Improvement Of Electrical Properties Research Articles

Fabrication of high-resolution, flexible, laser-induced graphene sensors via stencil masking

The advent of wearable sensing platforms capable of continuously monitoring physiological parameters indicative of health status have resulted in a paradigm shift for clinical medicine. The accessibility and adaptability of such portable, unobtrusive devices enables proactive, personalized care based on real-time physiological insights. While wearable sensing platforms exhibit powerful capabilities for continuously monitoring physiological parameters, device fabrication often requires specialized facilities and technical expertise, restricting deployment opportunities and innovation potential. The recent emergence of rapid prototyping approaches to sensor fabrication, such as laser-induced graphene (LIG), provides a pathway for circumventing these barriers through low-cost, scalable fabrication. However, inherent limitations in laser processing restrict the spatial resolution of LIG-based flexible electronic devices to the minimum laser spot size. For a CO2 laser–a commonly reported laser for device production–this corresponds to a feature size of ∼120 μm. Here, we demonstrate a facile, low-cost stencil-masking technique to reduce the minimum resolvable feature size of a LIG-based device from 120 ± 20 μm to 45 ± 3 μm when fabricated by CO2 laser. Characterization of device performance reveals this stencil-masked LIG (s-LIG) method yields a concomitant improvement in electrical properties, which we hypothesize is the result of changes in macrostructure of the patterned LIG. We showcase the performance of this fabrication method via production of common sensors including temperature and multi-electrode electrochemical sensors. We fabricate fine-line microarray electrodes not typically achievable via native CO2 laser processing, demonstrating the potential of the expanded design capabilities. Comparing microarray sensors made with and without the stencil to traditional macro LIG electrodes reveals the s-LIG sensors have significantly reduced capacitance for similar electroactive surface areas. Beyond improving sensor performance, the increased resolution enabled by this metal stencil technique expands capabilities for scalable fabrication of high-performance wearable sensors in low-resource settings without reliance on traditional fabrication pathways.

Effect of Sb2S3 sacrificial layer thickness on structural, optical and electrical properties of CuSbS2 films and investigation of diode parameters of CuSbS2/CdS heterojunctions

The ternary copper chalcogenides CuSbS2 (CAS) is found to have appealing optical and photovoltaic properties to be used as absorber layer in thin film solar cells. However, the difficulty to grow good quality CuSbS2 layer of micrometer thickness by chemical bath deposition method holds a big challenge. In this work, we reported the effect of incorporating Sb2S3 sacrificial layer of different thickness on structural, optical and electrical properties of CAS films. The X-ray diffraction results and Raman spectroscopic analysis confirm the formation of single-phase orthorhombic crystal structure for CuSbS2. The increase of Sb content in CAS films with the increase in deposition time of Sb2S3 layer has been reflected in the change in relative intensity ratio of characteristic Raman peaks as well as in diffraction peak profiles. The magnitude of defect states in terms of Urbach energy is decreased drastically by increasing Sb percentage in the films. A clear improvement in electrical properties of CAS films is observed with the decrease in Cu/Sb ratio. The carrier density is increased by one order of magnitude from 1016 to 1017 cm-3 and hole mobility increases from 1.14 to 4.87 cm2/Vs. The impact of Sb concentration on Scottky diode parameters of CAS/CdS heterojunction was studied by using thermionic emission model. Both the ideality factor and series resistance are decreased with the increase in Sb content. The J-V measurements reveal that the integration of Sb2S3 sacrificial layer improves the PV parameters such as fill factor, open circuit voltage, photocurrent and efficiency. The overall improvement in diode parameters can be ascribed to decrease in defect states, better film quality, absorber layer thickness and improved stoichiometry of CAS films.

Simultaneous electrical and mechanical properties improvement for composite expanded graphite bipolar plate by incorporating surface-activated carbon black paving on the carbonized melamine foam skeleton

The bipolar plate is the critical component that directly impacts the output performance and lifespan of the fuel cell. Composite graphite-based bipolar plates, which can be tailored to exhibit desired properties, are promising candidates for high-performance fuel cells. However, the simultaneous optimization of their electrical and mechanical properties has been a major challenge in the field. This study introduces a foam skeleton made of carbonized melamine foam (CMF) into the graphite bipolar plate to create ample space for subsequent resin impregnation. Carbon black (CB) is added as a filler to form complete conductive paths, which is modified using low-temperature plasma to allow it to be more uniformly adsorbed in the skeleton. The microstructure design of the composite bipolar plate ensures excellent mechanical properties and significantly enhances its electrical conductivity. Moreover, it effectively eliminates the impact of carbon black on the surface roughness of the composite plate. This design also provides superior water management and reduces gas permeability. Practical application tests demonstrate that the developed composite plate exhibits better corrosion resistance and electrochemical stability than metal bipolar plates. Compared to carbonized bipolar plates, it displays better impact resistance and stability.

Development and characterization of PVA-based nanocomposites with graphene and natural quartz nanoparticles for energy storage applications

This study presents the development and characterization of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a matrix, incorporating graphene (Gr) and natural quartz nanoparticles (NQNs) as nanofillers. The graphene content was fixed at 1 wt%, while the quartz content was varied at 3 wt%, 7 wt%, and 11 wt%. The NQNs were derived from natural quartz rocks, which were ground and milled to nanosize, emphasizing the utilization of natural materials. Comprehensive characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), and extensive electrical and dielectric measurements. SEM and EDS analyses revealed the nearly spherical shape of the NQNs, with sizes ranging from 25 to 88 nm and an average size of 61.2 ± 13.1 nm. XRD patterns indicated a decrease in crystallinity of the polymer matrix with increasing NQNs content, with the PVA/Gr-11 wt% NQNs showing nearly amorphous characteristics. FTIR spectra demonstrated the incorporation of NQNs within the PVA matrix, affecting the chemical bonding and reducing the intensity of characteristic peaks. UV–Vis spectra indicated a significant decrease in the optical bandgap with the addition of NQNs, suggesting enhanced electronic properties. The electrical conductivity measurements, at a frequency range of 50 Hz to 8 MHz and temperature range from 20 °C to 80 °C, showed that the incorporation of Gr, a two-dimensional (2D) material, and NQNs significantly enhanced the conductivity of the nanocomposites, with the optimal performance observed at 7 wt% NQNs. Dielectric measurements revealed that the PVA/Gr-7 wt% NQNs nanocomposite exhibited superior dielectric properties, with higher dielectric constant and lower dielectric loss compared to pure PVA. Nyquist plots indicated reduced bulk resistance and enhanced thermal stability for the PVA/Gr-7 wt% NQNs composite. Capacitance-frequency and conductance-frequency analyses of the fabricated capacitor confirmed this composite's superior performance for dielectric capacitors. The optimized PVA/Gr-7 wt% NQNs nanocomposite, leveraging the unique properties of natural quartz and 2D graphene, demonstrated significant improvements in electrical and dielectric properties, making it a promising candidate for advanced dielectric capacitors in energy storage applications. The study confirms the innovative use of natural and 2D materials to develop energy storage devices.

Improvement of electrical and optoelectronic properties of ZnO thin films by plasma nitridation treatment

Understanding and controlling the effects of trap sites in ZnO semiconductors are crucial for optimizing device performance and enabling various technological applications. To passivate the trap sites, the N atoms are incorporated into polycrystalline ZnO thin films via a plasma nitridation (PN) process using NH3 gas. The results show that the contact resistivity, sheet resistance, and transfer length of the ZnO photodetector are improved after the PN treatment. The photo-to-dark current ratio (PDCR) and responsivity values increase from 42.52 to 103.19 and from 344.36 A/W to 5727.63 A/W, respectively, after the PN treatment. This improvement in photodetector properties is attributed to the introduced N atoms, which effectively reduce the trap sites in the ZnO thin film. This PN treatment technology has the potential to improve device performance in both electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Studying the structural, thermal, mechanical, and dielectric features of PVA/iron oxide@SiO2 polymer nanocomposites for electrical applications

Fe3O4@SiO2 (FS) nanocomposite was synthesized through the co-precipitation method and utilized as a filler material in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix to obtain PVA/iron oxide@silica Fe3O4@SiO2 (PFS) films. This study presents the synthesis and characterization of flexible polymer nanocomposites comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrices embedded with iron oxide @ silica. Through the analysis of the composite, we observed a significant enhancement in the thermal stability of the nanocomposites with increasing Fe3O4@SiO2 content. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra have been used to provide more information about the chemical state and electronic structure of the polymer film. Dielectric spectroscopy revealed notable improvements in electrical properties, including increased real electric modulus and permittivity. Mechanical investigation showed an improvement in the tensile strength, meanwhile, Young's modulus has improved from 341.2 to 1789.8 MPa, indicating that (PVA) and FS successfully complexed and interacted strongly. These findings underscore the potential of these nanocomposites for high-performance applications in energy storage devices and other fields requiring robust dielectric materials.

Application of nanomaterials in lithium-ion batteries

With the rapid development of society, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) need higher performance to meet its application in different fields. Nanotechnology has been used in the research of high-performance LIBs for many years, due to its improvement of physical, chemical and electrical properties of materials. The application of nanomaterials in LIBs electrodes is the main research direction, mainly focusing on the structural characterization and electrochemical performance analysis of electrode materials. Therefore, in this research, some recent studies on nanoelectrode materials in LIBs are analzyed, focusing on demonstrating the excellent properties brought about by the unique structure of nanoelectrode materials, and their preparation methods are also briefly introduced. The results show that nanoelectrode materials have a great contribution to improving the cycle performance and rate capacity of LIBs. The prospect is expounded through the role of nanotechnology in the application field of LIBs in the future and the changes it may bring.

Manipulating Pb Vacancies Achieved Ultra‐High Thermoelectrics in Quaternary Pb0.95Na0.04Te1‐xSex via Fine‐Tuning Se Solubility

AbstractOptimizing carrier concentration in PbTe materials can be achieved effectively through the chemical doping of sodium. Nevertheless, the valence balance can lead to the presence of “deleterious defects” in the PbTe matrix, resulting in low sodium solubility at room temperature. Herein, a strategy for fine‐tuning Pb vacancies to improve sodium solubility is developed. By a trace amount of Se‐doping, the solubility of Na in Pb0.99Te1‐xSex through the preservation of Pb vacancies in the matrix is substantially increased. Additionally, a large number of dense dislocations in the grains, which greatly reduced the lattice thermal conductivity is induced. A high power factor of ≈26 mW cm−1 K−2 and low lattice thermal conductivity of ≈0.43 W m−1 K−1 at 823 K in Pb0.95Na0.04Te0.97Se0.03 is achieved. Ultimately, a high figure of merit, ZT ≈2.2, is obtained at 823 K in quaternary PbTe compound. The current findings not only demonstrate that the introduction of trace amounts of Se and Pb vacancies in the PbTe matrix can effectively enhance Na solubility and minimize thermal conductivity, attaining synergistic improvement in electrical and thermal properties, but also indicate that the synergistic effect of Pb vacancies with a specific dopant is an alternative approach for enhancing ZT.

Zirconium doped indium oxide thin films as transparent electrodes for photovoltaic applications

In this work we report on ultra-thin Zirconium doped In2O3 transparent conductive films grown at room temperature via RF-Magnetron co-sputtering. Samples from 15 nm to 90 nm thick, and low Zr atomic concentration (0.6–0.9 at.%), were annealed at T = 200 °C after the deposition. The phase-transition from amorphous to crystalline, confirmed by XRD measurements, leads to an improvement of both electrical and optical properties. The thinnest film (15 nm) shows electrical resistivity as low as 5 × 10−4 Ωcm, with carrier mobility of 20 cm2V−1s−1, and optical transmittance up to 80 % in visible and near-infrared range. IZrO electrode performances were tested through external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements on a semi-finite Silicon Heterojunction bi-facial solar cell. The EQE values for 90 nm thick film are comparable to that of standard ITO when IZrO films are implemented as front electrodes. These results suggest that ultra-thin IZrO films may be successfully used to reduce costs and the amount of Indium used in Indium-based transparent conductive oxide layers for solar cells.

Theoretical simulation of pre-sintering effect and improvement of electrical transport properties of La0.7Ca0.18Sr0.12MnO3 film prepared by spin coating method

Perovskite manganites Lax(Ca1-ySry)1-xMnO3 have drawn the plentiful attention owing to their distinctive physical properties. Their unique properties make them an ideal candidate for high-sensitivity and uncooled bolometric applications. Optimized La0.7Ca0.18Sr0.12MnO3 (LCSMO) films were grown on (00l) LaAlO3 substrate at different pre-sintering temperature (Tps) via sol–gel spin coating method. According to the test results of microstructure, internal strain, Mn ion valences and surface morphology, electrical transport properties are restricted by MnO6 octahedron distortion and film crystallinity affected by the change in Tps. The microstructure growth was improved and the surface morphology tended to grow in a cross-like structure with high crystallinity by optimizing Tps. Double exchange mechanism and internal strain were enhanced with the increase in Tps. Thereby, due to the enlarging MnOMn bond angle and enhancing MnO covalency, the temperature (Tk) corresponding to temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) was increased gradually as Tps increased. The TCR value of LCSMO film reached a maximum value (10.82 %/K) and Tk reached room temperature (302.03 K) at Tps = 1123 K. The theoretical foundation of the pre-sintering effect has been supplemented, helping to understand the influence of pre-sintering on film growth and electrical transport properties.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Cu2Se Alloys by Simultaneous Engineering of Thermal and Electrical Transport Properties through S and Te Co‐Doping

Cu2Se‐based binary compounds have recently fetched the attention of researchers due to their remarkable electrical and extremely low thermal properties. In addition, Cu2Se‐based quaternary chalcogenides are expected to present exceptional thermoelectric performance. Cu2Se1−x−ySxTey‐like compounds are synthesized via microwave‐assisted hydrothermal method and their respective thermal and electrical transport properties are studied in this research work. The phase purity and homogeneity are examined by X‐ray diffraction and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometry analysis. The introduction of S and Te elements into Cu2Se matrix enhances Seebeck coefficient resulting in improved electrical performance illustrating a maximum power factor of 989.4 μWK−2 m−1 at 673 K. Furthermore, S‐ and Te‐co‐doped samples exhibit reduced total thermal conductivity values with lowest value of 0.808 WK−1 m−1 for Cu2Se0.96S0.02Te0.02 sample in comparison to 1.18 WK−1 m−1 for the pristine sample. The simultaneous improvement in electrical and thermal properties results in enhanced figure of merit of 0.82 for Cu2Se0.96S0.02Te0.02 sample at 673 K.

Studies on Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of the Ni(OH)2 Filler Reinforced Polymer Composite Materials for Structural Application

Polymer composite materials play a vital role in many automotive and wind turbine industries because of their high mechanical properties. The present work emphasises the improvement of polymer composites used for different environmental conditions. The glass and basalt fibers with epoxy and vinyl ester matrix have been prepared individually with 3 % Ni(OH)2 filler. The mechanical and dielectric properties were investigated separately for each material. The mechanical properties of the glass fiber with vinyl ester and Ni(OH)2 filler showed better results. The dielectric strength of the glass fiber with vinyl ester and Ni(OH)2 filler material in a saline environment showed only a 38.16 % reduced dielectric value before saline treatment. The FE validation was also validated using Digimat- FE software for evaluating the void stress in the filler matrix. From the validation the glass fiber with epoxy resin and Ni(OH)2 filler showed the lowest von-Mises stress and shear stress values compared to the other materials. The overall results highlight the improvement of mechanical and electrical properties after the addition of Ni(OH)2 filler materials in offshore environment to meet the demands of the wind turbine industry.

Effect of fluorine doping on the improvement of electrical and photocatalytic properties of ZnO films

ZnO:F thin films were produced by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) technique. For photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications, the properties of ZnO films have been tried to be improved by adding the flourine (F) element. The average optical transmittance was higher than 85%. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra depict blue, green and yellow emission in deposited films. Photocatalytic activity of ZnO and ZnO:F thin films was evaluated with methylene blue (MB) organic pollutant under UV irradiation. 5% doped ZnO:F film successfully decomposed ~ 80% using MB as photocatalyst. The lowest resistivity (3.54 × 10–3 Ωcm), high carrier concentration (2.52 × 1020 cm−3) and high hall mobility (8.28 cm2V−1 s−1) were observed in ZnO:F (5%) film. With this study, it was concluded that F-doped ZnO films were effective in the degradation of MB, which is widely used in the food and pollutant industries. Therefore, it makes ZnO:F films a promising material in both optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications due to their optimum properties.

Electrical Property Improvements of Multiple Dopant ZnO/Bi2O3 Varistor By Liquid Phase Method

Although ZnO Varistor is widely used in surge protection due to its unique I-V characteristics, its key influencing factors of grain size and uniformity are difficult to be guaranteed by traditional solid phase method. In this paper, the ZnO/Bi2O3 varistor was prepared by liquid phase co-deposition method and the sintering temperature also has been optimized. For samples prepared by the liquid-phase method, as the sintering temperature increases, the grain size gradually increases, the grain distribution becomes initially more uniform and later more disordered, and the crystallinity gradually increases. In comparison to solid-phase method, samples prepared by liquid-phase method exhibit smaller grain sizes and more uniform grain size distribution. Based on this, samples sintered at 1100 °C by the liquid-phase method demonstrate optimal electrical performance: the voltage gradient is 520 V/mm, the nonlinear coefficient is 44, and the leakage current is 5.8 μA/cm2. This paper has theoretical support for the study of preparation of varistor for achieving excellent electrical performance for being used in the field of surge protection.

On-Chip Modification of Titanium Electrothermal Characteristics by Joule Heating: Application to Terahertz Microbolometer.

This study demonstrates the conversion of metallic titanium (Ti) to titanium oxide just by conducting electrical current through Ti thin film in vacuum and increasing the temperature by Joule heating. This led to the improvement of electrical and thermal properties of a microbolometer. A microbolometer with an integrated Ti thermistor and heater width of 2.7 µm and a length of 50 µm was fabricated for the current study. Constant-voltage stresses were applied to the thermistor wire to observe the effect of the Joule heating on its properties. Thermistor resistance ~14 times the initial resistance was observed owing to the heating. A negative large temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of -0.32%/K was also observed owing to the treatment, leading to an improved responsivity of ~4.5 times from devices with untreated Ti thermistors. However, this does not improve the noise equivalent power (NEP), due to the increased flicker noise. Microstructural analyses with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), transmission electron diffraction (TED) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) confirm the formation of a titanium oxide (TiOx) semiconducting phase on the Ti phase (~85% purity) deposited initially, further to the heating. Formation of TiOx during annealing could minimize the narrow width effect, which we reported previously in thin metal wires, leading to enhancement of responsivity.

High Electrical and Mechanical Properties Obtained in a Polyimide‐Based Nanocomposite with Sandwich Structure via Multidimensional Design

AbstractAs an excellent polymer material, polyimide (PI) plays an important role in practical applications. However, traditional filler doping modification is hard to simultaneously improve the dielectric properties and mechanical properties of the film. Here, PI–boron nitride (BN) nanosheets/PI–sodium titanate nanotubes (STNs)/PI–BN composite films with sandwich structure are prepared by in situ polymerization and multilayer coating processes, which significantly enhance the electrical and mechanical properties of dielectric films. With only 0.5 wt% fillers doping, the AC breakdown strength of the composite film can reach 183.7 kV mm−1, which is 16.41% higher than that of pure PI. When the filler doping is 1.5 wt%, the corona aging time of the composite film achieves 311.7% higher than that of pure PI film. In addition, the composite film exhibits outstanding elongation at break (58%) and tensile strength (138.92 MPa) performance. The 2D BN of the outer layer and 1D STNs of the middle layer effectively block the injection of charge carriers while improving the internal polarization response. A mechanism related to microstructure and interface is proposed to explain the improvement of electrical and mechanical properties in detail. This work provides a useful idea for the accurate design of high‐performance dielectric films.

First-principles study on the high-strength and high-conductivity modification mechanism of C7035 copper alloy by Ni, Si, and Co solid solution

In order to investigate the effects of matrix solid solution, precipitate phases, and microscale interfaces on the mechanical and electrical properties of copper alloys, we employed first-principles calculations based on density functional theory study aimed to understand how alloying elements enhance the strength and conductivity of copper. The results demonstrated that doping Co atoms into the copper matrix using the Dop2 structure model exhibited the most significant improvement in both mechanical and electrical properties. The Young's modulus was doubled compared to pure copper, and the hardness increased several times. The electrical conductivity reached 59.8 % of the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), showing a 6.6 % enhancement compared to Si doping. To validate computational results, we conducted experiments that confirmed the accuracy of the predicted mechanical and electrical properties. Furthermore, the introduction of Co effectively reduced electron losses at the interface between the precipitate phase and the copper matrix. The electron transmission rate through the Co2Si (211)/Cu (111) interface reached 78.6 %, representing a 94.1 % improvement compared to the Ni2Si (111)/Cu (111) interface. In conclusion, Co can simultaneously enhance the mechanical and electrical properties of Cu–Ni–Si alloys, providing theoretical guidance for the design and fabrication of high-strength and high-conductivity copper alloys.

Improvement in electrical properties of Bi-2212 superconducting materials substituted with large-scale nano-sized tin

In the current work, the effect of nano-sized Sn (50 nm)/Sr partial replacement on the superconducting properties such as crystal structure, quality of intra- and intergrain boundary coupling, dc electrical resistivity, and dc magnetization in the Bi-2212 ceramic superconductors were investigated. Ceramic superconductors with nominal composition of Bi2Sr2-x(Sn)xCa1Cu1.75Na0.25Oy where x = 0.25, 0.30, 0.35 and 0.40 were prepared by solid-state reaction method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), dc electrical resistivity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and magnetic hysteresis (M–H) measurements. Phase examination of by XRD indicated that the doping of x = 0.25 ratio nano-sized SnO2 to the strontium sites improved the formation of the Bi-2212 high-temperature superconducting phase. SEM micrographs showed that the morphological structure of all samples consisted of plate-like grains, which were separated from each other by grain boundaries, indicating the Bi-2212 superconducting phase. The highest superconductivity transition temperature among the samples was measured as the Tconset = 86 K at x = 0.25 in Bi2Sr2-x(Sn)xCa1Cu1.75Na0.25Oy. M–H loops of the Bi2Sr2-x(Sn)xCa1Cu1.75Na0.25Oy sample at x = 0.25 ratio is larger compared to other examples, indicating improvement intergrain connectivity as well as enhanced flux pinning centers. In addition, the critical current (Jc) values of the samples were calculated from M–H measurement using Bean’s critical current model. The best Jc values were obtained as 570 A/cm2 at 15 K, which is a relatively high value for BSCCO superconductors with polycrystalline structure.

Water vapor assisted aramid nanofiber reinforcement for strong, tough and ionically conductive organohydrogels as high-performance strain sensors.

Conductive organohydrogels have gained increasing attention in wearable sensors, flexible batteries, and soft robots due to their exceptional environment adaptability and controllable conductivity. However, it is still difficult for conductive organohydrogels to achieve simultaneous improvement in mechanical and electrical properties. Here, we propose a novel "water vapor assisted aramid nanofiber (ANF) reinforcement" strategy to prepare robust and ionically conductive organohydrogels. Water vapor diffusion can induce the pre-gelation of the polymer solution and ensure the uniform dispersion of ANFs in organohydrogels. ANF reinforced organohydrogels have remarkable mechanical properties with a tensile strength, stretchability and toughness of up to 1.88 ± 0.04 MPa, 633 ± 30%, and 6.75 ± 0.38 MJ m-3, respectively. Furthermore, the organohydrogels exhibit great crack propagation resistance with the fracture energy and fatigue threshold as high as 3793 ± 167 J m-2 and ∼328 J m-2, respectively. As strain sensors, the conductive organohydrogel demonstrates a short response time of 112 ms, a large working strain and superior cycling stability (1200 cycles at 40% strain), enabling effective monitoring of a wide range of complex human motions. This study provides a new yet effective design strategy for high performance and multi-functional nanofiller reinforced organohydrogels.

Synergistic improvement of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties by graphene nanoplatelets in polyaniline incorporated rubbery thermoplastic composites

Here, thermoplastic natural rubber (TPNR) blend filled with polyaniline (PANi) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) was fabricated via melt blending and compression moulding. The synergistic influence of including 1–5 wt% GNPs with 3 wt% PANi in nanocomposites on the mechanical via tensile test, Impedance electrical test, thermal stability via thermogravimetric analysis test and morphologic observation were examined. Inclusion of 2 wt% of GNPs increased by 62.8 % on tensile strength and 151.8 % on Young's modulus of TPNR/PANi. The highest electrical conductivity and thermal stability were achieved in the same nanocomposite composition. With a low loading of GNPs, an electrical conductivity of 2.6 E−9 S/cm was achieved which potential to be a new semi-conductive material. At this optimum content, the scanning electron microscopy micrograph revealed a homogenous distribution of GNPs in the TPNR/PANi blend as well as good matrix-filler interaction. To be practical in real application, cost-effectiveness is another important aspect to be determined. In this work, researchers evaluated the cost-performance of each system (TPNR, TPNR/PANi and TPNR/PANi/GNP) based on material costs, mechanical and electrical properties. Different general trends (positive, negative and synergistic) of cost-efficiency relationship were obtained for different material system and the priority greatly depends on their intended uses.