Nanostructured Carbon Nanotubes Research Articles

The Prospective Applications of Arising Nanostructured Dielectric Materials in Storage of Energy: A Comprehensive Review

Background: The manufacture and study of innovative materials that enable the availability of relevant technologies are vital in light of the energy demands of various human activities and the need for a substantial shift in the energy matrix. Objective: A strategy based on the creation of enhanced applications for batteries has been devised to reduce the conversion, storage, and feeding of renewable energy like fuel cells and electrochemical capacitors. Methods: Conductive polymers (CP) can be utilised instead of traditional inorganic chemicals. Electrochemical energy storage devices with similar capabilities can be built using approaches based on the production of composite materials and nanostructures. Results: CP's nanostructuring is notable for its concentration on synergistic coupling with other materials, which sets it apart from other nanostructures that have been developed in the preceding two decades. This is due to the fact that, when paired with other materials, their distinctive morphology and adaptability significantly enhance performance in areas like the suppression of ionic diffusion trajectories, electronic transport and the improvement of ion penetrability and intercalation spaces. Conclusion: The present study forecasts the wide-ranging modern applications of diverse nanostructured dielectric materials along with its future prospectives. The potential contributions of nanostructured carbon nanotubes to the development of innovative materials for energy storage devices are also critically discussed in this context, which delivers a summary of the present state of information on this emerging topic.

The importance, benefits, and future of nanobiosensors for infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases, caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi, are crucial for efficient disease management, reducing morbidity and mortality rates and controlling disease spread. Traditional laboratory-based diagnostic methods face challenges such as high costs, time consumption, and a lack of trained personnel in resource-poor settings. Diagnostic biosensors have gained momentum as a potential solution, offering advantages such as low cost, high sensitivity, ease of use, and portability. Nanobiosensors are a promising tool for detecting and diagnosing infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease, human immunodeficiency virus, and hepatitis. These sensors use nanostructured carbon nanotubes, graphene, and nanoparticles to detect specific biomarkers or pathogens. They operate through mechanisms like the lateral flow test platform, where a sample containing the biomarker or pathogen is applied to a test strip. If present, the sample binds to specific recognition probes on the strip, indicating a positive result. This binding event is visualized through a colored line. This review discusses the importance, benefits, and potential of nanobiosensors in detecting infectious diseases.

Highpoints of carbon nanotube nanocomposite sensors—A review

One dimensional hollow cylindrical carbon nanotube nanostructure has played essential role in nanotechnology advancements, since its discovery. In technical fields, carbon nanotube has been applied in pristine as well as in nanocomposite form. Consequently, carbon nanotube has been composited with various conductive and non-conducting matrices as per desired end purposes. In sensing technology, significant breakthroughs have been observed regarding multifunctional carbon nanotube nanocomposites. Common matrices used in this concern include conjugated polymers like poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonic acid, polyaniline, etc. along with some thermoplastics like polyamide, polyurethane, etc. In these matrices, carbon nanotube can form percolation network for electron or charge transportation and may also develop interfacial interactions for fine compatibility, stability, and robustness. Sensing features of the ensuing carbon nanotube nanocomposites depend upon their interactions with the analyte (gasses/ions, biomolecules, or motion). Consequently, nanocomposites have been used to develop efficient gas sensors, strain sensors, and biosensors. Performance of carbon nanotube sensors have been analyzed depending upon the sensitivity, selectivity, detection limit, reproducibility, and responses towards analytes.

Study on synergistic hydrogen generation from aluminum-based composites in different forms of water.

The environmental suitability of hydrogen storage materials is significantly influenced by the way aluminum reacts synchronously with water, ice, and water steam. The straightforward ball milling process was used to synthesize Al-based composite materials with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene oxide (GO). The reactivity of the composites in various types of water was investigated. The Al/Bi/CNT and Al/Bi/GO composites may react in liquid water, low-temperature ice, and high-temperature steam. The hydrolysis promotion of Al-based composites by CNTs is superior to that of GO, whether in liquid water at 20 °C or ice at -20 °C. The maximum hydrogen generation rate of Al/Bi/CNT composites can reach 34.6 mL g-1 s-1 at 20 °C. The hydrogen generation volume of Al/Bi/CNT can reach 700 mL g-1 in 15 min on ice at -20 °C. Moreover, the ignition temperature and ignition delay time of Al/Bi/CNT are shorter than those of Al/Bi/GO in high-temperature steam. The hydrogen generation volume from Al/Bi/CNT at 200 °C can reach 853 mL g-1. These may originate from the unique one-dimensional nanostructure of CNTs, which provides more surface area or reaction sites during the hydrolysis of the composite.

Thermal Transport in Nano Structured Carbon Nanotubes and Its Thermal Conductance

We have studied thermal transport in nano-structured carbon nanotubes and have calculated its thermal conductance using the nonequilibrium Green’s function method. The thermal conductance of carbon nanotubes linearly depended on the width of the unzipped part of the carbon nanotube but exponentially decayed and then converged to a finite value of the unzipped length increased. But characteristics are unusual to common bulk materials but are universal to nano materials of nanotube and graphene like structures. An exponentially decayed thermal conductance with the length was found at interfaces. Electronic conductance was found to show an exponential thermal transport in carbon nanotubes showed features distinctly different from those in common bulk materials. Carbon nanotubes have been found strong structural imperfections; their thermal conductance exhibited unexpectedly perfect linear scaling behavior as the width of the unzipped part changed. As the unzipped length increased, thermal conductance exponentially decreased by the one dimensional atomic chain model. The obtained results were found in good agreement with previous results.

Effects of CNT microstructural characteristics on the interfacial enhancement mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites via molecular dynamics simulations

Numerous studies have concentrated on improving the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite (CFRP) through the modification of carbon fiber (CF) with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, most of them were confined to describing experimental phenomena. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to systematically reveal the effect of CNT nanostructures on the interfacial reinforcement of CF/epoxy. An all-atom modeling method was used to provide a quantitative description of the CF-CNT/polymer interface characteristic structure. Computational results indicate that nanotubes can protect the intra- and intermolecular interactions of epoxy segments from being destroyed, thereby preventing the initiation and propagation of micro-defects during interfacial deterioration. The mechanical competition between the interface and polymer bulk leads to different failure mechanisms, and the strengthened interface region has fewer atoms leaving the equilibrium state during tensile deformation. The insertion of CNTs on the fiber surface, specifically increasing their length, diameter, distribution density, or orientation, can improve interfacial tensile strength (up to +62.11 %) and delay the detachment of epoxy molecules from the CF. Additionally, MD outcomes were verified by synthesizing CNTs onto CF using an electric field-assisted flame synthesis approach, leading to improvement in IFSS (+62.67 %) and ILSS (+27.78 %).

Individual and binary exposure of embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio) to single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the absence and presence of dissolved organic matter

The available toxicological information was inadequate to assess the potential ecological risk of a mixture of different nanostructured carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to aquatic organisms, especially for the co-existence of mixed CNTs with dissolved organic matter (DOM). Herein, we investigated individual and binary exposure of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to single-walled (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the absence and presence of DOM. Results indicated that embryonic chorions were more resistant to mixed-type CNTs than to single-type CNTs, yet the addition of DOM decreased this resistance. The mixed-type CNTs increased the antioxidant capacity of zebrafish embryos by increasing superoxide dismutase activity in comparison to the single-type CNTs. Furthermore, the mixed-type CNTs caused oxidative damage to the zebrafish embryos, characterized by an increase in malondialdehyde level. Nevertheless, the activation of the antioxidant defense system was modulated by the presence of DOM. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that the number of unique genes (UGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the mixed-type CNTs and control groups was significantly enhanced compared to the single-type CNTs. DOM increased the number of UGs and up-regulated DEGs, but decreased the number of down-regulated DEGs. GO classification analysis revealed that the mixed-type CNTs mainly altered the cellular component process of single-type CNTs to induce joint effects. DOM generally enhanced the GO enrichment of DEGs in D. rerio embryos exposed to the mixed-type CNTs during the biological process. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis for the mixed-type CNTs showed enrichment of DEGs encoding ether lipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, citrate cycle, and biosynthesis of nucleotide sugars. However, DOM allowed more specific KEGG pathways towards the mixed-type CNTs to be identified. Despite the mixed-type CNTs exhibiting differential expression of functional genes compared to the control and single-type CNTs, DOM could regulate the expression of these functional genes associated with oxidative stress response, carbohydrate metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, neuroendocrine, osmotic stress, and DNA damage and repair. Our study thus paves a solid way for exploring the molecular mechanism of aquatic toxicity of multiple nanomaterials under field-relevant conditions.

Impact of carbon nanotubes concentrations on the performance of carbon nanotubes/zinc oxide nanocomposite for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Under the influence of visible light, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) method of water splitting offers a green method for producing sustainable hydrogen. In this work, several volume ratios of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were incorporated in the zinc oxide (ZnO) matrix to prepare ZnO/CNTs nanocomposites on a glass substrate as photoelectrodes for hydrogen production. These electrodes were synthesized via the spray pyrolysis technique and chemical vapor deposition. Various approaches were used to analyze the chemical composition, crystal structure, morphology, and optical properties of pure ZnO and ZnO/CNTs nanocomposites. The structural properties showed that crystallite size is decreased from 44.2 nm to 36.8 nm, and the optical shows that the energy bandgap (Eg) enhanced from 3.07 to 2.87 eV for pure ZnO and the optimum sample of ZnO/7 mL CNTs nanocomposite, respectively. The maximum photocurrent density (Jph) was found for the 7 mL CNTs among the produced ZnO/X CNTs nanostructures. The value of Jph for ZnO/7 mL CNTs (200.7 µA/cm2) is around 33 times greater compared with pure ZnO (6.96 µA/cm2). At 490 nm, the incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of ZnO/7 mL CNTs is roughly 9.85 %. The ZnO/CNTs photoelectrode showed a hydrogen evolution rate of 4.34 mmole/h.cm2. The improved photoelectrode additionally exhibits strong chemical stability and a lengthy lifetime under visible light without photo-corrosion. Finally, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the PEC water-splitting mechanism for ZnO/CNTs were discussed. This study presents a simple method that enables the fabrication of inexpensive and efficient ZnO/CNTs photoelectrode for renewable energy applications.

Synthesis of a one-dimensional carbon nanotube-decorated three-dimensional crucifix carbon architecture embedded with Co7Fe3/Co5.47N nanoparticles for high-performance microwave absorption

Low-dimensional cell-decorated three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structures are considered excellent candidates for achieving remarkable microwave absorption. In the present work, a one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotube (CNT)-decorated 3D crucifix carbon framework embedded with Co7Fe3/Co5.47N nanoparticles (NPs) was fabricated by the in-situ pyrolysis of a trimetallic metal–organic framework (MOF) precursor (ZIF-ZnFeCo). Co7Fe3/Co5.47N NPs were uniformly dispersed on the carbon matrix. The 1D CNT nanostructure was well regulated on the 3D crucifix surface by changing the pyrolysis temperature. The synergistic effect of 1D CNT and the 3D crucifix carbon framework increased the conductive loss, and Co7Fe3/Co5.47N NPs induced interfacial polarization and magnetic loss; thus, the composite manifested superior microwave absorption performance. The optimum absorption intensity was −54.0 dB, and the effective absorption frequency bandwidth reached 5.4 GHz at a thickness of 1.65 mm. The findings of this work could provide significant guidance for the fabrication of MOF-derived hybrids for high-performance microwave absorption applications.

Deciphering the Reactive Pathways of Competitive Reactions inside Carbon Nanotubes

Nanoscale control of chemical reactivity, manipulation of reaction pathways, and ultimately driving the outcome of chemical reactions are quickly becoming reality. A variety of tools are concurring to establish such capability. The confinement of guest molecules inside nanoreactors, such as the hollow nanostructures of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), is a straightforward and highly fascinating approach. It mechanically hinders some molecular movements but also decreases the free energy of translation of the system with respect to that of a macroscopic solution. Here, we examined, at the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) level, the effect of confinement inside CNTs on nucleophilic substitution (SN2) and elimination (syn-E2 and anti-E2) using as a model system the reaction between ethyl chloride and chloride. Our results show that the three reaction mechanisms are kinetically and thermodynamically affected by the CNT host. The size of the nanoreactor, i.e., the CNT diameter, represents the key factor to control the energy profiles of the reactions. A careful analysis of the interactions between the CNTs and the reactive system allowed us to identify the driving force of the catalytic process. The electrostatic term controls the reaction kinetics in the SN2 and syn/anti-E2 reactions. The van der Waals interactions play an important role in the stabilization of the product of the elimination process.

Octopus-like carbon nanomaterial for double high stretchable conductor

One dimensional conductive nanowire is an ideal component for efficient percolation network, which is used to construct highly conductive stretchable elastomer in wearable electronics. The percolation network frequently meets with the trade-off between high conductivity and high stretchability (“double high”) due to the interfacial stress concentration between conductive nanowire and elastomer matrix. Inspired by the octopus' structure, a hierarchical carbon nanostructure of carbon nanotubes riveted on carbon sphere (CNTs-CS) is proposed to synthetically couple high conductivity with high stretchability. As the ''octopus body'', carbon sphere anchor into elastomer matrix to allow the uniform distribution of stretching stress. As the ''octopus feet'', highly conductive carbon nanotubes remain robust linkage state under stretching strain, which ensures the generation of highly efficient percolation network. The stretchable conductor (CNTs-CS in Dragonskin) exhibits good conductivity (1.7 × 10 4 S m −1 ), stretchability (>550%) and mechanical stability (>5000 cycles). The stretchable conductor is successfully assembled in many stretchable electronic devices, including a LED-based illuminating system without obvious brightness changes under various deformations, and strain sensor exhibiting excellent sensing performance in the detection of human physical signs. This unique design strategy reveals a great application prospect in the wearable electronics.

Multiscale modeling of thermal conductivity of hierarchical CNT-polymer nanocomposite system with progressive agglomeration

Agglomeration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a key phenomenon that affects the effective thermal conductivity of CNT-polymer nanocomposites. This issue needs to be adequately studied especially in the practice of prediction of the effective thermal properties of CNT nanocomposites. In this study, we developed a multiscale model within the framework of effective medium theory to predict the effect of CNT agglomeration on the overall thermal conductivity of the hierarchical CNT-polymer nanocomposite system over a wide range of CNT loading. With an introduced Cauchy cumulative probability function, we developed a new model of CNT agglomeration wherein the CNT volume fraction progressively evolves with the total loading of the CNT fillers in the composite. This model is self-consistent and it leads to a very good agreement with experimental observations. The entire multiscale approach consists of the newly developed model of the progressive agglomeration as well as models that altogether take into account the effect of two types of CNT interfacial thermal resistance and the unique feature of the CNT nanostructure. We highlighted this multiscale approach with its implementation in the prediction of the overall thermal conductivity. Good agreement was confirmed between the prediction and the experimental data. The study shows that the existence of CNT agglomerates downgrades the thermal percolation networks and it can cause a decrease up to 50% in the overall thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite. Two important parameters for the progressive agglomeration model were identified and their influences to the predicted results were examined.

Ultrastrong Hybrid Fibers with Tunable Macromolecular Interfaces of Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotube for Multifunctional Applications.

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene have unique mechanical and electrical properties; however, the properties of their macroscopic assemblies have not met expectations because of limited physical dimensions, the limited degree of dispersion of the components, and various structural defects. Here, a state‐of‐the‐art assembly for a novel type of hybrid fiber possessing the properties required for a wide variety of multifunctional applications is presented. A simple and effective multidimensional nanostructure of CNT and graphene oxide (GO) assembled by solution processing improves the interfacial utilization of the components. Flexible GOs are effectively intercalated between nanotubes along the shape of CNTs, which reduces voids, enhances orientation, and maximizes the contact between elements. The microstructure is finely controlled by the elements content ratio and dimensions, and an optimal balance improves the mechanical properties. The hybrid fibers simultaneously exhibit exceptional strength (6.05 GPa), modulus (422 GPa), toughness (76.8 J g–1), electrical conductivity (8.43 MS m–1), and knot strength efficiency (92%). Furthermore, surface and electrochemical properties are significantly improved by tuning the GO content, further expanding the scope of applications. These hybrid fibers are expected to offer a strategy for overcoming the limitations of existing fibers in meeting the requirements for applications in the fiber industry.

Hierarchically nanostructured carbon nanotube/polyimide/mesoporous Fe2O3 nanocomposite for organic-inorganic lithium-ion battery anode

Integrating organic multiple-carbonyl polymers and inorganic mesoporous metal oxides on highly conductive carbon nanotubes is a promising strategy to manufacture high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes; however, developing multicomponent nanocomposites with a hierarchical architecture still remain challenging. Herein, we design and produce hierarchically nanostructured carbon nanotube (CNT)/polyimide (PI)/mesoporous Fe 2 O 3 (meso-Fe 2 O 3 /PI/CNT) ternary nanocomposite materials via a sequential assembly and high-temperature dehydration strategy, aiming to fabricate flexible PI-supported meso-Fe 2 O 3 stacked on a conductive CNT supporting skeleton. By controlling the linear PI mainchain through the comonomer composition, different PI assemblies can grow on the surface of CNT to anchor meso-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles as well as alleviate the structural strain resulting from the volume expansion of meso-Fe 2 O 3 in its phase conversion reaction. Considering the porosity and cavity, the mesoporous Fe 2 O 3 architecture can not only buffer its volume expansion but also accommodate a large number of electrolytes to promote Li + transport. In addition, the hierarchical architecture endows the meso-Fe 2 O 3 /PI/CNT nanocomposite materials with a high structural stability during the electrochemical process. Benefiting from these structural advantages, Li-ion batteries assembled with meso-Fe 2 O 3 /PI-EDA/CNT electrodes deliver high capacities of 708.9, 608.2, and 454.5 mAh g −1 at 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 A g −1 , respectively. Even at a high current density of 1 A g −1 , a discharge capacity of 95.6 mAh g −1 is still obtained after 3000 cycles. This work provides a promising route to integrate multiple-carbonyl polymers and mesoporous metal oxides with the aim of developing multicomponent organic-inorganic composite anode for Li-ion battery. • Hierarchically tubular organic-inorganic nanocomposite anode from self-assembly-assisted fabrication technique is reported. • Polyimide assemblies with controllable architecture for organic anode material and strain buffer interlayer. • Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticle with mesoporous structures for inorganic anode material. • The organic-inorganic nanocomposite anode shows desirable lithium-ion battery performance.

Intermittent direct joule heating of membrane surface for seawater desalination by air gap membrane distillation

Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) is a low-temperature separation process applied commonly to desalination of (hyper)saline feeds. The low energy efficiency of heating the bulk feed solution to drive vapor transport in MD must be addressed through novel materials and techniques. In this work, we introduce the concept of intermittent electrical heating at the membrane surface using electrically conductive carbon nanotube structure (CNS) films pressed on commercial polypropylene (PP) membranes. First, the Joule heating effect was optimized by varying the mass loading of the CNS layer between 1.4 and 4.2 mg cm −2 . The effect of mass loading on porosity, electrical properties and cross-sectional morphology of the CNS layer was also investigated. Electrical conductivity of CNS films increases with increasing CNS mass loading. A CNS loading of 1.4 mg cm −2 yielded the highest electrical resistance, which translated into higher Joule heat generation, and highest steady-state temperature in response to applied current. When an alternating current of 2 A was passed through the CNS films in air, the maximum surface temperature achieved was 184 °C, 126 °C and 100 °C at CNS loadings of 1.4 mg cm −2 , 2.8 mg cm −2 and 4.2 mg cm −2 , respectively. Maximum surface temperature and spatial temperature distribution of CNS films were verified using a steady-state thermal-electric simulation. CNS films exhibited rapid thermal cycling between on and off states, due to their low thermal mass, with low thermal time constants for both heating and cooling. CNS film with a loading of 1.4 mg cm −2 was then pressed onto a commercial PP membrane and applied to AGMD for seawater desalination, with the conductive layer in direct contact with the feed solution. Intermittent heating was carried out by passing a current of 2 A for 10 min at 20 min intervals, for 10 cycles. Feed outlet temperature increased by > 9 °C during each cycle, which improved average permeate flux by 78%. While specific thermal energy consumption increased by 34%, a 25% enhancement was found in GOR, indicative of higher thermal energy efficiency. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of intermittent membrane surface heating for simultaneous performance enhancement and improved energy efficiency for seawater desalination using MD. • Direct surface heating applied to lab-scale air gap membrane distillation system for seawater desalination. • Carbon nanotube nanostructures coated onto hydrophobic membrane to enable Joule heating. • Intermittent application of electrical field improves GOR by 25% and productivity by 78%. • Long-term application of high-grade electrical energy not required.

Chlorosulfonic Acid Stretched Carbon Nanotube Sheet for Flexible and Low-Voltage Heating Applications.

The carbon nanotube (CNT) is celebrated for its electrothermal property, which indicates the capability of a material to transform electrical energy into heat due to the Joule effect. The CNT nanostructure itself, as a one-dimensional material, limits the electron conduction path, thereby creating a unique heating phenomenon. In this work, we explore the possible correlation between CNT alignment in sheets and heating performance. The alignment of carbon nanotubes is induced by immersion and stretching in chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) solution. The developed CSA-stretched CNT sheet demonstrated excellent heating performance with a fast response rate of 6.5 °C/s and reached 180 °C in less than 30 s under a low voltage of 2.5 V. The heating profile of the stretched CNT sheet remained stable after bending and twisting movements, making it a suitable heating material for wearable devices, heatable smart windows, and in de-icing or defogging applications. The specific strength and specific conductance of the CSA-stretched CNT sheet also increased five- and two-fold, respectively, in comparison to the pristine CNT sheet.

Power Withstanding Capability and Transient Temperature of Carbon Nanotube-Based Nano Electrical Interconnects

This paper exhibits the electrothermal modelling and evaluation of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) based electrical interconnects for electronic devices. The continuum model of the CNT is considered and the temperature across interconnect is predicted for the given power. Finite element modelling software COMSOL Multiphysics is used to carry out the simulations. The results are compared with Al and Cu interconnects. An electrothermal analysis is also carried out to obtain the temperature for the given power for Single-Walled CNT, Double-Walled CNT, Triple-Walled CNT, and Multi-Walled CNT. Results show that the CNT interconnects performs better when compared to Al and Cu interconnects. The power withstanding capability of CNT is 68.75 times more than Al and 32.35 times more than Cu. Based on the transient analysis, the time taken by the CNT interconnects to reach a steady temperature is obtained as 0.007 ns. On the application of power, Cu and Al interconnects takes 0.1 ns to reach the steady-state temperature. The nanostructured CNT based electrical interconnects would play a considerable role in replacing Cu and Al electrical interconnect applications for micro and nanoelectronic devices.

Enhancing the UV Emission in ZnO-CNT Hybrid Nanostructures via the Surface Plasmon Resonance of Ag Nanoparticles.

The crystal quality and surface states are two major factors that determine optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized through nonaqueous sol–gel routes, and both are strongly dependent on the growth conditions. In this work, we investigate the influence of the different growth temperatures (240 and 300 °C) on the morphology, structural and crystal properties of ZnO NP. The effects of conjoining ZnO NP with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and the role of surface states in such a hybrid nanostructure are studied by optical emission and absorption spectroscopy. We demonstrate that depending on the synthesis conditions, activation or passivation of certain surface states may occur. Next, silver nanoparticles are incorporated into ZnO–CNT nanostructures to explore the plasmon–exciton coupling effect. The observed enhanced excitonic and suppressed defect-related emissions along with blue-shifted optical band gap suggest an intricate interaction of Burstein–Moss, surface plasmon resonance and surface band-bending effects behind the optical phenomena in hybrid ZnO–CNT–Ag nanocomposites.

Fused Hybrid Linkers for Metal–Organic Frameworks-Derived Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts

Noble metal free M-N-C oxygen electrocatalysts are generaly synthesized using inorganic salts, organometallic precursors, nanostructured carbon nanotubes, several dopants and carbonization under modifying environments such as NH3 or H2. Reducing synthesis steps or bringing versatility in post product is quite rare. We have introduced a series of metal-organic frameworks using iron/benzimidazole as the only primary precursor to obtain a uniform material. By merging catechol and imidazole units together, we prepared efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst. The proposed material outperforms the Pt-based materials with respect to electrocatalytic properties in alkaline media (ORR: Eon = 1.01 V, E1/2 = 0.87 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH; OER: 1.60 V @10 mA cm–2 in 0.1 M KOH; ΔE = 0.73 V). It was also established that fine-tuning of organic linker can help to modulate the electrochemical properties of the single precursor based electro-catalyst material.

Wicking-Driven Evaporation Self-Assembly of Carbon Nanotubes on Fabrics: Generating Controlled Orientational Structures.

Nanostructures with orientational order exhibit excellent electrical and optical properties; however, their construction on complex fabrics is challenging. Here, we demonstrate the potential of wicking-driven evaporation self-assembly in the oriented arrangement of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on fabrics. The solution-evaporation self-assembly in combination with the fabric wicking effect leads to convective flows along the fibers, which makes it possible to prepare orientational nanostructures over large fabric surface areas. The orientation of CNTs is controlled by the fluid drag force from the convective flow during drying, thus the interaction between the CNT and the solution is crucial. We show that the nanostructures of CNTs on fibers depend, for example, on the evaporation temperature, component concentration, and solution pH. Weakening the viscous connection of the fluid with CNTs can lead to an interesting eddy nanostructure of CNTs. The electrical conductivity of the assembled fabrics increases strongly with the degree of orientation and the assembly cycles of CNTs. In this work, the large-scale orientational order of nanomaterial achieved by wicking-driven evaporation self-assembly offers a new strategy for constructing three-dimensional oriented conductive networks in electronic textiles.