Application Of Functional Materials Research Articles

Double-Loss Co-Ti3C2Tx/Fe2O3/PAN Hollow Fiber Composite Material for High-Efficiency Electromagnetic Absorption

Electromagnetic absorbing materials (EMAs) are materials that irreversibly convert electromagnetic waves into another type of energy. With the development of communication technology, electromagnetic absorption materials have broad prospects in smart phones, wearable devices, and aerospace. MXenes have excellent dielectric loss properties, and the synthesis and application of MXene functional materials with magnetic properties will be one of the hotspots and focuses of future research. In this study, magnetic Co-Ti3C2Tx MXenes were prepared by molten salt etching, and Co-Ti3C2Tx/Fe2O3/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fiber composites with double-loss capability were prepared by coaxial electrospinning technology. The maximum reflection loss of the Co-Ti3C2Tx/Fe2O3/PAN hollow fiber can reach −54.62 dB at 9.86 GHz, and the effective absorption bandwidth is 6.39 GHz. The Co-Ti3C2Tx/Fe2O3/PAN hollow fibers with excellent electromagnetic absorption capability exhibit potential for efficient EMA materials due to their synergistic effect of impedance matching and magnetic/dielectric loss.

Functionalized waterworks sludge particles as column packing materials for simultaneous Cr (Ⅵ) removal and oil separation

Highly efficient and low-cost treatment of waterworks sludge and oil-containing Cr (Ⅵ) wastewater in one way is a challenge in the field of water treatment. Herein, a waste-control-waste strategy was proposed to fabricate a functionalized waterworks sludge-based Zn–Al layer double oxides material (Zn–Al LDOs/WS) for simultaneously separating Cr (Ⅵ) and oil. During the column separation process, due to the superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobicity of Zn–Al LDOs/WS and the memory effect of LDHs, Cr (Ⅵ) will be stabled in the filter layer by electrostatic attraction and surface complexation between the Zn–Al LDHs/WS and Cr (Ⅵ), and the small oil droplets will coalesce into big oil droplets that be blocked in the separation column, thus achieving simultaneous separation. The Zn–Al LDOs/WS with hierarchical porous structure exhibit excellent simultaneous separation efficiency for Cr (Ⅵ) (99.69%) and oil (99.24%), and high separation flux (1063 L m−2 h−1). In addition, the separation efficiency and flux can be flexibly controlled by adjusting the filter layer thickness. The Zn–Al LDOs/WS also display strong acid and alkali resistance (pH 1–11), wide applicability range of initial Cr (Ⅵ) concentration (5–200 mg/L) and outstanding anti-interfering ion ability (Cl−, HCO3−, SO42−, NO3−, H2PO4−, CO32− and F−) in Cr (Ⅵ) and oil separation. Therefore, this work can not only improve treatment efficiency and save costs through simultaneous separation, effectively treat solid waste and complex wastewater, but also provide a theoretical basis for the design and application of functional materials derived from waste sludge.

Carbon-based EM functional materials and multi-band microwave devices: Current progress and perspectives

Owing to their low electromagnetic pollution, high flexibility, tunability, and environmentally friendly properties, carbon-based EM functional materials are considered to be potential candidates for the designs of next-generation microwave devices. The purpose of this review is to survey and systematize the growing body of literature on carbon-based microwave devices and to help establish better guidelines for future research and development on the subject. So far, research on the application of carbon-based functional materials in microwave device design has been actively carried out. At present, the carbon materials widely used in electronic devices mainly include graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and MXene. Here, we systematically review the applications of different carbon-based functional materials in metamaterial absorbers, metasurfaces, antennas, and flexible sensors, and also introduce the application of carbon-based composite functional materials. Microwave devices based on the above materials show great promise in areas such as 6G, wireless body area networks, and wearable health monitoring devices. Although microwave devices designed based on some carbon-based functional materials are currently only in the ideal simulation stage, as the production system of new materials matures, it can be assumed that more opportunities for the development of the next generation of microwave devices will be provided. Last but not least, the development of carbon-based EM functional materials in multi-band microwave devices is summarized, and the new tendency is prospected.

Recent advances in emerging application of functional materials in sample pretreatment methods for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of plant growth regulators: A mini-review

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are a class of small molecular compounds, which can remarkably affect the physiological process of plants. The complex plant matrix along with a wide polarity range and unstable chemical properties of PGRs hinder their trace analysis. In order to obtain a reliable and accurate result, a sample pretreatment process must be carried out, including eliminating the interference of the matrix effect and pre-concentrating the analytes. In recent years, the research of functional materials in sample pretreatment has experienced rapid growth. This review comprehensively overviews recent development in functional materials covering one-dimensional materials, two-dimensional materials, and three-dimensional materials applied in the pretreatment of PGRs before liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Besides, the advantages and limitations of the above functionalized enrichment materials are discussed, and their future trends have been prospected. The work could be helpful to bring new insights for researchers engaged in functional materials in sample pretreatment of PGRs based on LC-MS.

Diestervinyl-functionalized acceptor-acceptor type dithienylethenes with efficient photochromic performance.

Exploring novel dithienylethenes (DTEs) with efficient photochromism has drawn increasing attention in virtue of the potential applications for photoelectric functional materials. In this contribution, we presented two novel acceptor-acceptor (A-A) type DTE derivatives (4a and 4b) by incorporating the diestervinyl moieties with strong electron-withdrawing capacity into two sides of DTE skeleton. The corresponding structures were well confirmed by the NMR (1H and 13C) and HRMS. When irradiated alternately with ultraviolet and visible light, 4a and 4b showed efficient photochromism in toluene, chloroform and DMSO, clearly implying a solvent-dependence feature. Moreover, excellent photoswitching behaviors were also observed in the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that strong Acceptor-Acceptor effect plays a dominative role in the efficient photochromic performance. Hence, this study will provide a useful guidance for developing high-performance DTE derivatives in multi-media.

Direct Synthesis of Fused Thienoindoles via Base Promoted Double C−H Sulfuration with Elemental Sulfur

AbstractA direct strategy for the preparation of fused thienoindoles from substituted indoles and elemental sulfur has been reported. The present approach produces a range of structurally valuable fused thienoindoles in 51–78% yield under transition‐metal‐free conditions, which may have potential applications in pharmaceutical industry and organic functional materials. In this work, the double C−S bonds formation is achieved via base promoted direct sulfuration of C−H bonds with elemental sulfur.

Laser-Induced Transfer of Functional Materials

Patterning is crucial for the large-scale application of functional materials. Laser-induced transfer is an emerging patterning method for additively depositing functional materials to the target acceptor. With the rapid development of laser technologies, this laser printing method emerges as a versatile method to deposit functional materials in either liquid or solid format. The emerging applications such as solar interfacial evaporation, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, sensors, high-output synthesis, and other fields are rising fields benefiting from laser-induced transfer. Following a brief introduction to the principles of laser-induced transfer, this review will comprehensively deliberate this novel additive manufacturing method, including preparing the donor layer and the applications, advantages, and limitations of this technique. Finally, perspectives for handling current and future functional materials using laser-induced transfer will also be discussed. Non-experts in laser technologies can also gain insights into this prevailing laser-induced transfer process, which may inspire their future research.

Enhancement of UV luminescence in Zn/ZnO nanocomposites synthesized by controlled thermal oxidation of Zn nano-octahedrals

Defect-free photoluminescence (PL) emission is always desirable for the practical applications of functional materials. The presence of metal nanostructures near the semiconductor can result in a reduction of defect emission, if present. Here, the enhancement of ultraviolet (UV) PL emission of Zn/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) has been demonstrated with a corresponding reduction of defect-mediated PL emission. Zn/ZnO NCs have been synthesized by annealing of Zn nano-octahedral in the air (at 500 °C for 5 h). Annealing at 800 °C has been found to result in the complete oxidation of Zn and the formation of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). UV and visible PL emissions have been observed from Zn nano-octahedral, Zn/ZnO NCs, and ZnO NPs. The observed PL emissions from Zn have been argued as due to transitions of electrons from sp band to the upper states of 3 d band. For ZnO and Zn/ZnO, UV emission is due to near-band-edge emission of ZnO and visible PL emissions are due to the presence of defect states in ZnO. About 2.15-fold enhancement of UV PL emission of Zn/ZnO NCs has been argued as due presence of metallic Zn in the Zn/ZnO NCs. Thus, the present study can open up a new avenue for Zn/ZnO NCs for possible applications in UV regions.

In Situ Creation of Organometallic Molecular Junctions via Terminal Alkynes

Integrating simple molecular units into organometallic architectures has attracted significant research interest due to its wide applications in functional materials and devices. Despite recent progresses, it remains challenging to manipulate metal-molecule coordination with single molecule precision. Here, we create organometallic molecular junctions via terminal alkynes and measure their conductance in situ at the single molecule level using the scanning tunneling microscope-break junction (STM-BJ) technique. The strong Ag–C σ bonding between alkynes and Ag atoms drives the formation of linear organometallic −C≡C–Ag–C≡C– wires anchored between Ag or Au electrodes. Moreover, the conductance of the organometallic junctions can be precisely modulated through modifying the structures of the alkyne ligands. Our results suggest a versatile bottom-up approach for building organometallic nanostructures and studying their chemical and conducting properties.

Breaking the Minimum Limit of Thermal Conductivity of Mg3 Sb2 Thermoelectric Mediated by Chemical Alloying Induced Lattice Instability.

Thermal properties strongly affect the applications of functional materials, such as thermal management, thermal barrier coatings, and thermoelectrics. Thermoelectric (TE) materials must have a low lattice thermal conductivity to maintain a temperature gradient to generate the voltage. Traditional strategies for minimizing the lattice thermal conductivity mainly rely on introduced multiscale defects to suppress the propagation of phonons. Here, the origin of the anomalously low lattice thermal conductivity is uncovered in Cd-alloyed Mg3 Sb2 Zintl compounds through complementary bonding analysis. First, the weakened chemical bonds and the lattice instability induced by the antibonding states of 5p-4d levels between Sb and Cd triggered giant anharmonicity and consequently increased the phonon scattering. Moreover, the bond heterogeneity also augmented Umklapp phonon scatterings. Second, the weakened bonds and heavy element alloying softened the phonon mode and significantly decreased the group velocity. Thus, an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity of ≈0.33W m-1 K-1 at 773 K is obtained, which is even lower than the predicated minimum value. Eventually, Na0.01 Mg1.7 Cd1.25 Sb2 displays a high ZT of ≈0.76 at 773 K, competitive with most of the reported values. Based on the complementary bonding analysis, the work provides new means to control thermal transport properties through balancing the lattice stability and instability.

Statistical modeling enabled design of high-performance conductive composite fiber materials for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing

Fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) composed of conductive electrode and triboelectric materials are capable of converting mechanical energy into electricity. Core-spun yarn provides a unique structure for preparing composite fibers to resolve the problem of interfacial failure between conductive layer and triboelectric layer for fiber-based TENGs. However, the underlying relationship between interactive parameters and its performance has not been understood that hinders the further developments. Herein, a statistical modeling enabled design was developed for high-performance conductive composite fiber (CCF) for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. Interactive preparation parameters of CCF-based triboelectric nanogenerator (CCF-TENG) was studied via a statistical strategy combing fractional factorial design (FFD) and response surface methodology (RSM) for exploring the underlying relationships between parameters and properties of CCF-TENG. The two methods could effectively reduce the number of experiments and optimize the preparation parameters, facilitating the design of high-performance CCF-TENGs. The optimized CCF-TENGs could not only be applied to drive LEDs and calculator, but also attached on human body as wearable sensors and even connected with a Bluetooth system for wireless monitoring. Our proposed statistical modeling enabled strategy provide new insights in exploring quantitative underlying relationships for advanced applications of functional materials with optimized performance and desired functionalities.

Nanocellulose: a review on preparation routes and applications in functional materials

Nanocellulose: a review on preparation routes and applications in functional materials

Molecular nanoarchitectonics: unification of nanotechnology and molecular/materials science.

The development of nanotechnology has provided an opportunity to integrate a wide range of phenomena and disciplines from the atomic scale, the molecular scale, and the nanoscale into materials. Nanoarchitectonics as a post-nanotechnology concept is a methodology for developing functional material systems using units such as atoms, molecules, and nanomaterials. Especially, molecular nanoarchitectonics has been strongly promoted recently by incorporating nanotechnological methods into organic synthesis. Examples of research that have attracted attention include the direct observation of organic synthesis processes at the molecular level with high resolution, and the control of organic syntheses with probe microscope tips. These can also be considered as starting points for nanoarchitectonics. In this review, these examples of molecular nanoarchitectonics are introduced, and future prospects of nanoarchitectonics are discussed. The fusion of basic science and the application of practical functional materials will complete materials chemistry for everything.

Emerging optically active tetraphenylenes: Advances and challenges in synthesis and applications in asymmetric catalysis and chiral functional materials

Emerging optically active tetraphenylenes: Advances and challenges in synthesis and applications in asymmetric catalysis and chiral functional materials

Protective Effect of Polyphenols, Protein, Peptides, and Polysaccharides on Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Review of Research Status and Molecular Mechanisms.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has emerged as an important public health problem in the world. The polyphenols, protein, peptides, and polysaccharides have attracted attention for prevention or treatment of ALD. Therefore, this paper reviews the pathogenesis of ALD, the relationship between polyphenols, peptides, polysaccharides, and ALD, and expounds the mechanism of gut microbiota on protecting ALD. It is mainly found that the hydroxyl group of polyphenols endows it with antioxidation to protect ALD. The ALD protection of bioactive peptides is related to amino acid composition. The ALD protection of polysaccharides is related to the primary structure. Meanwhile, polyphenols, protein, peptides, and polysaccharides prevent or treat ALD by antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptosis, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota regulation. This contribution provides updated information on polyphenols, protein, peptides, and polysaccharides in response to ALD, which will not only facilitate the development of novel bioactive components but also the future application of functional food raw materials will be promoted.

The First Demonstration of Strain-Controlled Periodic Ferroelectric Domains with Superior Piezoelectric Response in Molecular Materials.

Achieving a periodic domain structure in ferroelectric materials to tailor the macroscopic properties or realize new functions has always been a hot topic. However, methods to construct periodic domain structures, such as epitaxial growth, direct writing by scanning tips, and the patterned electrode method, are difficult or inefficient to implement in emerging molecular ferroelectrics, which have the advantages of lightweight, flexibility, biocompatibility, etc. An efficient method for constructing and controlling periodic domain structures is urgently needed to facilitate the development of molecular ferroelectrics in nanoelectronic devices. In this work, it is demonstrated that large-area, periodic and controllable needle-like domain structures can be achieved in thin films of the molecular ferroelectric trimethylchloromethyl ammonium trichlorocadmium (TMCM-CdCl3 ) upon the application of tensile strain. The domain evolution under various tensile strains can be clearly observed, and such processes are accordingly identified. Furthermore, the domain wall exhibits a superior piezoelectric response, with up to fivefold enhancement compared to that of the pristine samples. Such large-area tunable periodic domain structure and abnormally strong piezoresponse are not only of great interests in fundamental studies, but also highly important in the future applications in functional molecular materials.

Stepwise on-demand functionalization of multihydrosilanes enabled by a hydrogen-atom-transfer photocatalyst based on eosin Y

Organosilanes are of vital importance for modern human society, having found widespread applications in functional materials, organic synthesis, drug discovery and life sciences. However, their preparation remains far from trivial, and on-demand synthesis of heteroleptic substituted silicon reagents is a formidable challenge. The generation of silyl radicals from hydrosilanes via direct hydrogen-atom-transfer (HAT) photocatalysis represents the most atom-, step-, redox- and catalyst-economic pathway for the activation of hydrosilanes. Here, in view of the green characteristics of neutral eosin Y (such as its abundance, low cost, metal-free nature, absorption of visible light and excellent selectivity), we show that using it as a direct HAT photocatalyst enables the stepwise custom functionalization of multihydrosilanes, giving access to fully substituted silicon compounds. By exploiting this strategy, we realize preferable hydrogen abstraction of Si-H bonds in the presence of active C-H bonds, diverse functionalization of hydrosilanes (for example, alkylation, vinylation, allylation, arylation, deuteration, oxidation and halogenation), and remarkably selective monofunctionalization of di- and trihydrosilanes.

Recent advances in sustainable nature-based functional materials for biomedical sensor technologies.

The lightweight, low-density, and low-cost natural polymers like cellulose, chitosan, and silk have good chemical and biodegradable properties due to their individually unique structural and functional elements. However, the mechanical properties of these polymers differ from each other. In this scenario, chitosan lacks good mechanical properties than cellulose and silk. The synthesis of nano natural polymer and reinforcement with suitable chemical compounds as the development of nanocomposite gives them promising multidisciplinary applications. Many kinds of research are already published with innovative bio-derived polymeric functional materials (Bd-PFM) applications. Most research interest is carried out on health concerns. Lots of attention has been paid to biomedical applications of Bd-PFM as biosensors. This review aims to provide a glimpse of the nanostructures Bd-PFM biosensors.

N-Rich Algal Sludge Biochar for Peroxymonosulfate Activation toward Sulfadiazine Removal

The fabrication of a green, high activity and low-cost carbon-based catalyst capable of activating new oxidant (peroxymonosulfate, PMS) for contaminants abatement is needed. In this research, we prepared novel N-doped biochars via one-step pyrolysis of algal sludge without external nitrogen sources. The obtained ASBC800 possessed the largest specific surface area (SBET = 145.596 m2 g−1) and thus it displayed the best catalytic performance, as revealed by the effective elimination of sulfadiazine (SDZ, >95% within 70 min) with 0.2 g L−1 ASBC800 and 0.5 mM PMS. Both radical species (e.g., SO4•−, and •OH), and nonradical regime (1O2 and electron-transfer) contributed to SDZ oxidation, in which ASBC800 played essential roles in activating PMS, accumulating SDZ, and regulating electron shuttle from SDZ to ASBC800-PMS*. Overall, this work not only provides a novel strategy for the synthesis of N-rich and cost-effective biochar but also promotes the development and application of carbon-based functional materials in environmental remediation.

Bioinspired Graphene Oxide-Magnetite Nanocomposite Coatings as Protective Superhydrophobic Antifouling Surfaces.

Antifouling (AF) nanocoatings made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are more cost-efficient and eco-friendly substitutes for the already outlawed tributyltin-based coatings. Here, a catalytic hydrosilation approach was used to construct a design inspired by composite mosquito eyes from non-toxic PDMS nanocomposites filled with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets decorated with magnetite nanospheres (GO-Fe3O4 nanospheres). Various GO-Fe3O4 hybrid nanofillers were dispersed into the PDMS resin through a solution casting method to evaluate the structure-property relationship. A simple coprecipitation procedure was used to fabricate magnetite nanospheres with an average diameter of 30-50 nm, a single crystal structure, and a predominant (311) lattice plane. The uniform bioinspired superhydrophobic PDMS/GO-Fe3O4 nanocomposite surface produced had a micro-/nano-roughness, low surface-free energy (SFE), and high fouling release (FR) efficiency. It exhibited several advantages including simplicity, ease of large-area fabrication, and a simultaneous offering of dual micro-/nano-scale structures simply via a one-step solution casting process for a wide variety of materials. The superhydrophobicity, SFE, and rough topology have been studied as surface properties of the unfilled silicone and the bioinspired PDMS/GO-Fe3O4 nanocomposites. The coatings' physical, mechanical, and anticorrosive features were also taken into account. Several microorganisms were employed to examine the fouling resistance of the coated specimens for 1 month. Good dispersion of GO-Fe3O4 hybrid fillers in the PDMS coating until 1 wt % achieved the highest water contact angle (158° ± 2°), the lowest SFE (12.06 mN/m), micro-/nano-roughness, and improved bulk mechanical and anticorrosion properties. The well-distributed PDMS/GO-Fe3O4 (1 wt % nanofillers) bioinspired nanocoating showed the least biodegradability against all the tested microorganisms [Kocuria rhizophila (2.047%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.961%), and Candida albicans (1.924%)]. We successfully developed non-toxic, low-cost, and economical nanostructured superhydrophobic FR composite coatings for long-term ship hull coatings. This study may expand the applications of bio-inspired functional materials because for multiple AF, durability and hydrophobicity are both important features in several industrial applications.