Graphene Oxide Carbon Nanotubes Research Articles

Well-dispersive Pt nanocrystals anchored onto 3D boron and nitrogen double-doped reduced graphene oxide–carbon nanotube frameworks as efficient electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation

A bottom-up self-assembly method is developed to the fabrication of well-dispersive Pt nanocrystals anchored onto 3D B and N double-doped reduced graphene oxide-CNT frameworks, which express superior electrocatalytic performance for methanol oxidation. • 3D B and N double-doped graphene-CNT frameworks are fabricated via a co-assembly strategy; • The homogeneous distribution of Pt nanocrystals on the hybrid frameworks is realized; • The interconnected porous network and optimized electronic structure provide numerous active sites; • The as-derived catalysts express exceptional electrochemical performance toward methanol oxidation. The development of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology is an effective way to solve the problems of environmental pollution and energy shortage, while the scarcity of the highly-efficient anode catalysts with low cost severely limits its commercial use. In this work, we report a robust and convenient approach for the bottom-up construction of well-dispersive Pt nanocrystals anchored onto three-dimensional (3D) porous boron and nitrogen double-doped reduced graphene oxide–carbon nanotube frameworks (Pt/BNRGO-CNT) via a controllable co-assembly process. This architectural design can achieve a series of useful structural merits, such as 3D cross-linked porous network, large presence of B and N atoms, homogeneous Pt dispersibility, and high electrical conductivity. Consequently, the resulting Pt/BNRGO-CNT electrocatalysts exhibit excellent catalytic activity, strong anti-toxicity ability, and good long-term stability for methanol oxidation reaction, far exceeding those of Pt catalysts supported by the conventional undoped reduced graphene oxide, carbon nanotube, and carbon black matrixes.

The light absorption enhancement of nanostructured carbon-based coatings fabricated by high-voltage electrostatic spraying technique

The present work aims to achieve excellent light absorption property in the visible light region to near infrared region by fabricating nanostructured and disordered carbon-based coatings. A simple and low-cost technique i.e. high-voltage electrostatic spraying technique was used to fabricate RGO/CNP coating, CMP/CNP coating and CNT/CNP coating, in which reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets, carbon microparticles (CMP) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were used as frameworks, respectively. The structure and light absorption property of coatings were compared to study the influence of different frameworks. Also, CNT/CNP–TiN coating, in which TiN nanoparticles were added as loads, was fabricated to confirm the beneficial effect of TiN addition. Results show that appropriate choice of framework and load is important for the light absorption enhancement of carbon-based coatings fabricated by high-voltage electrostatic spraying technique. CNT/CNP–TiN coating, in which CNT is used as framework, CNP and TiN nanoparticles are used as loads, exhibits excellent light absorption property. The average light absorptance in the wavelength range of 400–1400 nm reaches 97.1%. It is mainly attributed to the formation of honeycomb clusters and the existence of many multi-sized optical cavities. The lights with various wavelengths can be trapped and absorbed easily and effectively by large-sized optical cavities among honeycomb clusters, small-sized optical cavities inside honeycomb clusters and in CNT meshes. Our investigation proves that excellent light absorption property can be achieved by means of the fabrication of nanostructured and disordered carbon-based coatings by using high-voltage electrostatic spraying technique. As highly absorbing coating in the visible light region to near infrared region, CNT/CNP–TiN coating fabricated by high-voltage electrostatic spraying technique is promising in the fields of solar energy collectors, infrared detectors, optical devices and so on.

Tribological performance of IL/(GO-MWCNT) coatings in high-vacuum and irradiation environments

In this paper, we investigated the effect of space irradiation on the lubricating properties of IL/(GO-MWCNT) solid–liquid lubricating coatings. The solid–liquid lubricating coatings consist of ionic liquids (IL), graphene oxide (GO), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Irradiation experiments were carried out using ground simulation equipment. Atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet (UV), proton (Pr), and electron (El) irradiation alter the composition, structure, morphology, and tribological properties of solid–liquid lubricating coatings. The experimental results show the composition changes induced by irradiation, including the decomposition of ILs lubricants. The damage to the lubricating material was the most serious by Pr irradiation and the least by UV irradiation.

Synergistic effect of nanoparticles and super absorbent polymer on self-healing ability of cement pastes

This paper analyzed the co-effects of super absorbent polymer (SAP) and nanomaterials such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), graphene oxide (GO) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in cement pastes. While the SAP cement pastes provided a 25.23% higher 90/28-day compressive strength rate compared to the control sample, the MWCNT- and GO-added-SAP pastes provided a 37.84% and 74.77% higher rate, respectively. GO and MWCNTs increased the 90/28-day ultrasonic pulse velocity rates of SAP cement pastes by 1.25 and 1.38 times, respectively. The cracks initially formed by plastic shrinkage were completely closed with the H-bond ability of MWCNT and GO.

Enhancing interlaminar fracture toughness of CFRP laminates with hybrid carbon nanotube/graphene oxide fillers

The study focuses on the improvement of the interlaminar fracture toughness of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) with graphene oxide (GO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in different ratios. A simple and convenient method was used to spray a density of 1.1 g/m2 nanofiller onto the surface of CFRP prepreg. Meanwhile, the ability of resistant temperature changes from −58 °C to room temperature was employed and evaluated. The influence of nanofillers on the interlaminar fracture toughness of CFRP laminates was examined via the double cantilever beam (DCB) test and end notched flexure (ENF) test. Results show that the addition of MWCNTs and GO greatly enhanced the interlaminar fracture toughness with different strengthening mechanisms. In particular, the laminates with the nanofillers ratios of MWCNTs/GO = 8:3 and MWCNTs/GO = 10:1 presented the optimal performance for the mode I and mode II fracture toughness, with remarkable improvements of 151.52 % and 215.15 % are achieved compared with the original laminates without nanofillers respectively. Moreover, the composites reinforced by hybrid nanofillers display a similar toughening trend after the temperature cycle proving the reliability and synergy of hybrid nanofillers. Fracture surface morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Preparation and reinforcement performance of RGO-CNTs-SiO2 three-phase filler for rubber composites

Rubber reinforcement technology is developing towards the direction of high efficiency and multi-functionality, and the reinforcement of rubber by a single-component filler can no longer meet the requirements. Nanocomposite fillers have become the development trend of high-performance reinforcing fillers due to the complementary advantages and synergistic reinforcing effects of each component. Reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes (RGO-CNTs) composites were prepared by a method of electrostatic assembly. The non-covalent modified RGO-CNTs was used as a substance to grow in situ SiO2 nanoparticles (RGO-CNTs-SiO2), and the RGO-CNTs-SiO2 three-phase fillers were obtained. The RGO-CNTs-SiO2 three-phase fillers were further used to study the reinforcing properties of hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR). Furthermore, the effects of RGO-CNTs-SiO2 with different component contents on the reinforcing properties of HNBR were systematically studied. The TEM images of RGO-CNTs-SiO2 show that the RGO and CNTs promotes mutual dispersion, and the SiO2 nanoparticles (average diameter 7 nm) are highly dispersed on the surface of RGO-CNTs. The characterization of RGO-CNTs-SiO2/HNBR indicates that the RGO-CNTs-SiO2 efficiently weaken the filler network and improve the filler-rubber interaction. The results show that the three-phase fillers produce obvious synergistic reinforcing effects. The highest tensile strength (30.1 MPa) of RGO-CNTs-SiO2/HNBR is achieved at the RGO:CNTs mass ratio of 1:5, the RGO-CNTs mass percentage of 2%, and the filler loading of 50 phr. This work demonstrates the considerable promise for developing three-phase filler-based rubber composites.

Carbon aerogels derived from waste paper for pipette-tip solid-phase extraction of triazole fungicides in tomato, apple and pear

In order to develop environmentally friendly, economical and facile preparation method of carbon aerogels (CAs), the waste printing paper as the raw material was combined with graphene oxide and carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes to produce CAs (ρ = 44 mg cm−3). The CAs with different composition were investigated, the addition of graphene oxide led to the reduction of adsorption sites and the reduction of extraction performance. But the carbon nanotubes made CAs have a better pore structure. The CAs as adsorbent were loaded into a pipette-tip for solid-phase extraction of hexaconazole and diniconazole. Coupled with gas chromatography, an analytical method was established under the optimized conditions. The limits of detection were between 0.08 and 0.32 mg kg−1, the linear ranges were 0.96–200.0 mg kg−1 and 0.24–200.0 mg kg−1. The relative recoveries were in the range of 81.0–119%. The results indicated that the method had potential application for the determination of triazole fungicides.

Highly Aligned Ni-Decorated GO-CNT Nanostructures in Epoxy with Enhanced Thermal and Electrical Properties.

In this study, graphene oxide–carbon nanotubes nanostructures decorated with nickel nanoparticles (NiGNT) were prepared through the molecular-level-mixing method, followed by a reduction process, and then applied as reinforcements to enhance the epoxy resin matrix. The ferromagnetism of the Ni nanoparticles allowed NiGNT nanostructures to be vertically aligned within the composite with the assistance of a magnetic field. Due to the alignment distribution of the NiGNT, the composites demonstrated enhanced anisotropic thermal and electrical conduction performances, compared with pure epoxy and randomly distributed composites. The aligned distribution of NiGNT–epoxy composites displayed 2.7 times higher thermal conductivity and around 104 times better electrical conduction performance, compared with pure epoxy. The thermal expansion of NiGNT–epoxy composite was also restricted in the aligned direction of NiGNT nanostructures. Thus, NiGNT–epoxy composites show great potential as future aerospace, aviation, and automobile materials.

Enhanced Removal of Diesel Oil Using New Magnetic Bentonite-Based Adsorbents Combined with Different Carbon Sources

In this work, new magnetic bentonite-based adsorbents combined with different carbon sources, namely, reduced graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes, were synthesized via co-precipitation method. The synthesized adsorbents were characterized using XRD, TGA, SEM, EDX, TEM, and BET analysis techniques. The adsorbents were then used to remove oil from aqueous solutions of water-in-oil emulsion by performing batch adsorption experiments. The experimental data were fitted to three isotherm models including Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips models using non-linear regression and were compared using Akaike Information Criterion statistical model. The data analysis showed that Sips model best fits the experimental data for the adsorption of oil onto both adsorbents. The maximum adsorption capacity of oil from sips model were 81.65 mg/g and 77.12 mg/g for Fe3O4/Bent/rGO and Fe3O4//Bent/MWCNTs, respectively. The obtained kinetics data were fitted to pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models. Pseudo-second order kinetic model best fitted the kinetic data of both adsorbents. Overall, both adsorbents showed high removal efficiency reaching equilibrium in less than 50 min indicating that both adsorbents can be successfully utilized in industrial adsorption process.Graphical abstract

Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of three-dimensional NbOPO4-reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotube composite for high performance sodium-ion battery anode

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have aroused more and more academic and industrial interest due to their decent electrochemical performance and the cost-effectiveness of sodium (Na) resource. However, fabricating an appropriate anode material with high specific capacity, long-term cycle stability and superior rate capability remains a great challenge. Here, we adopt an efficient microwave-assisted hydrothermal method to prepare layered niobium oxyphosphate (NbOPO4) nanosheets, which grows on the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (NbOPO4-rGO-SWCNT). Benefiting from three-dimensional hierarchical architecture combining NbOPO4 nanosheets with rGO-SWCNT framework with excellent electrical conductivity, NbOPO4-rGO-SWCNT electrode delivers a higher reversible specific capacity (323.2 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and superior rate capability (147.9 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) than that of NbOPO4 (143.1/43.5 mAh g−1). Ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements further reveal the electrochemical mechanism that reversible reaction between niobium phosphate (NbPO4) and niobium (Nb) occurs after the initial intercalation-conversion reaction, which contributes to the stable reversibility and high-rate capability in the following cycling. This work not only indicates that NbOPO4-rGO-SWCNT can act as a desirable anode material for SIBs, but also provide new insights to material design for niobium oxyphosphate composite.

Application of nanoporous core–shell structured multi-walled carbon nanotube–graphene oxide nanoribbons in electrochemical biosensors

Here, we demonstrated the synthesis of nanoporous core–shell structured multi-walled carbon nanotube–graphene oxide nanoribbons (NP-MWCNT@GONRs) and their electrochemical applications to biosensors. The NP-MWCNT@GONRs were prepared by a hydrothermal method with ZnCl2 as the activation agent followed by an acid treatment. The NP-MWCNT@GONRs exhibited a hierarchical micro/mesoporous structure and a high surface area (2.4 times higher than that of MWCNTs). NP-MWCNT@GONR-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) were used to electrochemically detect biomolecules, including ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA). This NP-MWCNT@GONR-modified GCE exhibited high sensitivity of approximately 15 μA μM−1 cm−2 and low limits of detection of 0.12 μM in DA, demonstrating that it is a promising electrode for biosensors.

An electrochemical sensor based on reduced graphene oxide/β-cyclodextrin/multiwall carbon nanotubes/ polyoxometalate tetracomponent hybrid: Simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine and uric acid

In this work, a novel tetracomponent hybrid electrochemical sensor was constructed with reduced graphene oxide/β-cyclodextrin/multiwall carbon nanotubes/ polyoxometalate (RGO-CD-MWCNT-POM), which achieved simultaneous detection of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). First, the RGO-CD-MWCNT-POM was synthesized by assembly of graphene oxide (GO), β-cyclodextrin (CD), and multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), with subsequent reduction of GO in the assistance of polyoxometalate (POM). Afterward, the morphology and structural properties were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray mapping (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). After its modification on glassy carbon electrode (GCE), RGO-CD-MWCNT-POM could simultaneously detect AA, DA, and UA by voltammetry method. Its enhanced electrochemical sensing performances derive from the combined merits of each component: supramolecular recognition from CD, excellent electronic properties from carbon components, and electrocatalyst from POM. Under optimal conditions, the linear ranges of AA, DA and UA were 5–2000, 0.5–300 and 1–400 μM with the detection limits with 0.84 μM, 0.04 μM, 0.05 μM, respectively. The proposed sensor was also well applied in practical simultaneous measurement in urine sample with the recovery ranges of 94%∼108%. Our work suggests the fabricated sensor is promising for constructing excellent sensing platform.

Carbon-supported nano tungsten bronze aerogels with synergistically enhanced photothermal conversion performance: Fabrication and application in solar evaporation

Solar interfacial evaporation is an effective and sustainable strategy to solve the shortage of fresh water. Nowadays, fully converting the near-infrared light with significant thermal effect, and reducing the energy loss in evaporation stage are the key factors to achieve higher evaporation rate. Herein, the nano cesium tungsten bronze (Cs0.32WO3) with exceptional near-infrared absorption property was loaded on reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes (rGO-CNTs) composite aerogel, drastically enhancing the evaporation efficiency from 61.0% to 85.9%, which can be explained by the remarkable synergistic effect between rGO-CNTs and nano Cs0.32WO3 in improving the photothermal conversion performance. As a result, the solar evaporators assembled by the fabricated rGO-CNTs-Cs0.32WO3 aerogels and corn straw grooves achieved an evaporation rate of 1.93 kg m−2 h−1, exceeding the previously-investigated carbon aerogels/foams, natural plants and tungsten-based compound systems. The characterization results reveal that the loading of nano Cs0.32WO3 contributes to the partial restoration of π-conjugated structure in rGC, increasing solar absorption and the corresponding thermal energy released by the lattice vibration. Meanwhile, the oxygen vacancies and carrier density of Cs0.32WO3 nanoparticles increase after compositing with rGC, which further enhances the local surface plasma resonances (LSPR) effect. Significantly, the hydrophilic functional groups and excellent wettability of composite aerogel and corn straw play crucial effect in accelerating water transport, activating water molecules and reducing evaporation energy consumption. In a word, the unique construction of rGO-CNTs-Cs0.32WO3 aerogels presents a novel approach for the design of solar-driven freshwater production system, the application expansion of nano tungsten bronze and carbon aerogels.

Gas sensing performance of biomass carbon materials promoted by nitrogen doping and p-n junction

In order to realize the resource utilization of waste orange peel, N-doped porous carbon derived from orange peel (NCOP) was prepared by simple carbonization and first used in the field of gas sensors. Compared with the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), the responses of NCOP to five analytes were improved by 3.32 ∼ 66.72 times and the effect of N doping on the gas sensitivity of NCOP was analyzed by First-principles calculations. Furthermore, the NCOP/RGO composite with p-n junctions was prepared to improve the gas sensing properties. The theoretical limit of detection of NCOP and NCOP/RGO composites to formaldehyde vapor was determined to be 16.7 and 7.7 ppb, respectively. The response time and recovery time of NCOP and NCOP/RGO to all five analytes were no more than 15.9, 5.4 s and 14.4, 5.0 s, respectively. More importantly, the sensor array based on RGO, MWCNTs, NCOP and NCOP/RGO can discriminatively and quickly detect multiple analytes at room temperature. The study showed that both self-doping and heterojunction can effectively improve the gas sensitivity of biomass carbon materials, which provided a useful reference for the resource utilization of biomass waste and the development of gas sensors.

Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial ZnMintPc Encapsulated in Magnetic-Nanocomposites with Graphene Oxide/MWCNTs Based on Bimodal Action of Photodynamic and Photothermal Effects.

Microbial diseases have been declared one of the main threats to humanity, which is why, in recent years, great interest has been generated in the development of nanocomposites with antimicrobial capacity. The present work studied two magnetic nanocomposites based on graphene oxide (GO) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The synthesis of these magnetic nanocomposites consisted of three phases: first, the synthesis of iron magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), second, the adsorption of the photosensitizer menthol-Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnMintPc) into MWCNTs and GO, and the third phase, encapsulation in poly (N-vinylcaprolactam-co-poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate)) poly (VCL-co-PEGDA) polymer VCL/PEGDA a biocompatible hydrogel, to obtain the magnetic nanocomposites VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-MWCNTs-ZnMintPc and VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-GO-ZnMintPc. In vitro studies were carried out using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and the Candida albicans yeast based on the Photodynamic/Photothermal (PTT/PDT) effect. This research describes the nanocomposites’ optical, morphological, magnetic, and photophysical characteristics and their application as antimicrobial agents. The antimicrobial effect of magnetics nanocomposites was evaluated based on the PDT/PTT effect. For this purpose, doses of 65 mW·cm−2 with 630 nm light were used. The VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-GO-ZnMintPc nanocomposite eliminated E. coli and S. aureus colonies, while the VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-MWCNTs-ZnMintPc nanocomposite was able to kill the three types of microorganisms. Consequently, the latter is considered a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent in PDT and PTT.

Enhanced naproxen adsorption by a novel β-cyclodextrin immobilized the three-dimensional macrostructure of reduced graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes

In this study, a novel β-cyclodextrin immobilized the three-dimensional macrostructure of reduced graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes (β-CD/rGO-MWCNTs) was synthesized with hydrothermal reduction and chemical crosslinking, adopting as an effective adsorbent for naproxen removal in aquatic environments. With a larger specific surface area (SSA) and excellent porous structure, β-CD/rGO-MWCNTs ensured a large internal space, which was conducive to the preservation of adsorption sites and naproxen diffusion. The maximum naproxen adsorption capacity (qm) value of β-CD/rGO-MWCNTs stood at 132.09 mg g−1 at room temperature, higher than that of most of the commonly used naproxen adsorbents. Such immense adsorption was attributed to hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic interaction, π/n-π interaction and hydrogen bonding. The naproxen adsorption kinetics and isotherm on the adsorbents match the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the Freundlich model better. The thermodynamic parameters certified the naproxen adsorption on β-CD/rGO-MWCNTs as a favorable, thermodynamically feasible and exothermic process. The stable three-dimensional (3D) structure endowed the adsorbent with an excellent regeneration performance and practical application potential.

Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether nitrile)-Based Composite Membranes Enhanced with Ca2+ Bridged Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Oxide Networks

As the core component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, proton exchange membranes (PEM) have attracted much attention of researchers. To trade-off the proton conductivity, dimensional stability and anti-oxidation ability of PEM, graphene oxide (GO) and acidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) using calcium ion as coordination bridge (GO-Ca2+-MWCNT) was synthesized, and then incorporated into sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) (SPEN) to fabricate SPEN/GO-Ca2+-MWCNT organic–inorganic composite membranes by solution-casting method and explore the influence of varying loading on performances as PEM. It was found that the proton conductivity of the composite membranes was higher than that of SPEN, while maintaining better dimensional stability, excellent anti-oxidation ability and good mechanical properties. All of these were attributed to the formation of three-dimensional structure between GO and MWCNT bridged by Ca2+ and the interaction between the sulfonic acid group and calcium ions in SPEN/GO-Ca2+-MWCNT composites. Particularly, the SPEN/GO-Ca2+-MWCNT-1 composite membrane exhibited excellent tensile strength of 71.45 MPa, better thermal stability as well as high proton conductivity (0.054 S/cm at 30 °C, and 0.193 S/cm at 90 °C), above 10–2 S/cm, satisfying the requirement of PEM. All in all, the results indicate that the filler with three-dimensional network structure can effectively improve the performances of SPEN, and the prepared composite membranes show potential applications in many fields.

Development of emphatic catalysts for waste water remediation via synchronized free radical and non-free radical routes with composites of strontium hexaferrite, graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Magnetic nanoparticles have shown exceptional potential in catalysis, however, their tendency to agglomerate has confined their use. The present work encompasses synthesis of eco-friendly and magnetic retrievable catalysts with different fractions of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as support for strontium hexaferrite (SrFe12O19) for the oxidative degradation of organic pollutants. The morphological, structural and magnetic properties of composites were estimated via PXRD, FT-IR, VSM, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, XPS and BET. The crystallite size decreased from 41.46 nm for SrFe12O19 to 35.85 nm and 33 nm for composites with 20% rGO and MWCNTs, respectively while the surface area increased substantially from 88.1 m2/g for SrFe12O19 to 118.4 and 131.3 m2/g. Further, the composites were employed as catalysts for the oxidative degradation of selected antibiotics and colourant via stimulation of two different oxidants, potassium peroxymonosulphate (PMS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The degradation followed pseudo first order kinetics with rate constant values increasing with rGO and MWCNT content. The increase in catalyst effectiveness can be ascribed to the synergistic interactions between rGO or MWCNT and SrFe12O19, which provided larger specific surface areas for adsorption and augmented number of catalytically active sites. Systematic chemical quenching studies unveiled a combined role of radical and non-radical species in oxidative degradation of pollutants. Moreover, the synthesized composites exhibited excellent recyclability upto four cycles forming the basis for their utilization as industrial catalysts.

Crystallization Behavior and Electrical Properties of Nanoparticle-Reinforced Poly(lactic Acid)-Based Films.

Graphene oxide (GO) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes with silver particles (MWNT-Ag) of different concentrations were used as nanofillers to prepare poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticle films through the solvent casting method. In this study, the effects of nanoparticles on the crystallization behavior, relationships between the dispersion and electrical properties, and hydrolytic degradation behaviors were investigated for the PLA/MWNT-Ag and PLA/rGO films. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to evaluate the crystallization behaviors of the PLA/MWNT-Ag and PLA/reduced GO (rGO) films. Electron probe microanalysis was performed to characterize the dispersion of MWNT-Ag, and X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the degree of dispersion of rGO in the PLA matrix. The results showed that nanoparticles enhanced the crystallization kinetics of PLA as well as the hydrolytic degradation rate. From the measurement of electrical properties, the electrical conductivity of PLA/MWNT-Ag 1.0 wt% was much higher than that of the pure PLA and PLA/rGO films, showing that MANT and Ag nanoparticles contribute greatly to enhancing the electrical conductivity of the PLA/MWNT-Ag films.

Graphene Oxide-Carbon Nanotube (Go-Cnt) Hybrid Mixed Matrix Membrane for Pervaporative Dehydration of Ethanol

Graphene Oxide-Carbon Nanotube (Go-Cnt) Hybrid Mixed Matrix Membrane for Pervaporative Dehydration of Ethanol