.

Visible-light-assisted SLCs template synthesis of sea anemone-like Pd/PANI nanocomposites with high electrocatalytic activity for methane oxidation in acidic medium

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, De-Xin; Wang, Yan-Li

2018-03-01

Sea anemone-like palladium (Pd)/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites were synthesized via visible-light-assisted swollen liquid crystals (SLCs) template method. The resulting samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, respectively. The electrocatalytic properties of Pd/PANI nanocomposites modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) for methane oxidation were investigated by cycle voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry. Those dispersed sea anemone-like Pd/PANI nanocomposites had an average diameter of 320 nm. The obtained Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 45 nm were uniformly distributed in PANI matrix. Sea anemone-like Pd/PANI nanocomposites exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability for oxidation of methane (CH4).

Enhancing the Heat Transfer Efficiency in Graphene-Epoxy Nanocomposites Using a Magnesium Oxide-Graphene Hybrid Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Fei-Peng; Yang, Wen; Zhang, Fang; Tang, Chak-Yin; Liu, Sheng-Peng; Yin, Le; Law, Wing-Cheung

2015-07-08

Composite materials, such as organic matrices doped with inorganic fillers, can generate new properties that exhibit multiple functionalities. In this paper, an epoxy-based nanocomposite that has a high thermal conductivity and a low electrical conductivity, which are required for the use of a material as electronic packaging and insulation, was prepared. The performance of the epoxy was improved by incorporating a magnesium oxide-coated graphene (MgO@GR) nanomaterial into the epoxy matrix. We found that the addition of a MgO coating not only improved the dispersion of the graphene in the matrix and the interfacial bonding between the graphene and epoxy but also enhanced the thermal conductivity of the epoxy while preserving the electrical insulation. By adding 7 wt % MgO@GR, the thermal conductivity of the epoxy nanocomposites was enhanced by 76% compared with that of the neat epoxy, and the electrical resistivity was maintained at 8.66 × 10(14) Ω m.

Magnetic Properties of Iron-Cobalt Oxide Nanocomposites Synthesized in Polystyrene Resin Matrix*

Science.gov (United States)

Vaishnava, P. P.; Senaratne, U.; Rodak, D.; Kroll, E.; Tsoi, G.; Naik, R.; Naik, V.; Wenger, L. E.; Tao, Qu; Boolchand, P.; Suryanarayanan, R.

2004-03-01

Magnetic nanoparticles have potential applications in memory devices and medical technology. Magnetic iron-cobalt oxide nanoparticles were prepared by in situ precipitation in an ion exchange resin using the method of Ziolo et al^1. The ion exchange resin, consisting of sulfonated divinyl benzene cross linked polystyrene, was exposed to different iron and cobalt salt solutions: a) 4FeCl2 + CoCl2 b) 9FeCl2 + CoCl2 c) 4FeCl3 + CoCl2 d) 9FeCl3 + CoCl_2. The ions bound to the resin are then oxidized with hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline media with mild heat. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fe^57 Mossbauer Spectroscopy and SQUID magnetometry. It was found that the oxide composition, particle size distribution, magnetic properties including blocking temperature and the amount of superparamagnetic phases are strongly influenced by the stoichiometry of the starting FeCl_2, FeCl_3, and CoCl2 solutions. Three major phases CoFe_2O_4, Fe_3O4 and γ-Fe_2O3 have been identified. The nanocomposites prepared using Fe^2+ and Co^2+ contain larger nanoparticles (10 nm) than those prepared by Fe^3+ and Co^2+ (3 nm) . The details of the structural characterization by XRD and TEM measurements and magnetic characteristics will be presented. *Research supported by NSF grant DGE 980720 ^1Ziolo et al, Science, 257, 5067 (1992).

Synthesis and characterization of a nanocomposite of goethite nanorods and reduced graphene oxide for electrochemical capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shou Qingliang; Cheng Jipeng; Zhang Li; Nelson, Bradley J.; Zhang Xiaobin

2012-01-01

We report a one-step synthesis of a nanocomposite of goethite (α-FeOOH) nanorods and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using a solution method in which ferrous cations serve as a reducing agent of graphite oxide (GO) to graphene and a precursor to grow goethite nanorods. As-prepared goethite nanorods have an average length of 200 nm and a diameter of 30 nm and are densely attached on both sides of the RGO sheets. The electrochemical properties of the nanocomposite were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronopotentiometry (CP) charge–discharge tests. The results showed that goethite/RGO composites have a high electrochemical capacitance of 165.5 F g −1 with an excellent recycling capability making the material promising for electrochemical capacitors. - Graphical abstract: The reduced graphene oxide sheets are decorated with goethite nanorods. The as-prepared composite exhibits a high electrochemical capacitance with good recycling capability, which is promising for supercapacitor applications. Higlights: ► Ferrous ions act as reductant of graphite oxide and precursor of goethite nanorods. ► Goethite nanorods are attached on both sides of the reduced graphene oxide sheets. ► Composite exhibits a high specific capacitance and a good recycling capability. ► Composite is promising for supercapacitor applications.

Solid-state supercapacitors with ionic liquid gel polymer electrolyte based on poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene), carbon nanotubes, and metal oxides nanocomposites for electrical energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Obeidat, Amr M.

Clean and renewable energy systems have emerged as an important area of research having diverse and significant new applications. These systems utilize different energy storage methods such as the batteries and supercapacitors. Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices that are designed to bridge the gap between batteries and conventional capacitors. Supercapacitors which store electrical energy by electrical double layer capacitance are based on large surface area structured carbons. The materials systems in which the Faradaic reversible redox reactions store electrical energy are the transition metal oxides and electronically conducting polymers. Among the different types of conducting polymers, poly (3, 4- ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is extensively investigated owing to its chemical and mechanical stability. Due to instability of aqueous electrolytes at high voltages and toxicity of organic electrolytes, potential of supercapacitors has not been fully exploited. A novel aspect of this work is in utilizing the ionic liquid gel polymer electrolyte to design solid-state supercapacitors for energy storage. Various electrochemical systems were investigated including graphene, PEDOT, PEDOT-carbon nanotubes, PEDOT-manganese oxide, and PEDOT-iron oxide nanocomposites. The electrochemical performance of solid-state supercapacitor devices was evaluated based on cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge-discharge (CD), prolonged cyclic tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Raman spectroscopy technique was also utilized to analyze the bonding structure of the electrode materials. The graphene solid-state supercapacitor system displayed areal capacitance density of 141.83 mF cm-2 based on high potential window up to 4V. The PEDOT solid-state supercapacitor system was synthesized in acetonitrile and aqueous mediums achieving areal capacitance density of 219.17 mF cm-2. The hybrid structure of solid-state supercapacitors was also

Fabrication and Spectral Properties of Wood-Based Luminescent Nanocomposites

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Xianjun Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pressure impregnation pretreatment is a conventional method to fabricate wood-based nanocomposites. In this paper, the wood-based luminescent nanocomposites were fabricated with the method and its spectral properties were investigated. The results show that it is feasible to fabricate wood-based luminescent nanocomposites using microwave modified wood and nanophosphor powders. The luminescent strength is in positive correlation with the amount of phosphor powders dispersed in urea-formaldehyde resin. Phosphors absorb UV and blue light efficiently in the range of 400–470 nm and show a broad band of bluish-green emission centered at 500 nm, which makes them good candidates for potential blue-green luminescent materials.

PBAT based nanocomposites for medical and industrial applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukushima, Kikku, E-mail: kikku81@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China); Wu, Meng-Hsiu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China); Bocchini, Sergio [Dipartimento di Scienze dei Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Rasyida, Amaliya; Yang, Ming-Chien [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China)

2012-08-01

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) based nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending PBAT with 5 and 10 wt.% of clay nanoparticles (unmodified and modified montmorillonites, unmodified and modified fluoro-hectorites, and unmodified sepiolites). All nanocomposites showed a good level of clay distribution and dispersion into PBAT, especially nanocomposites with high clay chemical affinity with the polymer matrix. DSC results showed that addition of layered silicates slightly hindered kinetics and extent of crystallization of PBAT; however, sepiolite particles were able to promote polymer crystallization kinetics and the transformation of the PBAT crystal structure to a more ordered form. Similar increases in the thermal stability of PBAT in nitrogen and air were obtained upon addition of all clays, due to a barrier effect of the clays toward polymer decomposition product ablation. Preliminary biocompatibility tests indicated that PBAT based materials with 10% clay content have good biological safety and display almost no cytotoxicity. The addition of all nanofillers increased the hardness of PBAT matrix. The DMA analysis showed that all nanocomposites presented higher E Prime values than neat PBAT, indicating that addition of clays improved the mechanical properties of PBAT. For layered silicate nanocomposites, the main influencing factors on the thermo-mechanical properties appeared to be the aspect ratio and dispersion of clay nanoplatelets, rather than polymer/clay chemical affinity. The highest E Prime values of sepiolite based nanocomposites make this nanoparticle the most attractive material for tissue engineering and environmental industrial applications. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PBAT nanocomposites with high thermo-mechanical properties were obtained. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The effects of clay presence on PBAT crystalline structure were elucidated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The presence of the clays used in PBAT showed

Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on PVDF Nanocomposites Containing Reduced Graphene Oxide-Titania Hybrid Nanolayers

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Aisha Al-Saygh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A novel flexible nanocomposite pressure sensor with a tensile strength of about 47 MPa is fabricated in this work. Nanolayers of titanium dioxide (titania nanolayers, TNL synthesized by hydrothermal method are used to reinforce the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF by simple solution mixing. A hybrid composite is prepared by incorporating the TNL (2.5 wt % with reduced graphene oxide (rGO (2.5 wt % synthesized by improved graphene oxide synthesis to form a PVDF/rGO-TNL composite. A comparison between PVDF, PVDF/rGO (5 wt %, PVDF/TNL (5 wt % and PVDF/rGO-TNL (total additives 5 wt % samples are analyzed for their sensing, thermal and dielectric characteristics. The new shape of additives (with sharp morphology, good interaction and well distributed hybrid additives in the matrix increased the sensitivity by 333.46% at 5 kPa, 200.7% at 10.7 kPa and 246.7% at 17.6 kPa compared to the individual PVDF composite of TNL, confirming its possible application in fabricating low cost and light weight pressure sensing devices and electronic devices with reduced quantity of metal oxides. Increase in the β crystallinity percentage and removal of α phase for PVDF was detected for the hybrid composite and linked to the improvement in the mechanical properties. Tensile strength for the hybrid composite (46.91 MPa was 115% higher than that of the neat polymer matrix. Improvement in the wettability and less roughness in the hybrid composites were observed, which can prevent fouling, a major disadvantage in many sensor applications.

Enhancement in performance of polycarbazole-graphene nanocomposite Schottky diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, Rajiv K.; Singh, Arun Kumar; Prakash, Rajiv

2013-01-01

We report formation of polycarbazole (PCz)–graphene nanocomposite over indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate using electrochemical technique for fabrication of high performance Schottky diodes. The synthesized nanocomposite is characterized before fabrication of devices for confirmation of uniform distribution of graphene nanosheets in the polymer matrix. Pure PCz and PCz-graphene nanocomposites based Schottky diodes are fabricated of configuration Al/PCz/ITO and Al/PCz-graphene nanocomposite/ITO, respectively. The current density–voltage (J-V) characteristics and diode performance parameters (such as the ideality factor, barrier height, and reverse saturation current density) are compared under ambient condition. Al/PCz-graphene nanocomposite/ITO device exhibits better ideality factor in comparison to the device formed using pure PCz. It is also observed that the Al/PCz-graphene nanocomposite/ITO device shows large forward current density and low turn on voltage in comparison to Al/PCz/ITO device

Functionalized graphene sheet-Poly(vinylidene fluoride) conductive nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Seema; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.

2009-01-01

PVDF nanocomposites based on functionalized graphene sheets, FGS prepared from graphite oxide, and exfoliated graphite, EG, were prepared by solution processing and compression molding. FGS remains well dispersed in the PVDF composites as evidenced

Highly sensitive amperometric sensing of nitrite utilizing bulk-modified MnO2 decorated Graphene oxide nanocomposite screen-printed electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaiswal, Nandita; Tiwari, Ida; Foster, Christopher W.; Banks, Craig E.

2017-01-01

A screen-printed amperometric sensor based on a carbon ink bulk-modified with MnO 2 decorated graphene oxide (MnO 2 /GO-SPE) nanocomposite was investigated for its ability to serve as a sensor towards nitrite. The composite was prepared by simple ultrasonication and reflux methodology and was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and differential pulse voltammetry techniques. The MnO 2 /GO-SPE was found to exhibit an electro-catalytic activity for the electrochemical oxidation of nitrite in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4). The electrochemical oxidation of nitrite occurs at +0.55 V (Vs. Ag/AgCl) with a limit of detection (3σ) found to be 0.09 μM and with two linear ranges of 0.1 μM to 1 μM and 1 μM to 1000 μM with sensitivities of 1.25 μAμM −1 cm −2 and 0.005 μAμM −1 cm −2 respectively. Furthermore, the MnO 2 /GO-SPE showed an excellent anti-interference ability towards a range of commonly encountered electroactive species and metal ions. Additionally, the fabricated MnO 2 /GO-SPE nitrite sensor presented an excellent selectivity, reproducibility and stability. The presented study widens the scope of applications of graphene-based nanocomposite materials for on-site monitoring of nitrite.

In Situ Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Gold Nanocomposites for Nanoelectronics and Biosensing

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Chen Peng

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this study, an in situ chemical synthesis approach has been developed to prepare graphene–Au nanocomposites from chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO in aqueous media. UV–Vis absorption, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to demonstrate the successful attachment of Au nanoparticles to graphene sheets. Configured as field-effect transistors (FETs, the as-synthesized single-layered rGO-Au nanocomposites exhibit higher hole mobility and conductance when compared to the rGO sheets, promising its applications in nanoelectronics. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the rGO-Au FETs are able to label-freely detect DNA hybridization with high sensitivity, indicating its potentials in nanoelectronic biosensing.

Trimetallic oxide nanocomposites of transition metals titanium and vanadium by sol-gel technique: synthesis, characterization and electronic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Amit; Mishra, Neeraj Kumar; Sachan, Komal; Ali, Md Asif; Soaham Gupta, Sachchidanand; Singh, Rajeev

2018-04-01

Novel titanium and vanadium based trimetallic oxide nanocomposites (TMONCs) have been synthesized using metal salts of titanium-vanadium along with three others metals viz. tin, aluminium and zinc as precursors by the sol-gel method. Aqueous ammonia and hydrazine hydrate were used as the reducing agents. The preparations of nanocomposites were monitored by observing the visual changes during each step of synthesis. The synthesized TMONCs were characterized using UV–vis, SEM, EDX, TEM and DLS. Band gap of the synthesized TMONCs ranges from 3–4.5 eV determined using tauc plot. FTIR study revealed the molecular stretching and bending peaks of corresponding M–O/M–O–M bonds thus confirming their formation. Molecular composition and particle size were determined using EDX and DLS respectively. Molecular shape, size and surface morphology have been examined by SEM and TEM.

Polyaniline-CuO hybrid nanocomposite with enhanced electrical conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Vânia S.; da Frota, Hidembergue O.; Sanches, Edgar A.

2018-02-01

A hybrid nanocomposite based on a polymer matrix constituted of Polyaniline Emeraldine-salt form (PANI-ES) reinforced by copper oxide II (CuO) particles was obtained by in situ polymerization. Structural, morphological and electrical properties of the pure materials and nanocomposite form were investigated. The presence of CuO particles in the nanocomposite material affected the natural alignment of the polymer chains. XRD technique allowed the visualization of the polymer amorphization in the nanocomposite form, suggesting an interaction between both phases. The FTIR spectra confirmed this molecular interaction due to the blue shift of the characteristic absorption peaks of PANI-ES in the nanocomposite form. SEM images revealed that the polymer nanofiber morphology was no longer observed in the nanocomposite. The CuO spherical particles are randomly dispersed in the polymer matrix. The density functional theory plus the Coulomb interaction method revealed a charge transfer from PANI to CuO slab. Moreover, the density of states (DOS) has revealed that the nanocomposite behaves as a metal. In agreement, the electrical conductivity showed an increase of 60% in the nanocomposite material.

Bioinspired Graphene-Based Nanocomposites and Their Application in Flexible Energy Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Sijie; Peng, Jingsong; Jiang, Lei; Cheng, Qunfeng

2016-09-01

Graphene is the strongest and stiffest material ever identified and the best electrical conductor known to date, making it an ideal candidate for constructing nanocomposites used in flexible energy devices. However, it remains a great challenge to assemble graphene nanosheets into macro-sized high-performance nanocomposites in practical applications of flexible energy devices using traditional approaches. Nacre, the gold standard for biomimicry, provides an excellent example and guideline for assembling two-dimensional nanosheets into high-performance nanocomposites. This review summarizes recent research on the bioinspired graphene-based nanocomposites (BGBNs), and discusses different bioinspired assembly strategies for constructing integrated high-strength and -toughness graphene-based nanocomposites through various synergistic effects. Fundamental properties of graphene-based nanocomposites, such as strength, toughness, and electrical conductivities, are highlighted. Applications of the BGBNs in flexible energy devices, as well as potential challenges, are addressed. Inspired from the past work done by the community a roadmap for the future of the BGBNs in flexible energy device applications is depicted. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improvement in the mechanical properties, proton conductivity, and methanol resistance of highly branched sulfonated poly(arylene ether)/graphene oxide grafted with flexible alkylsulfonated side chains nanocomposite membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dong; Peng, Jinhua; Li, Zhuoyao; Liu, Bin; Wang, Lei

2018-02-01

Sulfonated polymer/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites exhibit excellent properties as proton exchange membranes. However, few investigations on highly branched sulfonated poly(arylene ether)s (HBSPE)/GO nanocomposites as proton exchange membranes are reported. In order to obtain HBSPE-based nanocomposite membranes with better dispersibility and properties, a novel GO containing flexible alkylsulfonated side chains (SGO) is designed and prepared for the first time in this work. The HBSPE/SGO nanocomposite membranes with excellent dispersibility are successfully prepared. The properties of these membranes, including the mechanical properties, ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, proton conductivity, and methanol resistance, are characterized. The nanocomposite membranes exhibit higher tensile strength (32.67 MPa), higher proton conductivity (0.39 S cm-1 at 80 °C) and lower methanol permeability (4.89 × 10-7 cm2 s-1) than the pristine membrane. The nanocomposite membranes also achieve a higher maximum power density (82.36 mW cm-2) than the pristine membrane (67.85 mW cm-2) in single-cell direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) tests, demonstrating their considerable potential for applications in DMFCs.

Novel electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-graphene oxide-silver nanocomposite membranes with protein and bacterial antifouling characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We developed and fabricated novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF-(0.5–2%Ag and PVDF-(0.5–2%Ag-1% graphene oxide (GO nanocomposite membranes with antifouling properties through electrospinning. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs were in situ synthesized from silver nitrate precursor directly. The tensile properties, wetting, antifouling characteristics of pristine PVDF and its nanocomposite membranes were studied. Tensile tests showed that the addition of 0.5–2% AgNPs to PVDF improves its elastic modulus and tensile strength markedly. A further increase in both tensile modulus and strength of PVDF were obtained by hybridizing AgNPs with 1% GO. Water contact angle measurements revealed that the incorporation of AgNPs or AgNPs/GO nanofillers into PVDF decreases its degree of hydrophobicity. This led to the nanocomposite membranes having higher water flux permeation. In addition, AgNPs and AgNPs/GO fillers played a crucial role against protein and bacterial fouling of the resulting composite membranes. The antibacterial activities of electrospun nanocomposite membranes were assessed against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. On the basis of water contact angle, water permeation flux and antifouling results, electrospun PVDF-2% Ag-GO composite membrane was found to exhibit excellent filtration performance, protein antifouling and bactericidal activities. Thus such a fibrous nanocomposite is considered as a high-potential membrane for water purification and disinfection applications.

A novel reduced graphene oxide/molybdenum disulfide/polyaniline nanocomposite-based electrochemical aptasensor for detection of aflatoxin B1.

Science.gov (United States)

Geleta, Girma Selale; Zhao, Zhen; Wang, Zhenxin

2018-03-26

In this study, we developed a novel reduced graphene oxide/molybdenum disulfide/polyaniline@gold nanoparticles-based electrochemical aptasensor (termed as RGO/MoS2/PANI@AuNPs/Apt) for detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The RGO/MoS2/PANI nanocomposites were synthesized and characterized by multiple techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was then modified by the RGO/MoS2/PANI nanocomposites, coated with a chitosan (Cs) film, and followed by AuNPs attachment for immobilizing the AFB1 aptamers. In the presence of AFB1, the AFB1 binding-induced conformation change of the immobilized aptamer on the electrode surface results in the reduction of the electron transfer from a [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- redox couple in the solution to the GCE surface. Therefore, the aptamer-AFB1 binding event can be easily monitored by the peak current change of the RGO/MoS2/PANI@AuNPs/Apt through differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurement. Under the optimized conditions, the as-developed RGO/MoS2/PANI@AuNPs/Apt exhibits a wide linear range from 0.01 fg mL-1 to 1.0 fg mL-1 and a remarkably low detection limit (3σ) of 0.002 fg mL-1. The aptasensor also has good reproducibility as well as shows high selectivity against other fungal toxins, such as OTA and FB1. Moreover, the practicability of the RGO/MoS2/PANI@AuNPs/Apt was demonstrated by the analysis of AFB1 in the spiked wine samples.

Preparation and properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride nanocomposites blended with graphene oxide coated silica hybrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Fu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide coated silica hybirds (SiO2-GO were fabricated through electrostatic assembly in this work, then blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride (PVDF by solution mixing to make PVDF nanocomposites. The interfacial interaction was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, polarized optical microscopy (POM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. The results showed that the interfacial interaction was enhanced by adding of SiO2-GO and strong hydrogen bonds were observed. The as-made nanocomposites were investigated using standard tensile test and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA measurements, mechanical properties of PVDF with SiO2-GO hybrids showed limited improvement.

Silicone nanocomposite coatings for fabrics

Science.gov (United States)

Eberts, Kenneth (Inventor); Lee, Stein S. (Inventor); Singhal, Amit (Inventor); Ou, Runqing (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A silicone based coating for fabrics utilizing dual nanocomposite fillers providing enhanced mechanical and thermal properties to the silicone base. The first filler includes nanoclusters of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a metal oxide and a second filler of exfoliated clay nanoparticles. The coating is particularly suitable for inflatable fabrics used in several space, military, and consumer applications, including airbags, parachutes, rafts, boat sails, and inflatable shelters.

Synthesis of MoS2-reduced graphene oxide/Fe3O4 nanocomposite for enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Jagdees; Singh, Ashwani Kumar; Shah, Jyoti; Kotnala, R. K.; Singh, Kedar

2018-05-01

This article presents a facile two step hydrothermal process for the synthesis of MoS2-reduced graphene oxide/Fe3O4 (MoS2-rGO/Fe3O4) nanocomposite and its application as an excellent electromagnetic interference shielding material. Characterization tools like; scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy were used to confirm the formation of nanocomposite and found that spherical Fe3O4 nanoparticles are well dispersed over MoS2-rGO composite with average particle size ∼25–30 nm was confirmed by TEM. Structural characterization done by XRD was found inconsistent with the known lattice parameter of MoS2 nanosheet, reduced graphene oxide and Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of MoS2-rGO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was evaluated and found to be an excellent EMI shielding material in X-band range (8.0–12.0 GHz). MoS2-rGO composite shows poor shielding capacity (SET ∼ 3.81 dB) in entire range as compared to MoS2-rGO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite (SET ∼ 8.27 dB). It is due to interfacial polarization in the presence of EM field. The result indicates that MoS2-rGO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite provide a new stage for the next generation in high-performance EM wave absorption and EMI shielding effectiveness.

Sulfate Adsorption on Iron Nanocomposites on Graphene Oxide and Activated Carbon Beds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rezvan Birooni

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study is an experimental investigation of sulfate removal efficiency using iron nanocomposites on graphene oxide and activated carbon beds. The graphene oxide used was synthesized according to the Hummer method during which process graphene oxide and activated carbon were added. The effects of various parameters including adsorbent content, pH, and contact time on adsorption were investigated. Furthermore, the data were subjected to kinetic studies. Results revealed that the highest absorption rates of 84% and 62% were achieved for iron on the graphene oxide and activated carbon beds, respectively, when 0.06 g of the adsorbent was used at pH =11 over a contact time of 9 hours. It was also found that the kinetic pseudo-second-order model best fit the data. Finally, the results indicated that the two environmentally-friendly adsorbents have a good potential for removing sulfate from aqueous solutions.

Preparation of Zeolite/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites for toxic metals removal from water

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Abdullah A. Alswata

Full Text Available This research work has proposed preparation of Zeolite/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposite (Zeolite/ZnO NCs by using a co-precipitation method. Then, the prepared Nanocomposite has been tested for adsorption of Lead Pb (II and Arsenic As (V from aqueous solution under the room pressure and temperature. After that, the prepared adsorbent has been studied by several techniques. For adsorption process; the effect of the adsorbent masses, contact time, PH and initial metals concentration as well as, the kinetics and isotherm for adsorption process have been investigated. The results revealed that; ZnO nanoparticles (NPs with average diameter 4.5 nm have successfully been loaded into Zeolite. The optimum parameters for the removal of the toxic metals 93% and 89% of Pb (II and As (V, respectively, in 100 mg/L aqua solutions were pH4, 0.15 g and 30 min. According to the obtained results; pseudo second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model have higher correlation coefficients and provided a better agreement with the experimental data. The prepared sorbent showed an economical and effective way to remove the heavy toxic metals due to its ambient operation conditions, low- consumption energy and facile regeneration method. Keywords: Zeolite, ZnO, Nanocomposites, Adsorbent, Kinetic, Isotherm

Amine functionalized graphene oxide/CNT nanocomposite for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sablok, Kavita; Bhalla, Vijayender; Sharma, Priyanka; Kaushal, Roohi; Chaudhary, Shilpa [Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR) Sector-39A, Chandigarh160036 (India); Suri, C. Raman, E-mail: raman@imtech.res.in [Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR) Sector-39A, Chandigarh160036 (India)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene to the electron rich amino groups to form JM complexes. ► rGO/CNT based platform for enhanced electrochemical detection. ► Functionalization and characterization of rGO/CNT with amine derivative. ► Ultrasenstitive and specific detection of TNT. -- Abstract: Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene (TNT) to the electron rich amine groups on a substrate form specific charge-transfer Jackson–Meisenheimer (JM) complex. In the present work, we report formation of specific JM complex on amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes- (a-rGO/CNT) nanocomposite leading to sensitive detection of TNT. The CNT were dispersed using graphene oxide that provides excellent dispersion by attaching to CNT through its hydrophobic domains and solubilizes through the available -OH and -COOH groups on screen printed electrode (SPE). The GO was reduced electrochemically to form reduced graphene that remarkably increases electrochemical properties owing to the intercalation of high aspect CNT on graphene flakes as shown by TEM micrograph. The surface amine functionalization of dropcasted and rGO/CNT was carried out using a bi-functional cross linker ethylenediamine. The extent of amine functionalization on modified electrodes was confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and confocal microscopy. The FTIR and Raman spectra further suggested the formation of JM complex between amine functionalized electrodes and TNT leading to a shift in peak intensity together with peak broadening. The a-rGO/CNT nanocomposite prepared electrode surface leads to ultra-trace detection of TNT upto 0.01 ppb with good reproducibility (n = 3). The a-rGO/CNT sensing platform could be an alternate for sensitive detection of TNT explosive for various security and environmental applications.

Amine functionalized graphene oxide/CNT nanocomposite for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sablok, Kavita; Bhalla, Vijayender; Sharma, Priyanka; Kaushal, Roohi; Chaudhary, Shilpa; Suri, C. Raman

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene to the electron rich amino groups to form JM complexes. ► rGO/CNT based platform for enhanced electrochemical detection. ► Functionalization and characterization of rGO/CNT with amine derivative. ► Ultrasenstitive and specific detection of TNT. -- Abstract: Binding of electron-deficient trinitrotoluene (TNT) to the electron rich amine groups on a substrate form specific charge-transfer Jackson–Meisenheimer (JM) complex. In the present work, we report formation of specific JM complex on amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes- (a-rGO/CNT) nanocomposite leading to sensitive detection of TNT. The CNT were dispersed using graphene oxide that provides excellent dispersion by attaching to CNT through its hydrophobic domains and solubilizes through the available -OH and -COOH groups on screen printed electrode (SPE). The GO was reduced electrochemically to form reduced graphene that remarkably increases electrochemical properties owing to the intercalation of high aspect CNT on graphene flakes as shown by TEM micrograph. The surface amine functionalization of dropcasted and rGO/CNT was carried out using a bi-functional cross linker ethylenediamine. The extent of amine functionalization on modified electrodes was confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and confocal microscopy. The FTIR and Raman spectra further suggested the formation of JM complex between amine functionalized electrodes and TNT leading to a shift in peak intensity together with peak broadening. The a-rGO/CNT nanocomposite prepared electrode surface leads to ultra-trace detection of TNT upto 0.01 ppb with good reproducibility (n = 3). The a-rGO/CNT sensing platform could be an alternate for sensitive detection of TNT explosive for various security and environmental applications

Digital laser printing of metal/metal-oxide nano-composites with tunable electrical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zenou, M; Kotler, Z; Sa’ar, A

2016-01-01

We study the electrical properties of aluminum structures printed by the laser forward transfer of molten, femtoliter droplets in air. The resulting printed material is an aluminum/aluminum-oxide nano-composite. By controlling the printing conditions, and thereby the droplet volume, its jetting velocity and duration, it is possible to tune the electrical resistivity to a large extent. The material resistivity depends on the degree of oxidation which takes place during jetting and on the formation of electrical contact points as molten droplets impact the substrate. Evidence for these processes is provided by FIB cross sections of printed structures. (paper)

Reduced graphene oxide–silver nanoparticle nanocomposite: a potential anticancer nanotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurunathan S

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, Jae Woong Han, Jung Hyun Park, Eunsu Kim, Yun-Jung Choi, Deug-Nam Kwon, Jin-Hoi Kim Department of Animal Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Background: Graphene and graphene-based nanocomposites are used in various research areas including sensing, energy storage, and catalysis. The mechanical, thermal, electrical, and biological properties render graphene-based nanocomposites of metallic nanoparticles useful for several biomedical applications. Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the fifth most deadly cancer in women; most tumors initially respond to chemotherapy, but eventually acquire chemoresistance. Consequently, the development of novel molecules for cancer therapy is essential. This study was designed to develop a simple, non-toxic, environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide–silver (rGO–Ag nanoparticle nanocomposites using Tilia amurensis plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents. The anticancer properties of rGO–Ag were evaluated in ovarian cancer cells. Methods: The synthesized rGO–Ag nanocomposite was characterized using various analytical techniques. The anticancer properties of the rGO–Ag nanocomposite were evaluated using a series of assays such as cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase leakage, reactive oxygen species generation, cellular levels of malonaldehyde and glutathione, caspase-3 activity, and DNA fragmentation in ovarian cancer cells (A2780. Results: AgNPs with an average size of 20 nm were uniformly dispersed on graphene sheets. The data obtained from the biochemical assays indicate that the rGO–Ag nanocomposite significantly inhibited cell viability in A2780 ovarian cancer cells and increased lactate dehydrogenase leakage, reactive oxygen species generation, caspase-3 activity, and DNA fragmentation compared with other tested nanomaterials such as graphene oxide, rGO, and AgNPs. Conclusion: T. amurensis plant extract

Fabrication and characterization of akaganeite/graphene oxide nanocomposite for arsenic removal from water

Science.gov (United States)

Trang, Nguyen Thi Thuy; Thy, Lu Thi Mong; Cuong, Pham Mai; Tu, Tran Hoang; Hieu, Nguyen Huu

2018-04-01

In this study, akageneite/graphene oxide (β-FeOOH/GO) nanocomposite was fabricated by in situ forced hydrolysis of iron (III) chloride. The structure and morphology of β-FeOOH/GO were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett- Teller (BET) specific surface area. XRD, FTIR, and TEM results indicated that β-FeOOH nanoparticles were successfully decorated on the surface of GO nanosheets. The BET specific surface area of β-FeOOH/GO was observed of 97.94 m2/g. The nanocomposite was used as an adsorbent for removal of arsenic (As5+) from water. Adsorption experiments were carried out to investigate contact time, pH values, and As5+ initial concentrations. The adsorption equilibrium time was reached within 180 minutes. The adsorption was well-fitted by a pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of β-FeOOH/GO for As5+ ions of 94.34 mg/g that was calculated from the Langmuir model at pH 3. Accordingly, the nanocomposite β-FeOOH/GO could be considered as a highly efficient adsorbent for removing arsenic from water.

A novel reduction approach to fabricate quantum-sized SnO₂-conjugated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as non-enzymatic glucose sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Yixing; Wang, Panpan; Dai, Enmei; Liu, Jun; Tian, Zhenfei; Liang, Changhao; Shao, Guosheng

2014-05-21

Quantum-sized SnO2 nanocrystals can be well dispersed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets through a convenient one-pot in situ reduction route without using any other chemical reagent or source. Highly reactive metastable tin oxide (SnO(x)) nanoparticles (NPs) were used as reducing agents and composite precursors derived by the laser ablation in liquid (LAL) technique. Moreover, the growth and phase transition of LAL-induced SnO(x) NPs and graphene oxide (GO) were examined by optical absorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Highly dispersed SnO(x) NPs can also prevent rGO from being restacked into a multilayer structure during GO reduction. Given the good electron transfer ability and unsaturated dangling bonds of rGO, as well as the ample electrocatalytic active sites of quantum-sized SnO2 NPs on unfolded rGO sheets, the fabricated SnO2-rGO nanocomposite exhibited excellent performance in the non-enzymatic electrochemical detection of glucose molecules. The use of LAL-induced reactive NPs for in situ GO reduction is also expected to be a universal and environmentally friendly approach for the formation of various rGO-based nanocomposites.

Nanomaterials-based electrochemical sensors for nitric oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang, Xueping; Hu, Hui; Wang, Shengfu; Hu, Shengshui

2015-01-01

Electrochemical sensing has been demonstrated to represent an efficient way to quantify nitric oxide (NO) in challenging physiological environments. A sensing interface based on nanomaterials opens up new opportunities and broader prospects for electrochemical NO sensors. This review (with 141 refs.) gives a general view of recent advances in the development of electrochemical sensors based on nanomaterials. It is subdivided into sections on (i) carbon derived nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotubes, graphenes, fullerenes), (ii) metal nanoparticles (including gold, platinum and other metallic nanoparticles); (iii) semiconductor metal oxide nanomaterials (including the oxides of titanium, aluminum, iron, and ruthenium); and finally (iv) nanocomposites (such as those formed from carbon nanomaterials with nanoparticles of gold, platinum, NiO or TiO 2 ). The various strategies are discussed, and the advances of using nanomaterials and the trends in NO sensor technology are outlooked in the final section. (author)

Hydrogen sulfide removal in water-based drilling fluid by metal oxide nanoparticle and ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi Morgani, M.; Saboori, R.; Sabbaghi, S.

2017-07-01

Advanced approaches to the application of nanomaterials for environmental studies, such as waste-water treatment and pollution removal/adsorption, have been considered in recent decades. In this research, hydrogen sulfide removal from water-based drilling fluid by ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles and a ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite was studied experimentally. The ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sedimentation and the sol-gel method. A sol-chemical was employed to synthesize the ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the produced ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles, and the ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite. The results showed that the concentration of hydrogen sulfide decreased from 800 ppm to about 250 ppm (about 70% removal) and less than 150 ppm (more than 80% removal) using the TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles with a 0.67 wt% concentration, respectively. Hydrogen sulfide removal using the ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite with a 0.67 wt% showed the highest value of removal in comparison with the TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles. The hydrogen sulfide level was lowered from 800 ppm to less than 5 ppm (99% removal) by the nanocomposite.

Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of Colloidal Zirconium Oxide Nanoparticles for High-Refractive-Index Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao; Hajagos, Tibor Jacob; Chen, Dustin; Chen, Yi; Kishpaugh, David; Pei, Qibing

2016-02-01

Zirconium oxide nanoparticles are promising candidates for optical engineering, photocatalysis, and high-κ dielectrics. However, reported synthetic methods for the colloidal zirconium oxide nanoparticles use unstable alkoxide precursors and have various other drawbacks, limiting their wide application. Here, we report a facile one-pot method for the synthesis of colloidally stable zirconium oxide nanoparticles. Using a simple solution of zirconium trifluoroacetate in oleylamine, highly stable zirconium oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized with high yield, following a proposed amidization-assisted sol-gel mechanism. The nanoparticles can be readily dispersed in nonpolar solvents, forming a long-term stable transparent solution, which can be further used to fabricate high-refractive-index nanocomposites in both monolith and thin-film forms. In addition, the same method has also been extended to the synthesis of titanium oxide nanoparticles, demonstrating its general applicability to all group IVB metal oxide nanoparticles.

Preparation of RHA-silica/graphene oxide nanocomposite for removal of nickel ions from water

Science.gov (United States)

Tien, Tran Thi Thuy; Tu, Tran Hoang; Thao, Huynh Nguyen Phuong; Hieu, Nguyen Huu

2017-09-01

In this study, silica was synthesized from rice husk ash (RHA-SiO2) by precipitation method. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by modified Hummers method. RHA-SiO2/GO nanocomposite was fabricated by in-situ one-step method using 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) as a coupling agent. The nanocomposite was characterized by using X-ray Fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area. The adsorption of RHA-SiO2/GO for Ni2+ ions from water was investigated and compared with the precursors. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy was used to quantify the amount of the initial and the residual Ni2+ concentration. The maximum adsorption capacity of the nanocomposite for Ni2+ calculated from Langmuir isotherm model, which was 256.4 mg/g. In addition, the adsorption data were well-fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Accordingly, this study demonstrated that RHA-SiO2/GO could be used as a highly efficient adsorbent for removal Ni2+ ions from aqueous solution.

Biocompatible epoxy modified bio-based polyurethane nanocomposites: mechanical property, cytotoxicity and biodegradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Suvangshu; Karak, Niranjan; Saikia, Jyoti Prasad; Konwar, Bolin Kumar

2009-12-01

Epoxy modified Mesua ferrea L. seed oil (MFLSO) based polyurethane nanocomposites with different weight % of clay loadings (1%, 2.5% and 5%) have been evaluated as biocompatible materials. The nanocomposites were prepared by ex situ solution technique under high mechanical shearing and ultrasonication at room temperature. The partially exfoliated nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength and scratch hardness were improved 2 and 5 times, respectively by nanocomposites formation. Even the impact resistance improved a little. The thermostability of the nanocomposites was enhanced by about 40 degrees C. Biodegradation study confirmed 5-10 fold increase in biodegradation rate for the nanocomposites compared to the pristine polymers. All the nanocomposites showed non-cytotoxicity as evident from RBC hemolysis inhibition observed in anti-hemolytic assay carried over the sterilized films. The study reveals that the epoxy modified MFLSO based polyurethane nanocomposites deserve the potential to be applicable as biomaterials.

Nanocomposites of gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide towards an stable label-free electrochemical immunosensor for detection of cardiac marker troponin-I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Guozhen; Qi, Meng; Zhang, Yin; Cao, Chaomin; Goldys, Ewa M.

2016-01-01

A stable label-free amperometric immunosensor is presented based on gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide nanocomposites for detection of cardiac troponin-I in the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction. For designing of the sensing platform, firstly the nanocomposites based on GO and AuNPs were prepared and anchored on electrode surfaces. The formed nanocomposites provided a platform with big surface area for loading anti-cTnI capture antibody, and worked as a bridge for fast electron transfer subsequently increased the sensitivity. Moreover, the linkages between AuNP, GO, and electrodes were based on covalent bonding by aryldiazonium salt coupling chemistry, which favors the stability of the sensing interface. Finally, the anti-cTnI detection antibody was immobilized on GO tailored with ferrocene molecules, functioning as the signal reporter for the detection of cTnI. The modification process was monitored using electrochemistry, SEM, XPS. The herein immunosensor demonstrates a good selectivity and high sensitivity against human-cTnI, and is capable of detecting cTnI at concentrations as low as 0.05 ng mL −1 , which is 100 times lower than that possible by conventional methods. It is potential to design the portable sensing platform based on AuNPs and GO nanocomposites for future point-of-care diagnostics. - Highlights: • Nanocomposites based on GO and AuNPs were prepared and anchored on the electrode surfaces covalently to form a stable sensing interface. • The anti-cTnI detection antibody was immobilized on GO tailored with ferrocene molecules, functioning as the signal reporter for the detection of cTnI. • The detectable concentration of cTnI is 0.05 ng mL -1 in buffer with the assay time of less than 5 min. • The herein simple and novel approach for fabrication of AuNP and graphene based platform is promising for future fabrication of point-of-care devices.

Polyaniline silver nanoparticle coffee waste extracted porous graphene oxide nanocomposite structures as novel electrode material for rechargeable batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Sundriyal, Poonam; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

2017-03-01

The exploration of new and advanced electrode materials are required in electronic and electrical devices for power storage applications. Also, there has been a continuous endeavour to formulate strategies for extraction of high performance electrode materials from naturally obtained waste products. In this work, we have developed an in situ hybrid nanocomposite from coffee waste extracted porous graphene oxide (CEPG), polyaniline (PANI) and silver nanoparticles (Ag) and have found this novel composite to serve as an efficient electrode material for batteries. The successful interaction among the three phases of the nano-composite i.e. CEPG-PANI-Ag have been thoroughly understood through RAMAN, Fourier transform infrared and x-ray diffraction spectroscopy, morphological studies through field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Thermo-gravimetric analysis of the nano-composite demonstrates higher thermal stability up-to a temperature of 495 °C. Further BET studies through nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms confirm the presence of micro/meso and macro-pores in the nanocomposite sample. The cyclic-voltammetry (CV) analysis performed on CEPG-PANI-Ag nanocomposite exhibits a purely faradic behaviour using nickel foam as a current collector thus suggests the prepared nanocomposite as a battery electrode material. The nanocomposite reports a maximum specific capacity of 1428 C g-1 and excellent cyclic stability up-to 5000 cycles.

A topical antibacterial ointment made of Zn-doped copper oxide nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deokar, Archana R. [Bar-Ilan University, Department of Chemistry (Israel); Shalom, Yakov [Bar-Ilan University, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences (Israel); Perelshtein, I.; Perkas, N.; Gedanken, A., E-mail: Aharon.Gedanken@biu.ac.il [Bar-Ilan University, Department of Chemistry (Israel); Banin, E., E-mail: ehud.banin@biu.ac.il [Bar-Ilan University, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences (Israel)

2016-08-15

A zinc-doped copper oxide nanocomposite (Zn–CuO NC, Cu{sub 0.89}Zn{sub 0.11}O)-based antibacterial ointment was formulated and validated. Morphological examinations yielded spherical nanoparticles varying in size from 3 to 5 nm. The antibiofilm efficacy of the Zn–CuO NC-based ointment was evaluated using a biofilm prevention and disruption model against common wound pathogens, both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 (S. aureus and S. epidermidis) and gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (P. aeruginosa). Ointments comprising Zn–CuO NC with different weight percentages demonstrated high antibiofilm activity both in prevention and disruption biofilm models. The highest antibiofilm activity was found against S. epidermidis and S. aureus compared to P. aeruginosa. Zn–CuO NC-based ointment was competing equally with commercial gentamicin ointment for preventing the biofilms of S. epidermidis and S. aureus. Furthermore, interestingly we observed that our formulated ointment demonstrates better biofilm disruption capabilities against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus compared to commercial gentamicin ointment. These results suggest that Zn–CuO NC-based topical antibacterial ointments may provide a valuable solution for treating wound infections.

A topical antibacterial ointment made of Zn-doped copper oxide nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deokar, Archana R.; Shalom, Yakov; Perelshtein, I.; Perkas, N.; Gedanken, A.; Banin, E.

2016-01-01

A zinc-doped copper oxide nanocomposite (Zn–CuO NC, Cu_0_._8_9Zn_0_._1_1O)-based antibacterial ointment was formulated and validated. Morphological examinations yielded spherical nanoparticles varying in size from 3 to 5 nm. The antibiofilm efficacy of the Zn–CuO NC-based ointment was evaluated using a biofilm prevention and disruption model against common wound pathogens, both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 (S. aureus and S. epidermidis) and gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (P. aeruginosa). Ointments comprising Zn–CuO NC with different weight percentages demonstrated high antibiofilm activity both in prevention and disruption biofilm models. The highest antibiofilm activity was found against S. epidermidis and S. aureus compared to P. aeruginosa. Zn–CuO NC-based ointment was competing equally with commercial gentamicin ointment for preventing the biofilms of S. epidermidis and S. aureus. Furthermore, interestingly we observed that our formulated ointment demonstrates better biofilm disruption capabilities against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus compared to commercial gentamicin ointment. These results suggest that Zn–CuO NC-based topical antibacterial ointments may provide a valuable solution for treating wound infections.

a Study of Nanocomposite Coatings on the Surface of Ship Exhaust Pipe

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yan; Sahoo, Prasanta K.; Pan, Yipeng

In order to improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of exhaust pipes, the nanocomposite coatings are carried out on the surface of exhaust pipe by pulsed current electrodeposition technology, and the microstructure and oxidation behavior of the nanocomposite coatings are investigated experimentally. This paper mainly focuses on the experimental work to determine the structural characteristics and oxidation resistance of nanocomposite coatings in presence of attapulgite and cerium oxide CeO2. The results show that the amount of the attapulgite-CeO2 has significant influence on the structural properties of nanocomposite coatings. The surface of coating becomes more compact and smooth with the increase of the amount of the attapulgite and CeO2. Furthermore, the anti-oxidation performances of the nanocomposite coatings formed with attapulgite and CeO2 were both better than those of the composite coatings formed without attapulgite and CeO2.

Unique negative permittivity of the pseudo conducting radial zinc oxide-poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposite film: Enhanced dielectric and electromagnetic interference shielding properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aepuru, Radhamanohar [Department of Materials Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Girinagar, Pune 411025 (India); Bhaskara Rao, B.V.; Kale, S.N. [Department of Applied Physics, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune 411025 (India); Panda, H.S., E-mail: himanshusp@diat.ac.in [Department of Materials Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Girinagar, Pune 411025 (India)

2015-11-01

Flower like radial zinc oxide (RZnO) was prepared by using a facile solvothermal method and used to prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) based nanocomposites. Structural informations of the samples are analyzed by X-ray diffraction and correlated with high resolution transmission electron microscopy along with high annular angular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). For the first time, stability studies are carried out by solvent relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. Dielectric studies of the PVDF and PVDF-RZnO nanocomposites are reported over the wide range of frequency (0.01 Hz–1 MHz) and temperature (25–90 °C). Dielectric property of the PVDF-RZnO nanocomposites was significantly improved wrt filler percentage in PVDF. Unique negative permittivity was observed in the composites having higher filler content (>40 wt%) typically at low frequencies. First time, it is observed that the higher RZnO content in PVDF results the formation of pseudo conducting network and hence improved the electromagnetic shielding efficiency (85%) than PVDF and PVDF-commercial ZnO composites. - Highlights: • Radial ZnO-PVDF nanocomposites were fabricated by using solution casting. • Pseudo conducting network is confirmed through cryo-fracture morphology study. • Stability study of the nano fillers was performed in the polymer matrix. • Unique negative permittivity behavior of the nanocomposites was observed. • EMI shielding property of the radial ZnO-PVDF nanocomposites was performed.

Surface characterization of poly(methylmethacrylate) based nanocomposite thin films containing Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, S., E-mail: Scott.Lewis@Manchester.ac.u [School of Physics and Astronomy, Radio Astronomy Technology Group, University of Manchester, Turing Building, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Haynes, V. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Radio Astronomy Technology Group, University of Manchester, Turing Building, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Wheeler-Jones, R. [Institute of Advanced Materials and Energy Systems, Cardiff School of Engineering, Queen' s Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Sly, J. [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Microelectronics and Nanostructures group, The University of Manchester, Sackville St Building, Sackville St, Manchester, M60 1QD (United Kingdom); Perks, R.M. [Institute of Advanced Materials and Energy Systems, Cardiff School of Engineering, Queen' s Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Piccirillo, L. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Radio Astronomy Technology Group, University of Manchester, Turing Building, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

2010-03-01

Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) based nanocomposite electron beam resists have been demonstrated by spin coating techniques. When TiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were directly dispersed into the PMMA polymer matrix, the resulting nanocomposites produced poor quality films with surface roughnesses of 322 and 402 nm respectively. To improve the surface of the resists, the oxide nanoparticles were encapsulated in toluene and methanol. Using the zeta potential parameter, it was found that the stabilities of the toluene/oxide nanoparticle suspensions were 7.7 mV and 19.4 mV respectively, meaning that the suspension was not stable. However, when the TiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were encapsulated in methanol the zeta potential parameter was 31.9 mV and 39.2 mV respectively. Therefore, the nanoparticle suspension was stable. This method improved the surface roughness of PMMA based nanocomposite thin films by a factor of 6.6 and 6.4, when TiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were suspended in methanol before being dispersed into the PMMA polymer.

Electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of microcellular polyimide/in situ thermally reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hongli; Yu, Zhi; Wu, Peng; Zou, Huawei; Liu, Pengbo

2018-03-01

A simple and effective method was adopted to fabricate microcellular polyimide (PI)/reduced graphene oxide (GO)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites. Firstly, microcellular poly (amic acid) (PAA)/GO/MWCNTs nanocomposites were prepared through solvent evaporation induced phase separation. In this process, PAA and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) co-dissolved in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) underwent phase separation with DMAc evaporating, and DBP microdomains were formed in continuous PAA phase. Subsequently, PAA was thermally imidized and simultaneously GO was in situ reduced. After DBP was removed, the microcellular PI/reduced GO (RGO)/MWCNTs nanocomposites were finally obtained. When the initial filler loading was 8 wt%, the electrical conductivity of microcellular PI/RGO, PI/MWCNTs and PI/RGO/MWCNTs nanocomposites were 0.05, 0.02 and 1.87 S·m-1, respectively, and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency (SE) of microcellular PI/RGO, PI/MWCNTs and PI/RGO/MWCNTs nanocomposites were 13.7-15.1, 13.0-14.3 and 16.6-18.2 dB, respectively. The synergistic effect between RGO and MWCNTs enhanced both the electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance of the microcellular PI/RGO/MWCNTs nanocomposites. The dominating EMI shielding mechanism for these materials was microwave absorption. While the initial loading of GO and MWCNT was 8 wt%, the microcellular PI/RGO/MWCNTs nanocomposite (500 μm thickness) had extremely high specific EMI SE value of 755-823 dB·cm2·g-1. Its thermal stability was also obviously improved, the 5% weight loss temperature in nitrogen was 548 °C. In addition, it also possessed a high Young's modulus of 789 MPa.

Synthesis and Investigation of Carbon-Based Nanocomposites for Supercapacitors

OpenAIRE

LI WAN

2018-01-01

Carbon-based nanocomposites were synthesized for high-performance supercapacitors. The coalition between each of the constituent in the nanocomposites and the performance was investigated. Continuous efforts have been put to improve the supercapacitor assembly techniques from conventional supercapacitor to all-solid-state supercapacitor and to binder-free supercapacitor.

Self-healable mussel-mimetic nanocomposite hydrogel based on catechol-containing polyaspartamide and graphene oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Bo; Jeon, Young Sil; Park, Ho Seok; Kim, Ji-Heung

2016-01-01

Stimuli-responsive and self-healing materials have a wide range of potential uses, and some significant research has focused on cross-linking of hydrogel materials by means of reversible coordination bonding. The resulting materials, however, tend to have poor mechanical properties with pronounced weakness and brittleness. In this work, we present a novel mussel-inspired graphene oxide(GO)–containing hydrogel based on modified polyaspartamide with γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), 3.4-dihydroxyphenethylamine (DOPA), and ethanolamine (EA), termed PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Here both GO nanosheets and boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ) act as cross-linkers, interacting with polar functional groups of the PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Compared to PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA)/B 3+ gel without GO, the same containing 5 wt% of GO yielded a 10-fold increase in both the storage and loss moduli, as well as 134% and 104% increases in the tensile and compressive strengths, respectively. In addition, the GO-containing polyaspartamide hydrogel exhibited rapid and autonomous self-healing property. Two types of bonding, boron–catechol coordination and strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PolyAspAm side chains and GO nanosheets, would impart the enhanced mechanical strength and good reversible gelation behavior upon pH stimulation to the hydrogel, making this biocompatible hydrogel a promising soft matter for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • Novel GO-containing nanocomposite hydrogels based on dopamine-conjugated polyaspartamide derivative was prepared. • Improvement in the mechanical property of composite gel by GO incorporation was elucidated. • The “smart” characteristics of pH-responsive gelation and rapid self-healing were demonstrated.

Self-healable mussel-mimetic nanocomposite hydrogel based on catechol-containing polyaspartamide and graphene oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Bo; Jeon, Young Sil; Park, Ho Seok; Kim, Ji-Heung, E-mail: kimjh@skku.edu

2016-12-01

Stimuli-responsive and self-healing materials have a wide range of potential uses, and some significant research has focused on cross-linking of hydrogel materials by means of reversible coordination bonding. The resulting materials, however, tend to have poor mechanical properties with pronounced weakness and brittleness. In this work, we present a novel mussel-inspired graphene oxide(GO)–containing hydrogel based on modified polyaspartamide with γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), 3.4-dihydroxyphenethylamine (DOPA), and ethanolamine (EA), termed PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Here both GO nanosheets and boric acid (H{sub 3}BO{sub 3}) act as cross-linkers, interacting with polar functional groups of the PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA). Compared to PolyAspAm(GABA/DOPA/EA)/B{sup 3+} gel without GO, the same containing 5 wt% of GO yielded a 10-fold increase in both the storage and loss moduli, as well as 134% and 104% increases in the tensile and compressive strengths, respectively. In addition, the GO-containing polyaspartamide hydrogel exhibited rapid and autonomous self-healing property. Two types of bonding, boron–catechol coordination and strong hydrogen bonding interactions between PolyAspAm side chains and GO nanosheets, would impart the enhanced mechanical strength and good reversible gelation behavior upon pH stimulation to the hydrogel, making this biocompatible hydrogel a promising soft matter for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • Novel GO-containing nanocomposite hydrogels based on dopamine-conjugated polyaspartamide derivative was prepared. • Improvement in the mechanical property of composite gel by GO incorporation was elucidated. • The “smart” characteristics of pH-responsive gelation and rapid self-healing were demonstrated.

Resistive switching in ZnO/ZnO:In nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Khakhulin, D. A.; Vakulov, Z. E.; Smirnov, V. A.; Tominov, R. V.; Yoon, Jong-Gul; Ageev, O. A.

2017-11-01

A lot of effort nowadays is put into development of new approaches to processing and storage of information in integrated circuits due to limitations in miniaturisation. Our research is dedicated to one of actively developed concepts - oxide based resistive memory devices. A material that draws interest due to its promising technological properties is ZnO but pure ZnO lacks in performance in comparison with some other transition metal oxides. Thus our work is focused on improvement of resistive switching parameters in ZnO films by creation of complex nanocomposites. In this work we report characterisation of a nanocomposite based on PLD grown ZnO films with inclusions of In. Such solution allows us to achieve improvements of main parameters that are critical for ReRAM device: RHRS/RLRS ratio, endurance and retention.

Green synthesis of AgI-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites: Toward enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for organic dye removal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, D. Amaranatha; Lee, Seunghee; Choi, Jiha; Park, Seonhwa; Ma, Rory; Yang, Haesik; Kim, Tae Kyu

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A novel green synthesis of AgI-RGO nanocomposites. • Significant improvement of the photocatalytic activity in RGO wrapped composites. • Additive promoted photocatalytic performance in AgI-RGO composites. • AgI-RGO nanocomposites may find applications in luminescent and catalytic devices. - Abstract: Novel reduced graphene oxide (RGO) enwrapped AgI nanocomposites were successfully fabricated by a facile template-free ultrasound-assisted method at room temperature. The structural, morphological, and optical studies demonstrate that the obtained nanostructures have good crystallinity and that the graphene nanosheets are decorated densely with AgI nanostructures. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated by the degradation of an organic dye, Rhodamine B (RhB), under visible-light irradiation. The results indicate that AgI with incorporated graphene exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than the pure AgI due to the improved separation efficiency of the photogenerated carriers and that it prolonged the lifetime of the electron–hole pairs due to the chemical bonding between AgI and graphene. AgI (0.4 mg mL −1 of graphene oxide) nanocomposites displayed the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency and the corresponding catalytic efficiencies within 70 min were ∼96%. Moreover, with the assistance of H 2 O 2 the photocatalytic ability of the as-obtained AgI-RGO nanocomposites was enhanced. The corresponding catalytic efficiencies within 30 min were ∼96.8% (for 1 mL H 2 O 2 ) under the same irradiation conditions. The excellent visible-light photocatalytic efficiency and luminescence properties make the AgI-RGO nanocomposites promising candidates for the removal of organic dyes for water purification and enable their application in near-UV white LEDs

Optical properties of P3HT:tributylphosphine oxide-capped CdSe nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benchaabane, A. [Faculte des Sciences d' Amiens, Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Condensee, Amiens (France); Universite Tunis El-Manar, Laboratoire de Materiaux avances et phenomenes quantiques, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis El Manar, Tunis (Tunisia); Universite Arabe des Sciences, Ecole Superieure d' Ingenieurs et des Etudes Technologiques, Tunis (Tunisia); Ben Hamed, Z.; Kouki, F.; Bouchriha, H. [Universite Tunis El-Manar, Laboratoire de Materiaux avances et phenomenes quantiques, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis El Manar, Tunis (Tunisia); Lahmar, A.; Zellama, K.; Zeinert, A. [Faculte des Sciences d' Amiens, Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Condensee, Amiens (France); Sanhoury, M.A. [Laboratoire de Chimie Organique Structurale, Synthese et Etudes Physicochimiques, Tunis (Tunisia)

2016-08-15

The optical properties of nanocomposite layers prepared by incorporation of tributylphosphine oxide (TBPO)-capped CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) in a P3HT polymer matrix are studied using different nanocrystal concentrations. Reflection spectra analyzed through Kim oscillator model lead to the determination of optical constants such as refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, dielectric permittivity ε and absorption coefficient α. Using the common Cauchy, Drude-Lorentz, Tauc and single-effective-oscillator theoretical models, we have determined the values of static refractive index n{sub s} and permittivity ε{sub s}, plasma frequency ω{sub p}, carrier density N, optical band gap E{sub g} and oscillator and dispersion energies E{sub 0} and E{sub d}, respectively. It is found that TBPO-capped CdSe NCs concentration affects the optoelectronic parameters of the nanocomposite thin films. Moreover, the disorder of this hybrid system is also studied by the determination of Urbach energy, which increases with TBPO-capped CdSe concentration. (orig.)

Sonochemical and sustainable synthesis of graphene-gold (G-Au) nanocomposites for enzymeless and selective electrochemical detection of nitric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Geetha Bai, Renu; Muthoosamy, Kasturi; Zhou, Meifang; Ashokkumar, Muthupandian; Huang, Nay Ming; Manickam, Sivakumar

2017-01-15

In this study, a sonochemical approach was utilised for the development of graphene-gold (G-Au) nanocomposite. Through the sonochemical method, simultaneous exfoliation of graphite and the reduction of gold chloride occurs to produce highly crystalline G-Au nanocomposite. The in situ growth of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) took place on the surface of exfoliated few-layer graphene sheets. The G-Au nanocomposite was characterised by UV-vis, XRD, FTIR, TEM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy techniques. This G-Au nanocomposite was used to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to fabricate an electrochemical sensor for the selective detection of nitric oxide (NO), a critical cancer biomarker. G-Au modified GCE exhibited an enhanced electrocatalytic response towards the oxidation of NO as compared to other control electrodes. The electrochemical detection of NO was investigated by linear sweep voltammetry analysis, utilising the G-Au modified GCE in a linear range of 10-5000μM which exhibited a limit of detection of 0.04μM (S/N=3). Furthermore, this enzyme-free G-Au/GCE exhibited an excellent selectivity towards NO in the presence of interferences. The synergistic effect of graphene and AuNPs, which facilitated exceptional electron-transfer processes between the electrolyte and the GCE thereby improving the sensing performance of the fabricated G-Au modified electrode with stable and reproducible responses. This G-Au nanocomposite introduces a new electrode material in the sensitive and selective detection of NO, a prominent biomarker of cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green Preparation of Epoxy/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites Using a Glycidylamine Epoxy Resin as the Surface Modifier and Phase Transfer Agent of Graphene Oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xinlei; Zhou, Yang; Peng, Mao

2016-01-27

In studies of epoxy/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites, organic solvents are commonly used to disperse GO, and vigorous mechanical processes and complicated modification of GO are usually required, increasing the cost and hindering the development and application of epoxy nanocomposites. Here, we report a green, facile, and efficient method of preparing epoxy/GO nanocomposites. When triglycidyl para-aminophenol (TGPAP), a commercially available glycidyl amine epoxy resin with one tertiary amine group per molecule, is used as both the surface modifier and phase transfer agent of GO, GO can be directly and rapidly transferred from water to diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and other types of epoxy resins by manual stirring under ambient conditions, whereas GO cannot be transferred to these epoxy resins in the absence of TGPAP. The interaction between TGPAP and GO and the effect of the TGPAP content on the dispersion of GO in the epoxy matrix were investigated systematically. Superior dispersion and exfoliation of GO nanosheets and remarkably improved mechanical properties, including tensile and flexural properties, toughness, storage modulus, and microhardness, of the epoxy/GO nanocomposites with a suitable amount of TGPAP were demonstrated. This method is organic-solvent-free and technically feasible for large-scale preparation of high-performance nanocomposites; it opens up new opportunities for exploiting the unique properties of graphene or even other nanofillers for a wide range of applications.

Polypyrrole-vanadium oxide nanocomposite: polymer dominates crystallanity and oxide dominates conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Swarup; Mishra, Suryakant; Yogi, Priyanka; Saxena, Shailendra K.; Mishra, Vikash; Sagdeo, Pankaj R.; Kumar, Rajesh

2018-01-01

A hybrid nanocomposite of polypyrrole (Ppy)-V2O5 has been fabricated and characterized for better understanding of material enabling one to use this for appropriate application as the nanocomposite shows better thermal stability. The characterization has been done using XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, and UV-Vis for their structure, surface morphology, respectively, along with TGA and two-probe method used for checking thermal stability, and DC electrical conductance and dielectric behavior of the electrical phenomena of sample. The analysis of XRD demonstrates that crystallinity of nanocomposites is the same as that of the polymer, even though interaction between conducting Ppy and V2O5 is present as evident from FT-IR spectroscopy. A variation in bandgap, in comparison with Ppy, is observed when V2O5 is added into it. The microstructural study of nanocomposites shows encapsulation of V2O5 particles in Ppy matrix with changes in morphology with increase in doping. Conductance results show that electrical conductivity of Ppy decayed on adding V2O5. It has also been found that addition of V2O5 in Ppy has noticeable effect on the dielectric properties.

Nanocomposite polymer electrolyte based on whisker or microfibrils polyoxyethylene nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alloin, Fannie, E-mail: fannie.alloin@lepmi.grenoble-inp.f [LEPMI, Laboratoire d' Electrochimie et de Physicochimie des Materiaux et des Interfaces, Grenoble-INP-UJF-CNRS, UMR 5631, BP 75, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); D' Aprea, Alessandra [Laboratoire de Rheologie, Grenoble-INP-UJF, UMR 5520, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); LEPMI, Laboratoire d' Electrochimie et de Physicochimie des Materiaux et des Interfaces, Grenoble-INP-UJF-CNRS, UMR 5631, BP 75, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Ecole Internationale du Papier, de la communication imprimee et des Biomateriaux, PAGORA- Grenoble-INP, BP 65, 38402 Saint Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Kissi, Nadia El [Laboratoire de Rheologie, Grenoble-INP-UJF, UMR 5520, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Dufresne, Alain [Ecole Internationale du Papier, de la communication imprimee et des Biomateriaux, PAGORA- Grenoble-INP, BP 65, 38402 Saint Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Bossard, Frederic [Laboratoire de Rheologie, Grenoble-INP-UJF, UMR 5520, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2010-07-15

Nanocomposite polymer electrolytes composed of high molecular weight poly(oxyethylene) PEO as a matrix, LiTFSI as lithium salt and ramie, cotton and sisal whiskers with high aspect ratio and sisal microfibrils (MF), as reinforcing phase were prepared by casting-evaporation. The morphology of the composite electrolytes was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and their thermal behavior (characteristic temperatures, degradation temperature) were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Nanocomposite electrolytes based on PEO reinforced by whiskers and MF sisal exhibited very high mechanical performance with a storage modulus of 160 MPa at high temperature. A weak decrease of the ionic conductivity was observed with the incorporation of 6 wt% of whiskers. The addition of microfibrils involved a larger decrease of the conductivity. This difference may be associated to the more restricted PEO mobility due to the addition of entangled nanofibers.

Synergistic effect of Ag nanoparticle-decorated graphene oxide and carbon fiber on electrical actuation of polymeric shape memory nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Haibao; Leng, Jinsong; Du, Shanyi; Liang, Fei; Gou, Jihua

2014-01-01

This study reports an effective approach of significantly improving electrical properties and recovery performance of shape memory polymer (SMP) nanocomposite, of which its shape recovery was triggered by electrically resistive Joule heating. Reduced graphene oxide (GOs) self-assembled and grafted onto carbon fiber, were used to enhance the interfacial bonding with the SMP matrix via van der Waals force and covalent bond, respectively. A layer of Ag nanoparticles was synthesized from Ag + solution and chemically deposited onto GO assemblies. These Ag nanoparticles were expected to bridge the gap between GO and improve the electrical conductivity. The experimental results reveal that the electrical conductivity of the SMP nanocomposite was significantly improved via the synergistic effect between Ag nanoparticle-decorated GO and carbon fiber. Finally, the electrically induced shape memory effect of the SMP nanocomposite was achieved, and the temperature distribution in the SMP nanocomposites was recorded and monitored. An effective approach was demonstrated to produce the electro-activated SMP nanocomposites and the resistive Joule heating was viable at a low electrical voltage below 10 V. (paper)

Polypropylene/Polyaniline Nanofiber/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite with Enhanced Electrical, Dielectric, and Ferroelectric Properties for a High Energy Density Capacitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Sunghun; Kim, Minkyu; Lee, Jun Seop; Jang, Jyongsik

2015-10-14

This work demonstrates a ternary nanocomposite system, composed of polypropylene (PP), redoped PANI (r-PANI) nanofibers, and reduced graphene oxides (RGOs), for use in a high energy density capacitor. r-PANI nanofibers were fabricated by the combination methods of chemical oxidation polymerization and secondary doping processes, resulting in higher conductivity (σ≈156 S cm(-1)) than that of the primarily doped PANI nanofibers (σ≈16 S cm(-1)). RGO sheets with high electron mobility and thermal stability can enhance the conductivity of r-PANI/RGO (σ≈220 S cm(-1)) and thermal stability of PP matrix. These findings could be extended to combine the advantages of r-PANI nanofibers and RGO sheets for developing an efficient means of preparing PP/r-PANI/RGO nanocomposite. When the r-PANI/RGO cofillers (10 vol %) were added to PP matrix, the resulting PP/r-PANI/RGO nanocomposite exhibited high dielectric constant (ε'≈51.8) with small dielectric loss (ε″≈9.3×10(-3)). Furthermore, the PP/r-PANI/RGO nanocomposite was used for an energy-harvesting device, which demonstrated high energy density (Ue≈12.6 J cm(-3)) and breakdown strength (E≈5.86×10(3) kV cm(-1)).

Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/CoWO4 nanocomposites with enhanced electrochemical performances for supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Xiaowei; Shen, Jianfeng; Li, Na; Ye, Mingxin

2014-01-01

Highlights: • RGO/CoWO 4 composites were successfully prepared through a facile hydrothermal method. • RGO/CoWO 4 composites show much higher specific capacitances than pure CoWO 4 . • Enhanced electrical conductivity leads to superior electrochemical performance. - Abstract: A facile one-pot hydrothermal method was provided for synthesis of the reduced graphene oxide-cobalt tungstate (RGO/CoWO 4 ) nanocomposites with the enhanced electrochemical performances for supercapacitors for the first time. The resulting nanocomposites are comprised of CoWO 4 nanospheres that are well-anchored on graphene sheets by in situ reducing. The prepared RGO/CoWO 4 nanocomposites have been thoroughly characterized by Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and N 2 adsorption–desorption. Importantly, the prepared nanocomposites exhibit superior electrochemical performance to CoWO 4 as electrodes for supercapacitors. As a result, RGO/CoWO 4 nanocomposites with 91.6 wt% CoWO 4 content achieved a specific capacitance about 159.9 F g −1 calculated from the CV curves at 5 mV s −1 , which was higher than that of CoWO 4 (60.6 F g −1 ). The good electrochemical performance can be attributed to the increased electrical conductivity and the creation of new active sites due to the synergetic effect of RGO and CoWO 4 nanospheres. The cyclic stability tests demonstrated capacitance retention of about 94.7% after 1000 cycles, suggesting the potential application of RGO/CoWO 4 nanocomposites in energy-storage devices

Fracture behavior of α-zirconium phosphate-based epoxy nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sue, H.-J.; Gam, K.T.; Bestaoui, N.; Clearfield, A.; Miyamoto, M.; Miyatake, N.

2004-01-01

The fracture behaviors of α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) based epoxy nanocomposites, with and without core-shell rubber (CSR) toughening, were investigated. The state of exfoliation and dispersion of α-ZrP nanofiller in epoxy were characterized using X-ray scattering and various microscopy tools. The level of enhancement in storage moduli of epoxy nanocomposite against neat epoxy is found to depend on the state of exfoliation of α-ZrP as well as the damping characteristics of the epoxy matrix. The fracture process in epoxy nanocomposite is dominated by preferred crack propagation along the weak intercalated α-ZrP interfaces, and the presence of α-ZrP does not alter the fracture toughness of the epoxy matrix. However, the toughening using CSR can significantly improve the fracture toughness of the nanocomposite. The fracture mechanisms responsible for such a toughening effect in CSR-toughened epoxy nanocomposite are rubber particle cavitation, followed by shear banding of epoxy matrix. The ductility and toughenability of epoxy do not appear to be affected by the incorporation of α-ZrP. Approaches for producing toughened high performance polymer nanocomposites are discussed

Properties and applications of polymer nanocomposites clay and carbon based polymer nanocomposites

CERN Document Server

Prasad Sahoo, Bibhu

2017-01-01

The aim of the present edited book is to furnish scientific information about manufacturing, properties, and application of clay and carbon based polymer nanocomposites. It can be used as handbook for undergraduate and post graduate courses (for example material science and engineering, polymer science and engineering, rubber technology, manufacturing engineering, etc.) as well as as reference book for research fellows and professionals. Polymer nanocomposites have received outstanding importance in the present decade because of their broad range of high-performance applications in various areas of engineering and technology due to their special material properties. A great interest is dedicated to nanofiller based polymeric materials, which exhibit excellent enhancement in macroscopic material properties (mechanical, thermal, dynamic mechanical, electrical and many more) at very low filler contents and can therefore be used for the development of next-generation composite materials.

Graphene oxide hydrogel as a restricted-area nanoreactor for synthesis of 3D graphene-supported ultrafine TiO2 nanorod nanocomposites for high-rate lithium-ion battery anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jianli; Gu, Guifang; Ni, Wei; Guan, Qun; Li, Yinchuan; Wang, Bin

2017-07-01

Three-dimensional graphene-supported TiO2 nanorod nanocomposites (3D GS-TNR) are prepared using graphene oxide hydrogel as a restricted-area nanoreactor in the hydrothermal process, in which well-distributed TiO2 nanorods with a width of approximately 5 nm and length of 30 nm are conformally embedded in the 3D interconnected graphene network. The 3D graphene oxide not only works as a restricted-area nanoreactor to constrain the size, distribution and morphology of the TiO2; it also work as a highly interconnected conducting network to facilitate electrochemical reactions and maintain good structural integration when the nanocomposites are used as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries. Benefiting from the nanostructure, the 3D GS-TNR nanocomposites show high capacity and excellent long-term cycling capability at high current rates. The 3D GS-TNR composites deliver a high initial charge capacity of 280 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C and maintain a reversible capacity of 115 mAh g-1, with a capacity retention of 83% at 20 C after 1000 cycles. Meanwhile, compared with that of previously reported TiO2-based materials, the 3D GS-TNR nanocomposites show much better performance, including higher capacity, better rate capability and long-term cycling stability.

Preparation and characterization of sepiolite-based phase change material nanocomposites for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konuklu, Yeliz; Ersoy, Orkun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Sepiolite-based phase change material nanocomposites were prepared. • An easy direct impregnation process was used. • This paper is one of the first study about sepiolite-based phase change material nanocomposites. • Influence of PCM type on thermal properties of nanocomposites was reported. - Abstract: This paper is one of the first study about the preparation and characterization of sepiolite-based phase change material nanocomposites for thermal energy storage applications. Sepiolite is an important natural fibrous raw material. Nanoscale fibrous tubular structure of sepiolite becomes important in nanocomposite preparation. In this study, sepiolite/paraffin and sepiolite/decanoic acid nanocomposites were manufactured by the direct impregnation method. By the preparation of nanocomposites, PCM move in tubular channels of sepiolite, phase changing occurs in these tubes and surface area increases like as in microencapsulation. The structure and properties of nanocomposites PCMs (CPCM) have been characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The SEM results prove the successful preparation of phase change material/sepiolite nanocomposites and point out that the fibers of sepiolite is modified with phase change materials in the nanocomposite. The phase change enthalpies of melting and freezing were about 62.08 J/g and −62.05 J/g for sepiolite/paraffin nanocomposites and 35.69 J/g and −34.55 J/g for sepiolite/decanoic acid nanocomposites, respectively. The results show that PCM/sepiolite nanocomposites were prepared successfully and their properties are very suitable for thermal energy storage applications.

Prussian blue-gold nanoparticles-ionic liquid functionalized reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as label for ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay of alpha-fetoprotein.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Qi; Liu, Na; Ma, Zhanfang

2014-06-04

In this work, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) protected Prussian blue/gold nanoparticles/ionic liquid functionalized reduced graphene oxide (IL-rGO-Au-PDDA-PB) nanocomposite was fabricated. The resulting nanocomposite exhibited high biocompatibility, conductivity and catalytic activity. To assess the performance of the nanocomposite, a sensitive sandwich-type immunosensor was constructed for detecting alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Greatly enhanced sensitivity for this immunosensor was based on triple signal amplification strategies. Firstly, IL-rGO modified electrode was used as biosensor platform to capture a large amount of antibody due to its increased surface area, thus amplifying the detection response. Secondly, a large number of Au-PDDA-PB was conjugated on the surface of IL-rGO, which meant the enrichment of the signal and the more immobilization of label antibody. Finally, the catalytic reaction between H2O2 and the IL-rGO-Au-PDDA-PB nanocomposite further enhanced the signal response. The signals increased linearly with AFP concentrations in the range of 0.01-100 ng mL(-1). The detection limit for AFP was 4.6 pg mL(-1). The immunosensor showed high sensitivity, excellent selectivity and good stability. Moreover, the immunosensor was applied to the analysis of AFP in serum sample with satisfactory result. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrothermal growth of Cobalt germanate/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as superior anode materials for Lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Ruihan; Zhang, Zhen; Wang, Hongkuan; Feng, Jinkui; Xiong, Shenglin; Qian, Yitai

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The nanosized Co 2 GeO 4 and Co 2 GeO 4 /RGO nanocomposites were prepared by a facile one pot hydrothermal route. • The Co 2 GeO 4 and Co 2 GeO 4 /RGO nanocomposites could be used as novel high capacity anodes with both alloying and conversion reactions. • The RGO incorporation can improve the electrochemical performance of Co 2 GeO 4 by buffering the volume changes and enhancing the conductivity of the electrodes. • The CGO/RGO nanocomposites exhibit a large reversible capacity of 1250 mAh g −1 for the first cycle and a capacity retention of 1085 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles. Remarkable rate performance was also recorded. - Abstract: Well dispersed Co 2 GeO 4 (CGO) nanoplates and CGO/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites are prepared via hydrothermal method and characterized as novel lithium anode materials for the first time. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the CGO/RGO nanocomposites exhibit a large reversible capacity of 1250 mAh g −1 for the first cycle and a capacity retention of 1085 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles. Remarkable rate performance was also recorded. The superior electrochemical performance of the CGO/RGO nanocomposites electrode compared to the pure CGO electrode can be attributed to the well dispersed RGO which enhances the electronic conductivity and accommodate the volume change during the conversion reactions

Fabrication of transparent cellulose acetate/graphene oxide nanocomposite film for UV shielding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jahan, Nusrat; Khan, Wasi, E-mail: wasiamu@gmail.com; Azam, Ameer; Naqvi, A. H. [Department of Applied Physics, Z.H. College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh - 202002 (India)

2016-05-23

In this work, we have fabricated transparent cellulose acetate/graphene oxide nanocomposite (CAGONC) films for ultraviolet radiations (UVR) shielding. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by modified Hummer’s method and CAGONC films were fabricated by solvent casting method. The films were analyzed using characterization techniques like x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) equipped scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and ultra-violet visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy. Four films were prepared by varying the wt% of GO (0.1wt%, 0.2wt% and 0.3wt%) with respect to cellulose acetate (CA). UV-vis measurements exhibit optical transparency in the range of 76-99% for visible light while ultra-violet radiation was substantially shielded.

Ternary hybrid polymeric nanocomposites through grafting of polystyrene on graphene oxide-TiO_2 by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Arvind; Bansal, Ankushi; Behera, Babita; Jain, Suman L.; Ray, Siddharth S.

2016-01-01

A ternary hybrid of graphene oxide-titania-polystyrene (GO-TiO_2-PS) nanocomposite is developed where polystyrene composition is regulated by controlling growth of polymer chains and nanoarchitectonics is discussed. Graphene Oxide-TiO_2 (GO-TiO_2) nanocomposite is prepared by in-situ hydrothermal method and the surface is anchored with α-bromoisobutyryl bromide to activate GO-TiO_2 as initiator for polymerization. In-situ grafting of polystyrene through surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI- ATRP) on this Br-functionalized nano-composite initiator yields GO-TiO_2-PS ternary hybrid. Varying the monomer amount and keeping the concentration of initiator constant, polystyrene chain growth is regulated with narrow poly-dispersivity to achieve desired composition. This composite is well characterized by various analytical techniques like FTIR, XRD, DSC, SEM, TEM, and TGA. - Highlights: • Nanocomposite of ternary hybrid of GO-TiO_2 with polystyrene. • PS is surface grafted on GO-TiO_2. • Polymer chain lengths are well regulated by SI-ATRP living polymerization. • Thermal stability of this hybrid is relatively high.

Mesoporous anatase TiO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites: A simple template-free synthesis and their high photocatalytic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Qi; Zhong, Yong-Hui; Chen, Xing; Huang, Xing-Jiu; Wu, Yu-Cheng

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Mesoporous TiO 2 nanoparticles with anatase phase were assembled on reduced graphene oxide via a template-free one-step hydrothermal method. • The TiO 2 /rGO nanocomposites have better adsorption capacity and photocatalytic degradation efficiency for dyes removal. • Improved dye adsorption and photogenerated charge separation are responsible for enhanced activity. - Abstract: Mesoporous anatase phase TiO 2 was assembled on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using a template-free one-step hydrothermal process. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area. Morphology of TiO 2 was related to the content of graphene oxide. TiO 2 /rGO nanocomposites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for the photo-degradation of methyl orange. The degradation rate was 4.5 times greater than that of pure TiO 2 nanoparticles. This difference was attributed to the thin two-dimensional graphene sheet. The graphene sheet had a large surface area, high adsorption capacity, and acted as a good electron acceptor for the transfer of photo-generated electrons from the conduction band of TiO 2 . The enhanced surface adsorption characteristics and excellent charge transport separation were independent properties of the photocatalytic degradation process

Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Transition-Metal Oxide Nanocomposites: A Tight-Binding Modeling at Mesoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Yuan-Yen; Zhu, Jian-Xin

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) exhibit many emergent phenomena ranging from high-temperature superconductivity and giant magnetoresistance to magnetism and ferroelectricity. In addition, when TMOs are interfaced with each other, new functionalities can arise, which are absent in individual components. In this talk, I will present an overview on our recent efforts in theoretical understanding of the electronic and magnetic properties TMO nanocomposites. In particular, I will introduce our recently developed tight-binding modeling of these properties arising from the interplay of competing interactions at the interfaces of planar and pillar nanocomposites. Our theoretical tool package will provide a unique capability to address the emergent phenomena in TMO nanocomposites and their mesoscale response to such effects like strain and microstructures at the interfaces, and ultimately help establish design principles of new multifunctionality with TMOs. This work was carried out under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy at LANL under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396, and was supported by the LANL LDRD Program.

Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as an effective peroxidase mimetic and its application in visual biosensing of glucose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Jianxin [The Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-time Analysis, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); College of Resources and Environment, Yuxi Normal University, Yunnan 653100 (China); Cao, Haiyan; Jiang, Huan; Chen, Yujin [The Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-time Analysis, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Shi, Wenbing [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing 408003 (China); Zheng, Huzhi [The Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-time Analysis, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Huang, Yuming, E-mail: yuminghuang2000@yahoo.com [The Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-time Analysis, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China)

2013-09-24

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •The well-dispersed Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs on rGO surfaces were successfully synthesized. •The as-obtained Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/rGO nanocomposites exhibit an effective peroxidase-like activity. •They can catalyze the oxidation of TMB by H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to produce an intensified blue reaction. •The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/rGO-based colorimetric and visual biosensing of glucose was developed. -- Abstract: The well-dispersed Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) surfaces were successfully prepared by in situ controlled nucleation of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs on GO sheets and subsequent in situ reduction of GO by low temperature hydrothermal reaction in ethanol media. The as-prepared Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/rGO nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR spectra. It was found that the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs were successfully decorated and well dispersed on the surface of rGO sheet without agglomeration. We discovered that the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/rGO nanocomposites possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and catalase-like activity, and could catalytically oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) to produce a intensified colour reaction. Results of electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments demonstrated that the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/rGO nanocomposites showed catalytic ability to H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition into ·OH radicals. On this basis, a simple and selective method for glucose detection was developed by coupling the oxidation of glucose catalyzed by glucose oxidase (GOx). As low as 1 × 10{sup −6} mol L{sup −1} glucose could be detected with a linear range from 1 × 10{sup −6} to 1 × 10{sup −4} mol L{sup −1}. The visual detection of glucose can be realized easily through the observable color change from colorless to blue by the naked

Preparation, Characterization, and Electrochromic Properties of Nanocellulose-Based Polyaniline Nanocomposite Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Sihang; Sun, Gang; He, Yongfeng; Fu, Runfang; Gu, Yingchun; Chen, Sheng

2017-05-17

On the basis of nanocellulose obtained by acidic swelling and ultrasonication, rodlike nanocellulose/polyaniline nanocomposites with a core-shell structure have been prepared via in situ polymerization. Compared to pure polyaniline, the nanocomposites show superior film-forming properties, and the prepared nanocomposite films demonstrate excellent electrochemical and electrochromic properties in electrolyte solution. Nanocomposite films, especially the one prepared with 40% polyaniline coated nanocomposite, exhibited faster response time (1.5 s for bleaching and 1.0 s for coloring), higher optical contrast (62.9%), higher coloration efficiency (206.2 cm 2 /C), and more remarkable switching stability (over 500 cycles). These novel nanocellulose-based nanorod network films are promising novel electrochromic materials with excellent properties.

Capture of atmospheric CO{sub 2} into (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3}/graphene or graphene oxide nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Wendong [Department of Scientific Research Management, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331 (China); Dong, Fan, E-mail: dfctbu@126.com [Chongqing Key Laboratory of Catalysis and Functional Organic Molecules, College of Environment and Resources, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 (China); Zhang, Wei, E-mail: andyzhangwei@163.com [Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714 (China)

2015-12-15

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoflakes on graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets were realized by a one-pot efficient capture of atmospheric CO{sub 2} at room temperature. - Highlights: • A facile one-step method was developed for graphene-based composites. • The synthesis was conducted by utilization of atmospheric CO{sub 2}. • (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3}-graphene and (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3}-graphene oxide composites were synthesized. • The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: Self-assembly of (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoflakes on graphene (Ge) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, as an effective strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured materials, were realized by a one-pot efficient capture of atmospheric CO{sub 2} at room temperature. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV–vis DRS, Time-resolved ns-level PL and BET-BJH measurement. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was evaluated by the removal of NO at the indoor air level under simulated solar-light irradiation. Compared with pure (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3}, (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Ge and (BiO){sub 2}CO{sub 3}/GO nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity due to their large surface areas and pore volume, and efficient charge separation and transfer. The present work could provide a simple method to construct 2D nanocomposites by efficient utilization of CO{sub 2} in green synthetic strategy.

Multiscale modeling of graphene- and nanotube-based reinforced polymer nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montazeri, A. [Computational Physical Sciences Research Laboratory, School of Nano-Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rafii-Tabar, H., E-mail: rafii-tabar@nano.ipm.ac.ir [Computational Physical Sciences Research Laboratory, School of Nano-Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, and Research Centre for Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Evin, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-10-31

A combination of molecular dynamics, molecular structural mechanics, and finite element method is employed to compute the elastic constants of a polymeric nanocomposite embedded with graphene sheets, and carbon nanotubes. The model is first applied to study the effect of inclusion of graphene sheets on the Young modulus of the composite. To explore the significance of the nanofiller geometry, the elastic constants of nanotube-based and graphene-based polymer composites are computed under identical conditions. The reinforcement role of these nanofillers is also investigated in transverse directions. Moreover, the dependence of the nanocomposite's axial Young modulus on the presence of ripples on the surface of the embedded graphene sheets, due to thermal fluctuations, is examined via MD simulations. Finally, we have also studied the effect of sliding motion of graphene layers on the elastic constants of the nanocomposite. -- Highlights: → A hierarchical MD/FEM multiscale model of nanocomposites is developed. → At low nanofiller content, graphene layers perform significantly better than CNTs. → Ripples in the graphene layers reduce the Young modulus of nanocomposites. → The elastic moduli is considerably affected by the shear of graphene layers.

Multiscale modeling of graphene- and nanotube-based reinforced polymer nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montazeri, A.; Rafii-Tabar, H.

2011-01-01

A combination of molecular dynamics, molecular structural mechanics, and finite element method is employed to compute the elastic constants of a polymeric nanocomposite embedded with graphene sheets, and carbon nanotubes. The model is first applied to study the effect of inclusion of graphene sheets on the Young modulus of the composite. To explore the significance of the nanofiller geometry, the elastic constants of nanotube-based and graphene-based polymer composites are computed under identical conditions. The reinforcement role of these nanofillers is also investigated in transverse directions. Moreover, the dependence of the nanocomposite's axial Young modulus on the presence of ripples on the surface of the embedded graphene sheets, due to thermal fluctuations, is examined via MD simulations. Finally, we have also studied the effect of sliding motion of graphene layers on the elastic constants of the nanocomposite. -- Highlights: → A hierarchical MD/FEM multiscale model of nanocomposites is developed. → At low nanofiller content, graphene layers perform significantly better than CNTs. → Ripples in the graphene layers reduce the Young modulus of nanocomposites. → The elastic moduli is considerably affected by the shear of graphene layers.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of PMMA/MMT nanocomposite as denture base material.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Junping; Su, Qiang; Wang, Chen; Cheng, Gang; Zhu, Ran; Shi, Jin; Yao, Kangde

2011-04-01

Inorganic-polymer nanocomposites are of significant interest for emerging materials due to their improved properties and unique combination of properties. Poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ suspension polymerization with dodecylamine used as MMT-modifier. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the structures of the nanocomposites. Cytotoxicity test, hemolysis test, acute systemic toxicity test, oral mucous membrane irritation test, guinea-pig maximization test and mouse bone-marrow micronucleus test were used to evaluate the biocompatibility of PMMA/MMT nanocomposites. The results indicated that an exfoliated nanocomposite was achieved, and the resulting nanocomposites exhibited excellent biocompatibility as denture base material and had potential application in dental materials.

Epoxy based nanocomposites with fully exfoliated unmodified clay: mechanical and thermal properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Binghai; Zhang, Xiaohong; Gao, Jianming; Song, Zhihai; Qi, Guicun; Liu, Yiqun; Qiao, Jinliang

2010-09-01

The unmodified clay has been fully exfoliated in epoxy resin with the aid of a novel ultrafine full-vulcanized powdered rubber. Epoxy/rubber/clay nanocomposites with exfoliated morphology have been successfully prepared. The microstructures of the nanocomposites were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the unmodified clay was fully exfoliated and uniformly dispersed in the resulting nanocomposite. Characterizations of mechanical properties revealed that the impact strength of this special epoxy/rubber/clay nanocomposite increased up 107% over the neat epoxy resin. Thermal analyses showed that thermal stability of the nanocomposite was much better than that of epoxy nanocomposite based on organically modified clay.

Electrically and Thermally Conductive Low Density Polyethylene-Based Nanocomposites Reinforced by MWCNT or Hybrid MWCNT/Graphene Nanoplatelets with Improved Thermo-Oxidative Stability

OpenAIRE

Sandra Paszkiewicz; Anna Szymczyk; Daria Pawlikowska; Jan Subocz; Marek Zenker; Roman Masztak

2018-01-01

In this paper, the electrical and thermal conductivity and morphological behavior of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) + graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) hybrid nanocomposites (HNCs) have been studied. The distribution of MWCNTs and the hybrid of MWCNTs/GNPs within the polymer matrix has been investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the thermal and electrical conductivity of the LDPE-based nanocomposites increased along wi...

Electrochemical Determination of Baicalin in Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on the Enhancement Effect of MoO3-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Weibing; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Meng; Feng, Fu

2018-02-01

The nanocomposites of MoO3-reduced graphene oxide (MoO3-RGO) were synthesized by hydrothermal reduction using MoCl5 and graphene oxide as precursors. The resulting composites were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectra, and were further used to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). After optimizing the parameters, the electrochemical behavior of baicalin on different types of electrodes was investigated. The MoO3-RGO composite-modified GCE exhibited remarkably enhanced electrochemical signals of baicalin. After 90 s, under open circuit potential, oxidation and reduction peaks appeared at 0.207 V and 0.103 V, respectively. A sensitive and simple electrochemical method was proposed for the determination of baicalin in which the calibration curve ranges from 1.0 × 10-9 M to 4.3 × 10-5 M, and the detection limit is 3.81 × 10-10 M.

Optically active polyurethane@indium tin oxide nanocomposite: Preparation, characterization and study of infrared emissivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yong; Zhou, Yuming; Ge, Jianhua; Yang, Xiaoming

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Silane coupling agent of KH550 was used to connect the ITO and polyurethanes. ► Infrared emissivity values of the hybrids were compared and analyzed. ► Interfacial synergistic action and orderly secondary structure were the key factors. -- Abstract: Optically active polyurethane@indium tin oxide and racemic polyurethane@indium tin oxide nanocomposites (LPU@ITO and RPU@ITO) were prepared by grafting the organics onto the surfaces of modified ITO nanoparticles. LPU@ITO and RPU@ITO composites based on the chiral and racemic tyrosine were characterized by FT-IR, UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, TEM, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the infrared emissivity values (8–14 μm) were investigated in addition. The results indicated that the polyurethanes had been successfully grafted onto the surfaces of ITO without destroying the crystalline structure. Both composites possessed the lower infrared emissivity values than the bare ITO nanoparticles, which indicated that the interfacial interaction had great effect on the infrared emissivity. Furthermore, LPU@ITO based on the optically active polyurethane had the virtue of regular secondary structure and more interfacial synergistic actions between organics and inorganics, thus it exhibited lower infrared emissivity value than RPU@ITO based on the racemic polyurethane.

One-pot synthesis of reduced graphene oxide supported gold-based nanomaterials as robust nanocatalysts for glucose electrooxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Srabanti; Holade, Yaovi; Remita, Hynd; Servat, Karine; Beaunier, Patricia; Hagège, Agnès; Kokoh, K. Boniface

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Fast preparation of graphene nanosheets by one-pot radiolytic reduction of GO. • One-pot synthesis of graphene nanosheets supported Au-Pt-Pd nanoparticles. • Radiolysis enables to engineer highly active Metal/rGO nanocomposites. • Ternary Au_5_0Pt_2_5Pd_2_5/rGO electrocatalyst is 5-fold higher effective than Pt/rGO. • Selective glucose oxidation reaction in a 2-electron process leads to gluconate. - Abstract: We report a novel “one-pot”, convenient and efficient method based on radiolysis to synthesize gold-based nanoparticles finely dispersed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets obtained from reductive transformation of graphene oxide (GO). Extensive characterizations of the metal/rGO nanocomposites were performed and revealed that the optimized bimetallic Au_9_0Pd_1_0 and trimetallic Au_5_0Pd_2_5Pt_2_5 materials were mostly nano-alloyed. Not only the multimetallic catalysts demonstrate high electrocatalytic performances towards glucose in alkaline medium, but they also surpass the majority of the reported noble metals based nanocatalysts. The spectroelectrochemical investigations have highlighted a 2-electron reaction process leading to gluconate, a high added-value chemical used in various industries. Definitely, the strategies developed herein pave new rational pathways for the design of effective anode catalysts for glucose-based electrochemical energy converters and the scalability in the catalyst composition opens up new avenues in the efficient application of graphene-based nanocomposites as promising electrode materials in the electrocatalysis of carbohydrates.

A potential bioactive wound dressing based on carboxymethyl cellulose/ZnO impregnated MCM-41 nanocomposite hydrogel.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakhshaei, Rasul; Namazi, Hassan

2017-04-01

Lack of antibacterial activity, deficient water vapor and oxygen permeability, and insufficient mechanical properties are disadvantages of existing wound dressings. Hydrogels could absorb wound exudates due to their strong swelling ratio and give a cooling sensation and a wet environment. To overcome these shortcomings, flexible nanocomposite hydrogel films was prepared through combination of zinc oxide impregnated mesoporous silica (ZnO-MCM-41) as a nano drug carrier with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel. Citric acid was used as cross linker to avoid the cytotoxicity of conventional cross linkers. The prepared nanocomposite hydrogel was characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Zeta potential and UV-vis spectroscopy. Results of swelling and erosion tests showed CMC/ZnO nanocomposite hydrogel disintegrated during the first hours of the test. Using MCM-41 as a substrate for ZnO nanoparticles solved this problem and the CMC/ZnO-MCM-41 showed a great improvement in tensile strength (12%), swelling (100%), erosion (53%) and gas permeability (500%) properties. Drug delivery and antibacterial properties of the nanocomposite hydrogel films studied using tetracycline (TC) as a broad spectrum antibiotic and showed a sustained TC release. This could efficiently decrease bandage exchange. Cytocompatibility of the nanocomposite hydrogel films has been analyzed in adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and results showed cytocompatibility of CMC/ZnO-MCM-41. Based on these results the prepared CMC nanocomposite hydrogel containing ZnO impregnated MCM-41, could serve as a kind of promising wound dressing with sustained drug delivery properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and characterization of an iron oxide-hydroxyapatite nanocomposite for potential bone cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sneha, Murugesan; Sundaram, Nachiappan Meenakshi

2015-01-01

Recently, multifunctional magnetic nanostructures have been found to have potential applications in biomedical and tissue engineering. Iron oxide nanoparticles are biocompatible and have distinctive magnetic properties that allow their use in vivo for drug delivery and hyperthermia, and as T2 contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Hydroxyapatite is used frequently due to its well-known biocompatibility, bioactivity, and lack of toxicity, so a combination of iron oxide and hydroxyapatite materials could be useful because hydroxyapatite has better bone-bonding ability. In this study, we prepared nanocomposites of iron oxide and hydroxyapatite and analyzed their physicochemical properties. The results suggest that these composites have superparamagnetic as well as biocompatible properties. This type of material architecture would be well suited for bone cancer therapy and other biomedical applications.

Polyaniline/partially exfoliated multi-walled carbon nanotubes based nanocomposites for supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potphode, Darshna D.; Sivaraman, P.; Mishra, Sarada P.; Patri, Manoranjan

2015-01-01

In the present study, polyaniline (PANI)/partially exfoliated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Px-MWCNT) nanocomposites were investigated for supercapacitor application. Nanocomposites with varying weight/weight ratio of PANI and Px-MWCNT were prepared by in-situ polymerization of aniline over Px-MWCNT. Transmission and scanning electron microscopic analysis showed that the MWCNT was partial unzipped along the length of tubes. The morphology of PANI/Px-MWCNT nanocomposites exhibited wrapping of PANI over Px-MWCNT. Symmetric supercapacitors containing PANI/Px-MWCNT nanocomposites as the electrode material were fabricated. The electrochemical characterization of the nanocomposites was carried by two electrode method (unit cell configuration). Cyclic voltammetric analysis showed a synergistic increase in specific capacitance of the nanocomposites. Charge-discharge cycle study indicated that nanocomposites have greater charge-discharge rate capability than pure PANI. The observed result is attributed to the shorter diffusion length of ions in the nanocomposites as compared to that of pure PANI. The electrochemical impedance spectra of supercapacitors were resolved into real and losscapacitances. The loss capacitance indicated that the time constant of the nanocomposites decreases with increase in the Px-MWCNT content. The supercapacitors showed enhanced stability during continuous charge-discharge cycling as the PX-MWCNT content in the nanocomposites increased. PANI-50 and PANI-25 nanocomposites based supercapacitors exhibited 91% and 93% capacitive retention after 2000 charge-discharge cycle while pure PANI showed only 67% capacitance retention for the same number of cycles

Simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol based on glassy carbon electrode modified with gold-graphene nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, X.; Liu, Z.; Qiu, C.; Chen, T.; Ma, H.

2013-01-01

We have synthesized a virtually monodisperse gold-graphene (Au-G) nanocomposite by a single-step chemical reduction method in aqueous dimethylformamide solution. The nanoparticles are homogenously distributed over graphene nanosheets. A glassy carbon electrode was modified with this nanocomposite and displayed high electrocatalytic activity and extraordinary electronic transport properties due to its large surface area. It enabled the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC) in acetate buffer solution of pH 4.5. Two pairs of well-defined, quasi-reversible redox peaks are obtained, one for HQ and its oxidized form, with a 43 mV separation of peak potentials (ΔEp), the other for CC and its oxidized form, with a ΔEp of 39 mV. Due to the large separation of oxidation peak potentials (102 mV), the concentrations of HQ and CC can be easily determined simultaneously. The oxidation peak currents for both HQ and CC increase linearly with the respective concentrations in the 1.0 μM to 0.1 mM concentration range, with the detection limits of 0.2 and 0. 15 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The modified electrode was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of HQ and CC in spiked tap water, demonstrating that the Au-G nanocomposite may act as a high-performance sensing material in the selective detection of some environmental pollutants. (author)

Oxidation and Tribological Behavior of Ti-B-C-N-Si Nanocomposite Films Deposited by Pulsed Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Jaeho; Heo, Sungbo; Kim, Wang Ryeol; Kim, Jun-Ho; Nam, Dae-Geun; Kim, Kwang Ho; Park, Ikmin; Park, In-Wook

2018-03-01

Quinary Ti-B-C-N-Si nanocomposite films were deposited onto AISI 304 substrates using a pulsed d.c. magnetron sputtering system. The quinary Ti-B-C-N-Si (5 at.%) film showed excellent tribological and wear properties compared with those of the Ti-B-C-N films. The steady friction coefficient of 0.151 and a wear rate of 2 × 10-6 mm3N-1m-1 were measured for the Ti-B-C-N-Si films. The oxidation behavior of Ti-B-C-N-Si nanocomposite films was systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal analyzer with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It is concluded that the addition of Si into the Ti-B-C-N film improved the tribological properties and oxidation resistance of the Ti-B-C-N-Si films. The improvements are due to the formation of an amorphous SiOx phase, which plays a major role in the self-lubricant tribo-layers and oxidation barrier on the film surface or in the grain boundaries, respectively.

Optimizing Properties of Aluminum-Based Nanocomposites by Genetic Algorithm Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R. Dashtbayazi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Based on molecular dynamics simulation results, a model was developed for determining elastic properties of aluminum nanocomposites reinforced with silicon carbide particles. Also, two models for prediction of density and price of nanocomposites were suggested. Then, optimal volume fraction of reinforcement was obtained by genetic algorithm method for the least density and price, and the highest elastic properties. Based on optimization results, the optimum volume fraction of reinforcement was obtained equal to 0.44. For this optimum volume fraction, optimum Young’s modulus, shear modulus, the price and the density of the nanocomposite were obtained 165.89 GPa, 111.37 GPa, 8.75 $/lb and 2.92 gr/cm3, respectively.

Facile preparation of polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanocomposites with large areal capacitance using electrochemical codeposition for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Haihan; Han, Gaoyi; Xiao, Yaoming; Chang, Yunzhen; Zhai, Hua-Jin

2014-10-01

A simple and low-cost electrochemical codeposition method has been introduced to fabricate polypyrrole/graphene oxide (PPy/GO) nanocomposites and the areal capacitance of conducting polymer/GO composites is reported for the first time. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are implemented to determine the PPy/GO nanocomposites are successfully prepared and the interaction between PPy and GO. The as-prepared PPy/GO nanocomposites show the curly sheet-like morphology, superior capacitive behaviors and cyclic stability. Furthermore, the varying deposition time is implemented to investigate the impact of the loading amount on electrochemical behavior of the composites, and a high areal capacitance of 152 mF cm-2 is achieved at 10 mV s-1 CV scan. However, the thicker films caused by the long deposition time would result in larger diffusion resistance of electrolyte ions, consequently exhibit the relatively lower capacitance value at the high current density. The GCD tests indicate moderate deposition time is more suitable for the fast charge/discharge. Considering the very simple and effective synthetic process, the PPy/GO nanocomposites with relatively high areal capacitance are competitive candidate for supercapacitor application, and its capacitive performances can be easily tuned by varying the deposition time.

PEO nanocomposite polymer electrolyte for solid state symmetric

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Physical and electrochemical properties of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (NPEs) were investigated for symmetric capacitor applications. Nanosize fillers, i.e., Al2O3 and SiO2 incorporated polymer electrolyte exhibited higher ionic conductivity than those with filler-free composites ...

Magnetic graphene based nanocomposite for uranium scavenging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Maghrabi, Heba H. [Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 11727, Cairo (Egypt); Abdelmaged, Shaimaa M. [Nuclear Materials Authority, 6530 P.O. Box Maadi, Cairo (Egypt); Nada, Amr A. [Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 11727, Cairo (Egypt); Zahran, Fouad, E-mail: f.zahran@quim.ucm.es [Faculty of Science, Helwan University, 11795, Cairo (Egypt); El-Wahab, Saad Abd; Yahea, Dena [Faculty of Science, Ain shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Hussein, G.M.; Atrees, M.S. [Nuclear Materials Authority, 6530 P.O. Box Maadi, Cairo (Egypt)

2017-01-15

Graphical abstract: Graphical representation of U{sup 6+} adsorption on Magnetic Ferberite-Graphene Nanocomposite. - Highlights: • Synthesis of new magnetic wolframite bimetallic nanostructure on graphene. • A promising adsorption capacity of 455 mg/g was recorded for FG-20 within 60 min at room temperature. • The uranium removal was followed pseudo-second order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm. - Abstract: Magnetic graphene based ferberite nanocomposite was tailored by simple, green, low cost and industrial effective method. The microstructure and morphology of the designed nanomaterials were examined via XRD, Raman, FTIR, TEM, EDX and VSM. The prepared nanocomposites were introduced as a novel adsorbent for uranium ions scavenging from aqueous solution. Different operating conditions of time, pH, initial uranium concentration, adsorbent amount and temperature were investigated. The experimental data shows a promising adsorption capacity. In particular, a maximum value of 455 mg/g was obtained within 60 min at room temperature with adsorption efficiency of 90.5%. The kinetics and isotherms adsorption data were fitted with the pseudo-second order model and Langmuir equation, respectively. Finally, the designed nanocomposites were found to have a great degree of sustainability (above 5 times of profiteering) with a complete maintenance of their parental morphology and adsorption capacity.

Ultrasensitive and simultaneous detection of hydroquinone, catechol and resorcinol based on the electrochemical co-reduction prepared Au-Pd nanoflower/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yuan; Liu, Xiaoying; Zhang, Si; Yang, Liuqing; Liu, Meiling; Zhang, Youyu; Yao, Shouzhuo

2017-01-01

A simple and efficient eletrochemical sensing platform for simultaneous detection of hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (CC) and resorcinol (RC) based on the Au-Pd bimetallic and graphene is described in this paper. The Au-Pd reduced graphene oxide (Au-Pd NF/rGO) was prepared by the electrochemical co-reduction deposition via cyclic voltammetry method (CV). The Au-Pd NF/rGO nanocomposite was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and electrochemical methods CV and differential pulse voltammety (DPV) study showed that the three dihydroxybenzene isomers can be catalytically oxidized and discriminated simultaneously on the Au-Pd NF/rGO/GCE. The presence of Pd makes the performance of the sensor superior to that of in the absence of it. Owing to the integrated superior conductivity and excellent catalytic property of Au-Pd NF/rGO, the sensitive and simultaneous detection of HQ, CC and RC was realized in the individual or triple-components solution based on the as proposed Au-Pd NF/rGO/GCE, which shows wide linear range and low detection limit. The detection of them in tap water, river water and lake water were also successfully performed and good recovery was obtained.

The Influence of Irradiation and Accelerated Aging on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of the Graphene Oxide/Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Nanocomposites

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Guodong Huang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide/ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (GO/UHMWPE nanocomposite is a potential and promising candidate for artificial joint applications. However, after irradiation and accelerated aging, the mechanical and tribological behaviors of the nanocomposites are still unclear and require further investigation. GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using ultrasonication dispersion, ball-milling, and hot-pressing process. Then, the nanocomposites were irradiated by gamma ray at doses of 100 kGy. Finally, GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites underwent accelerated aging at 80°C for 21 days in air. The mechanical and tribological properties of GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites have been evaluated after irradiation and accelerated aging. The results indicated that the incorporation of GO could enhance the mechanical, wear, and antiscratch properties of UHMWPE. After irradiation, these properties could be further enhanced, compared to unirradiated ones. After accelerated aging, however, these properties have been significantly reduced when compared to unirradiated ones. Moreover, GO and irradiation can synergistically enhance these properties.

Preparation of Polypropylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites Using Ionizing Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Güven, Olgun; Zengin, Fatma

2011-01-01

Polymer/clay nanocomposites are new generation materials that bring significant changes in mechanical, thermal and permeation properties of base polymers by low clay loading. In this study, polypropylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation method by using batch type mixer. Two polypropylene samples with different melt flow indexes are used as the matrix, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MAH), and polypropylene granules oxidized by radiation/ozone are used as compatibilizer and unmodified clay (Na + montmorillonite, MMT) as the filler. Aim of this study is to examine the effect of different compatibilizers in the mechanical properties of polypropylene composite. Firstly, PP/clay samples were prepared and the effect of clay was examined, then 5, 10, 20kGy oxidized/degraded polypropylenes were used as compatibilizer and, 10 kGy was determined to be the most suitable irradiation dose for the best compatibilizing effect. Polypropylene granules were ozonated until they contained carbonyl groups equivalent to 10kGy oxidized PP, which was checked by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. UV-visible reflectance measurements were also made on film samples and no significant changes were observed in visible region. Nano structures of some nanocomposites were characterized by PALS (Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy) where it was observed that the addition of clay decreased the number of free volume holes and free volume hole radia. The dispersion state of MMT within polymer matrix was analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction). Tensile tests were made and the effect of the addition of clay and compatibilizers investigated. At low melt flow index PP, 1% MMT of PP/10kGyPP/MMT nanocomposite showed an increase in E-modulus 26% and in tensile strength 8% as compared to those of pristine PP. In conclusion radiation degraded (chain scissioned and oxidized) PP has been found to show very good compatibilizing effect for the natural montmorillonite

Preparation of Polypropylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites Using Ionizing Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Güven, Olgun; Zengin, Fatma

2011-07-01

Polymer/clay nanocomposites are new generation materials that bring significant changes in mechanical, thermal and permeation properties of base polymers by low clay loading. In this study, polypropylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation method by using batch type mixer. Two polypropylene samples with different melt flow indexes are used as the matrix, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MAH), and polypropylene granules oxidized by radiation/ozone are used as compatibilizer and unmodified clay (Na{sup +} montmorillonite, MMT) as the filler. Aim of this study is to examine the effect of different compatibilizers in the mechanical properties of polypropylene composite. Firstly, PP/clay samples were prepared and the effect of clay was examined, then 5, 10, 20kGy oxidized/degraded polypropylenes were used as compatibilizer and, 10 kGy was determined to be the most suitable irradiation dose for the best compatibilizing effect. Polypropylene granules were ozonated until they contained carbonyl groups equivalent to 10kGy oxidized PP, which was checked by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. UV-visible reflectance measurements were also made on film samples and no significant changes were observed in visible region. Nano structures of some nanocomposites were characterized by PALS (Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy) where it was observed that the addition of clay decreased the number of free volume holes and free volume hole radia. The dispersion state of MMT within polymer matrix was analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction). Tensile tests were made and the effect of the addition of clay and compatibilizers investigated. At low melt flow index PP, 1% MMT of PP/10kGyPP/MMT nanocomposite showed an increase in E-modulus 26% and in tensile strength 8% as compared to those of pristine PP. In conclusion radiation degraded (chain scissioned and oxidized) PP has been found to show very good compatibilizing effect for the natural montmorillonite

Green synthesis of graphene/Ag nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Wenhui; Gu Yejian; Li Li

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: A facile and green approach to synthesis of GNS/AgNPs is reported by employing sodium citrate as reductant, and this study represents the use of biocompounds for nontoxic and scalable production of GNS/AgNPs under a suitable concentration of silver ions and the prepared GNS/AgNPs can be used in the field of disinfection. Highlights: ► Graphene/Ag nanocomposites were prepared by a green and facile strategy based on sodium citrate. ► The influence of AgNO 3 amount on particle size and size range of AgNPs was studied. ► The surface plasmon resonance properties of AgNPs on graphene was investigated. ► The antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was retained in the nanocomposites. - Abstract: Graphene/Ag nanocomposites (GNS/AgNPs) were fabricated via a green and facile method, employing graphite oxide (GO) as a precursor of graphene, AgNO 3 as a precursor of Ag nanoparticles, and sodium citrate as an environmentally friendly reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized GNS/AgNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectra (RS), respectively. The results indicated that graphite oxide was completely reduced to graphene, and the silver ion was reduced by sodium citrate simultaneously. Under a suitable dosage of silver ions, well-dispersed AgNPs on the graphene sheets mostly centralized at 20–25 nm. The surface plasmon resonance property of AgNPs on graphene showed that there was a interaction between AgNPs and graphene supports. In addition, antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was retained in the nanocomposites, suggesting that they can be potentially used as a graphene-based biomaterial.

Injection Molding and Mechanical Properties of Bio-Based Polymer Nanocomposites

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Maria Chiara Mistretta

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The use of biodegradable/bio-based polymers is of great importance in addressing several issues related to environmental protection, public health, and new, stricter legislation. Yet some applications require improved properties (such as barrier or mechanical properties, suggesting the use of nanosized fillers in order to obtain bio-based polymer nanocomposites. In this work, bionanocomposites based on two different biodegradable polymers (coming from the Bioflex and MaterBi families and two different nanosized fillers (organo-modified clay and hydrophobic-coated precipitated calcium carbonate were prepared and compared with traditional nanocomposites with high-density polyethylene (HDPE as matrix. In particular, the injection molding processability, as well as the mechanical and rheological properties of the so-obtained bionanocomposites were investigated. It was found that the processability of the two biodegradable polymers and the related nanocomposites can be compared to that of the HDPE-based systems and that, in general, the bio-based systems can be taken into account as suitable alternatives.

Graphenated tantalum(IV) oxide and poly(4-styrene sulphonic acid)-doped polyaniline nanocomposite as cathode material in an electrochemical capacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Njomo, Njagi; Waryo, Tesfaye; Masikini, Milua; Ikpo, Chinwe O.; Mailu, Stephen; Tovide, Oluwakemi; Ross, Natasha; Williams, Avril; Matinise, Nolubabalo; Sunday, Christopher E.; Mayedwa, Noluthando; Baker, Priscilla G.L.; Ozoemena, Kenneth I.; Iwuoha, Emmanuel I.

2014-01-01

Nanostructured poly(4-styrene sulphonic acid) and tantalum (IV) oxide-doped polyaniline nanocomposite were synthesised and their electro-conductive properties were determined. The oxide was synthesized using a modified sol-gel method and then dispersed in acidic media through sonication and entrapped in-situ into the polymeric matrix during the oxidative chemical polymerization of aniline doped with poly(4-styrene sulphonic acid). The oxides and novel polymeric nanocomposite were characterised with TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, UV-visible to ascertain elemental and phase composition, successful polymerization, doping, morphology and entrapment of the metal oxide nanoparticles. The electro-conductivity of the nanomaterial was interrogated using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The material was then anchored on activated graphitic carbon and used in the design of an asymmetric supercapacitor cell using 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Characteristically high specific capacitance values of 318.4 F/g with a corresponding energy and power densities of 1.57 kWh/kg and 0.435 kW/kg, respectively, were demonstrated. The cell also showed high coulombic efficiency of 94.9% with a long cycle life and good cycle stability making the nanomaterial suitable for constructing supercapacitor cell electrodes

Multidimensional Nanocomposites of Epoxy Reinforced with 1D and 2D Carbon Nanostructures for Improve Fracture Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juventino López-Barroso

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A hybrid nanocomposites based on epoxy reinforced with a combination of 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials for improving impact resistance are reported. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes and oxidized-multi-walled carbon nanotubes are used as 1D nanoreinforcements, and graphene derivative materials such as graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide are utilized as 2D nanoreinforcements. In this research, the impact resistance of epoxy matrix reinforced with 1D or 2D and the mixture of both nanomaterials is studied. The research is focused on evaluation of the influence of adding different combinations of nanomaterials into epoxy resin and their Izod impact response. Moreover, fracture surface of nanocomposites is observed by scanning electron microscopy. Images show differences between the surfaces of brittle nature on thermoset epoxy polymer and tough nanocomposites. Synergy created with 1D and 2D nanomaterials produces stable dispersions in the processing, reflected in the interface. The interactions in nanocomposites are evidenced by infrared spectra, principally on the peaks related to oxygenated functional groups present in nanomaterials and absent in polymer matrix. Consequently, an increase of 138% in fracture strength of nanocomposites is exhibited, in comparison to the neat epoxy matrix. In addition, hybrid nanocomposites were synthesized in two different methods to evaluate the influence of manufacturing method on final properties of nanocomposites.

Sensitive determination of bisphenol A base on arginine functionalized nanocomposite graphene film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yan; Wang Letao; Lu Daban; Shi Xuezhao; Wang Chunming; Duan Xiaojuan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The water-soluble arginine functionalized graphene was produced successfully by an environment-friendly method. ► Electrochemical behaviors and some kinetic parameters of bisphenol A on the Arg-G/GCE were investigated. ► The proposed sensor showed more outstanding sensitivity properties toward the bisphenol A than the reported sensors. ► The proposed method opened a new simply way to detection of bisphenol A in the environmental protection. - Abstract: Arginine (Arg) functionalized graphene (Arg-G) nanocomposite was produced successfully by an environment-friendly method, and the morphology of the nanocomposite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectra, etc. Based on Arg-G nanocomposite, an electrochemical sensor was fabricated for sensitive detection of bisphenol A (BPA). The electrochemical behaviors of BPA on Arg-G modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Experimental parameters, such as the accumulation potential and time, scan rate, and the pH value of buffer solution were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the oxidation peak current was proportional to BPA concentration in the range between 5.0 nmol/L and 40.0 μmol/L with the correlation coefficient of 0.9986 and the limit of detection of 1.1 nmol/L (S/N = 3). Moreover, the fabricated electrode also exhibited good reproducibility and stability. The proposed sensor was successfully employed to determine BPA in real plastic products and the recoveries were satisfactory.

Supercapacitive properties of symmetry and the asymmetry two electrode coin type supercapacitor cells made from MWCNTS/nickel oxide nanocomposite

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Adekunle, AS

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Supercapacitive properties of synthesised nickel oxides (NiO) nanoparticles integrated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in a two-electrode coin cell type supercapacitor were investigated. Successful formation of the MWCNT-NiO nanocomposite...

Highly sensitive amperometric biosensor based on electrochemically-reduced graphene oxide-chitosan/hemoglobin nanocomposite for nitromethane determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Yunping; Wen, Wei; Zhang, Xiuhua; Wang, Shengfu

2016-05-15

Nitromethane (CH3NO2) is an important organic chemical raw material with a wide variety of applications as well as one of the most common pollutants. Therefore it is pretty important to establish a simple and sensitive detection method for CH3NO2. In our study, a novel amperometric biosensor for nitromethane (CH3NO2) based on immobilization of electrochemically-reduced graphene oxide (rGO), chitosan (CS) and hemoglobin (Hb) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was constructed. Scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical methods were used to characterize the Hb-CS/rGO-CS composite film. The effects of scan rate and pH of phosphate buffer on the biosensor have been studied in detail and optimized. Due to the graphene and chitosan nanocomposite, the developed biosensor demonstrating direct electrochemistry with faster electron-transfer rate (6.48s(-1)) and excellent catalytic activity towards CH3NO2. Under optimal conditions, the proposed biosensor exhibited fast amperometric response (<5s) to CH3NO2 with a wide linear range of 5 μM~1.46 mM (R=0.999) and a low detection limit of 1.5 μM (S/N=3). In addition, the biosensor had high selectivity, reproducibility and stability, providing the possibility for monitoring CH3NO2 in complex real samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of SWNT based Polystyrene Nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Cynthia; Bahr, Jeffrey; Tour, James; Arepalli, Sivaram; Krishnamoorti, Ramanan

2003-03-01

Polystyrene nanocomposites with functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), prepared by the in-situ generation and addition of organic diazonium compounds, were characterized using a range of structural and dynamic methods. These were contrasted to the properties of polystyrene composites prepared with unfunctionalized SWNTs at the same loadings. The functionalized nanocomposites demonstrated a percolated SWNT network structure at concentrations of 1 vol SWNT based composites at similar loadings of SWNT exhibited behavior comparable to that of the unfilled polymer. This formation of the SWNT network structure is because of the improved compatibility between the SWNTs and the polymer matrix due to the functionalization. Further structural evidence for the compatibility of the modified SWNTs and the polymer matrix will be discussed in the presentation.

Efficiency Enhancement in Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Photovoltaic Cells Using ZrTiO4/Bi2O3 Metal-Oxide Nanocomposites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdul Jabbar, Mohammed Hussain; Neppolian, B.; Shim, Hee-Sang

2010-01-01

We report the effect of metal-oxide nanocomposites on the performance of bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells. A photoactive layer composed of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was blended with a newly developed ZrTiO4/Bi2O3 (BITZ) metal-oxide...

Pulsed Photoinitiated Fabrication of Inkjet Printed Titanium Dioxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgeois, Briley; Luo, Sijun; Riggs, Brian; Ji, Yaping; Adireddy, Shiva; Schroder, Kurt; Farnsworth, Stan; Chrisey, Douglas B; Escarra, Matthew

2018-05-08

This work reports a new technique for scalable and low temperature processing of nanostructured-TiO2 thin films, allowing for practical manufacturing of TiO2 based devices such as perovskite solar cells at low temperature or on flexible substrates. Dual layers of dense and mesoporous TiO2/graphitic oxide nanocomposite films are synthesized simultaneously using inkjet printing and pulsed photonic irradiation. Investigation of process parameters including precursor concentration (10-20 wt%) and exposure fluence (4.5-8.5 J/cm2) reveals control over crystalline quality, graphitic oxide phase, film thickness, dendrite density, and optical properties. Raman spectroscopy shows the E¬g peak, characteristic of anatase phase titania, increases in intensity with higher photonic irradiation fluence, suggesting increased crystallinity through higher fluence processing. Film thickness and dendrite density is shown to increase with precursor concentration in the printed ink. The dense base layer thickness was controlled between 20 nm to 80 nm. The refractive index of the films is determined by ellipsometry to be 1.92 +/- 0.08 at 650 nm. Films exhibit an energy weighted optical transparency of 91.1%, in comparison to 91.3% of a thermally processed film, when in situ carbon materials were removed. Transmission and diffuse reflectance are used to determine optical band gaps of the films ranging from 2.98 eV to 3.38 eV in accordance with the photonic irradiation fluence and suggests tunability of TiO2 phase composition. The sheet resistance of the synthesized films is measured to be 14.54 +/- 1.11 Ω/□ and 28.90 +/- 2.24 Ω/□ for films as-processed and after carbon removal, respectively, which is comparable to high temperature processed TiO2 thin films. The studied electrical and optical properties of the light processed films show comparable results to traditionally processed TiO2 while offering the distinct advantages of scalable manufacturing, low-temperature processing

Progress of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Treatment

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Claudia Ursino

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The use of membrane-based technologies has been applied for water treatment applications; however, the limitations of conventional polymeric membranes have led to the addition of inorganic fillers to enhance their performance. In recent years, nanocomposite membranes have greatly attracted the attention of scientists for water treatment applications such as wastewater treatment, water purification, removal of microorganisms, chemical compounds, heavy metals, etc. The incorporation of different nanofillers, such as carbon nanotubes, zinc oxide, graphene oxide, silver and copper nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, 2D materials, and some other novel nano-scale materials into polymeric membranes have provided great advances, e.g., enhancing on hydrophilicity, suppressing the accumulation of pollutants and foulants, enhancing rejection efficiencies and improving mechanical properties and thermal stabilities. Thereby, the aim of this work is to provide up-to-date information related to those novel nanocomposite membranes and their contribution for water treatment applications.

Progress of Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ursino, Claudia; Castro-Muñoz, Roberto; Drioli, Enrico; Gzara, Lassaad; Albeirutty, Mohammad H; Figoli, Alberto

2018-04-03

The use of membrane-based technologies has been applied for water treatment applications; however, the limitations of conventional polymeric membranes have led to the addition of inorganic fillers to enhance their performance. In recent years, nanocomposite membranes have greatly attracted the attention of scientists for water treatment applications such as wastewater treatment, water purification, removal of microorganisms, chemical compounds, heavy metals, etc. The incorporation of different nanofillers, such as carbon nanotubes, zinc oxide, graphene oxide, silver and copper nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, 2D materials, and some other novel nano-scale materials into polymeric membranes have provided great advances, e.g., enhancing on hydrophilicity, suppressing the accumulation of pollutants and foulants, enhancing rejection efficiencies and improving mechanical properties and thermal stabilities. Thereby, the aim of this work is to provide up-to-date information related to those novel nanocomposite membranes and their contribution for water treatment applications.

Preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol)-grafted graphene oxide/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites via in-situ low-temperature emulsion polymerization and their thermal and mechanical characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shengchang; Liu, Pengqing; Zhao, Xiangsen; Xu, Jianjun

2017-02-01

An in-situ polymerization combined with chemical grafting modification method for preparing Poly(vinyl alcohol)-grafted graphene oxide/Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-g-GO/PVA) nanocomposites was reported. Firstly, Poly(vinyl acetate)-grafted graphene oxide/Poly(vinyl acetate) nanocomposites were prepared, and then the PVA-g-GO/PVA nanocomposites could be obtained through alcoholysis reaction. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer and fourier-transform infrared spectrometer confirmed that the PVAc or PVA chains were successfully grafted to GO sheets during in-situ polymerization and alcoholysis. And the results from transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that the well compatibility and homogenous dispersion of PVA-g-GO in PVA matrix could be achieved. Differential scanning calorimetric, thermogravimetry analysis and tensile test were employed to study the thermal and mechanical properties of the PVA-g-GO/PVA nanocomposites. The results indicated that a 53% improvement of tensile strength and a 36% improvement of Young's modulus were achieved by addition of 0.5 wt% of GO sheets. And the glass transition temperature of PVA-g-GO/PVA nanocomposites was increased, and their thermal stability and crystallization degree were both decreased. Due to well dispersion of fillers and strong interfacial interactions at the filler-matrix interface, in-situ polymerization combined with chemical grafting modification was a good choice to prepare graphene/PVA nanocomposite with excellent mechanical properties.

Biomimetic elastomeric, conductive and biodegradable polycitrate-based nanocomposites for guiding myogenic differentiation and skeletal muscle regeneration.