Abstract
The development of materials that can help overcome the current limitations in energy storage and consumption is a pressing need. Recently, we developed non-Newtonian nanofluids based on non-toxic, carbon nanoparticles (NPs), carbon dots (Cdots) functionalized with ionic liquids. Here, we wanted to prove that these new nanofluids are, not only interesting as possible electrolytes, but also as new organic/inorganic hybrid separators. As such, we developed an entrapment method using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Indeed, the highly conductive Cdots were successfully retained inside the membrane even upon the application of several wetting/drying cycles. Moreover, the morphological characteristics did not change upon wetting/drying cycles and remained constant for more than four months. These nanofluids could be an interesting approach to tackle some of the current problems in the fields of solid-state batteries, and energy storage, among others.
Highlights
The roadmap for moving into a competitive low carbon economy by 2050 [1] has raised social awareness of the need to develop new alternative technologies that effectively contribute to a significant decrease of greenhouse gas emissions
The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) data [17,18] proved that the produced carbon dots (Cdots) had spherical morphologies and different size distributions depending on the ionic liquids (ILs) used and the raw carbon material they originated from
The smaller NPs were found in the Cdots/[Bmim]Cl nanofluid, as expected for NPs obtained with a low water content IL [17]
Summary
The roadmap for moving into a competitive low carbon economy by 2050 [1] has raised social awareness of the need to develop new alternative technologies that effectively contribute to a significant decrease of greenhouse gas emissions. The use of mm/μm-sized particles hampers the use of new cooling technologies based on microchannels, since they clog [12] In this sense, the use of nanofluids with higher thermal conductivity and stability can lead to an enhancement of the engines’ and radiators’ efficiency, and to the development of lighter vehicles with better fuel economy [13]. Our research group developed unique sustainable nanofluids based on synthetic polysaccharide [17] or waste biomass-derived [18] carbon dots (Cdots) functionalized with imidazolium-based ILs. Cdots have intrinsic features, such as thermal/electronic conductivity and optoelectronic properties, which are extremely dependent on the surface chemistry. New results on the fluorescence features of the two nanofluids and [Tmi][Trif] are reported here for the first time
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