Template Morphology Research Articles

Synthesis of near‐spherical BN powders by templated carbothermal reduction and nitridation

AbstractBoron nitride (BN) powders with near‐spherical particles of more than 10 µm were synthesized by templated carbothermal reduction and nitridation. The effects of processing factors, such as raw material mixing methods, C/B2O3 molar ratios, and carbon templates, were systematically studied, and the reaction mechanism was discussed. The experimental results showed that the integrity and morphology of the carbon templates was usually destroyed during ball milling or grinding, but preserved during magnetic stirring. The morphology of synthesized BN particles depended on the C/B2O3 molar ratio in starting reactant mixtures and gradually changed from sheet‐like to near‐spherical shape with decreasing C/B2O3 molar ratio. The morphology and size of synthesized BN particles agreed with that of the carbon templates, which means that the morphology and size of synthesized BN particles can be tailored by controlling that of the carbon template. The BN near‐spherical particles synthesized in this work may be used as thermally conductive fillers for electronic packaging.

Zinc Oxide Nanostructure Deposition into Sub-5 nm Vertical Mesopores in Silica Hard Templates by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Nanostructures synthesised by hard-templating assisted methods are advantageous as they retain the size and morphology of the host templates which are vital characteristics for their intended applications. A number of techniques have been employed to deposit materials inside porous templates, such as electrodeposition, vapour deposition, lithography, melt and solution filling, but most of these efforts have been applied with pore sizes higher in the mesoporous regime or even larger. Here, we explore atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a method for nanostructure deposition into mesoporous hard templates consisting of mesoporous silica films with sub-5 nm pore diameters. The zinc oxide deposited into the films was characterised by small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.

Capacitive performance of electrode materials affected by the Cu2O template morphologies in graphene/polyaniline nanotube/ZIF-67 nanocages porous composite

Graphene/polyaniline nanotube/ZIF-67 nanocages (G/PANI-NT/Z) composites were successfully prepared in a co-precipitation manner and used as electrode material for supercapacitor application. ZIF-67 nanocages, including cube and hexapod, were designed via a simple and fast one-step Cu2O template etching route. The properties of the as-synthesized nanoparticles were perused by N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and electrochemical manners. In particular, the super-capacitive performance of the synthesized materials was perused by changing the morphology of the nanostructures. Results represent that the as-synthesized ZIF-67 nanocages maintain the shape and size of the Cu2O templates with a hollow, which depicts various capacitive demeanors. Amongst, the two morphologies, the G/PANI-NT/Z-hexapod (h) composite has a larger specific capacitance of 4400 mF g−1, while G/PANI-NT/Z-cubic (c) has a lower one of 3630 mF g−1 at 10 mA g−1 current density. This is mainly due to the presence of ZIF-67 nanocages with hexapod morphology and a larger surface area of 73.58 m2/g in the G/PANI-NT/Z-h composite, which leads to fast interfacial electron transfer and an increase in the diffusion rate of electrolyte ions for higher power density. This demonstrates G/PANI-NT/Z-h electrode is promising for applications in renewable energy storage.

Stem configurations, lexical items, and phonological words in Maltese

Maltese is the 'national' language of the people in the sister-islands of Malta and Gozo. Originally Arabic, Maltese vocabulary has been massively expanded by borrowings from Romance (Sicilian/Italian), and more recently English. Influential contributions in (post)generative phonology and Optimality Theory claim that Maltese phonology is based on the interaction of (Palestinian Arabic type) stress assignment with syncope, and cyclic application of rules/constraints. This approach fails in some cases for Arabic Maltese, and is inoperative for borrowed vocabulary. I argue for distributing morphological constituents in three domains. The stem-domain heads a radical base, to which a preformative morph may be incorporated, and inflectional circumfixes. The Lexical-item domain heads the stem-node to which (in)direct pronominal objects may be concatenated. Clitics are adjoined to the phonological-word domain. All exponents are mapped on the linearized segmental tier. Trochaic stems satisfying morpho-lexical constraints are built in a pre-lexical phase. Vocalism is underlyingly specified or assigned by default, including ‘reverse-imāla’. In a lexical phase, OCP and Licensing shape syllabic stem-profiles to satisfy morpho-prosodic constraints. In the post-lexical phase, surface forms are generated by application of phonological processes: stress assignment, vowel length and quality, voice alteration in obstruents. A model of 'Weak CV Phonology', distantly related to Strict CV Phonology, is drawn up. Segmental representations are analyzed in monovalent elements. Maltese has often been presented as a 'mixed' language with two strata of vocabulary and two morphologies: root-and-pattern, non-concatenative for template-bound vocabulary, concatenative for loan-words. I claim that Maltese consistently requires templatic, concatenative and word-based morphology.

Introduction of oxygen vacancies and amorphous layers into copper vanadium oxide for better lithium ion battery performance

The introduction of protective layers and defects in electrodes is an effective strategy to improve the reversible capacity and cyclic stability of batteries. In the present work, using a cuprous oxide template, copper vanadate oxide with a diverse morphology is synthesized by an in-situ etching process followed by calcination. Moreover, oxygen vacancies and an amorphous copper vanadium oxide shell are successfully introduced into moniliform Cu3V2O8 (denote as m-Cu3V2O8@aCVO) by changing the template morphology from Cu2O polyhedrons to polypyrrole-coated Cu2O nanowires. The electrochemical performances of the samples are evaluated using a lithium half-cell as the anode. The m-Cu3V2O8@aCVO manifests superior rate performance (428 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and cyclic stability (938 mAh g−1 is obtained after 200 cycles), the microstructure is well-maintained after cycles. The Li-storage mechanism of the electrode changed from diffusion-controlled to pseudo-capacitance-controlled due to the introduction of oxygen vacancies. The excellent electrochemical performance could be attributed to the introduction of oxygen vacancies and the protective layer, which improves the pseudo-capacitance and structural durability of the electrode during the cyclic process. This work provides new insight into the design of high-performance anodes for energy storage applications.

Effects of Addition of CuxO to Porous SnO2 Microspheres Prepared by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis on Sensing Properties to Volatile Organic Compounds

Porous (pr-)SnO2-based powders were synthesized by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis employing home-made polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres (typical particle size: 70 nm in diameter), and effects of the CuxO addition to the pr-SnO2 powder on the acetone and toluene sensing properties were investigated. Well-developed spherical pores reflecting the morphology of the PMMA microsphere templates were formed in the SnO2-based powders, which were quite effective in enhancing the acetone and toluene responses. The 0.8 wt% Cu-added pr-SnO2 sensor showed the largest acetone response at 350 °C among all the sensors. Furthermore, we clarified that the addition of CuxO onto the pr-SnO2 decreased the concentration of carrier electrons and the acetone-oxidation activity, leading to the improvement of the acetone-sensing properties of the pr-SnO2 sensor.

Embossed Template Induced Particles Assembly for Heterostructures and the Application in High‐Security Encryption

AbstractThe coassembly of primary particles into heterostructures represents a significant strategy for advanced fabrication of multi‐functional materials or devices, and templated assembly has shown remarkable advantage for deterministic placement of particles and the efficient integration with substrates. However, template induced particles coassembly, which is significant for integrating multicomponents at desired positions, is still challenging. Herein, a facile strategy of embossed templateinduced particles coassembly for diverse superstructures and precise patterns is reported. Tunable region selective assembly of particles is demonstrated by controlling the resistance force via designing the embossed edge and surface roughness of the template. Through regulating the template morphologies and particles composition, well‐controlled coassembly of “flower” shaped heterostructure and chiral superstructure arrays are realized. Furthermore, the printable nanomaterials self‐assembly template is employed to achieve totally bottom‐up fabrication of excitation responsive heterostructure arrays, in which the multi‐photons process based energy transfer is studied to show the application in high‐secure encryption. With the advantage of accurate position and compatible to different materials, this strategy is expected to provide a promising platform for fabricating micro/nanoscale advanced devices.

Biohybrid Magnetic Microrobots for Tumor Assassination and Active Tissue Regeneration.

Magnetic microrobots have attracted increasing research interest for diverse biomedical applications, such as targeted therapy and tissue regeneration. However, multifunctional microrobots with complex morphology at the microscale are urgently needed to be fabricated, actively controlled, and functionalized. In this study, the chrysanthemum pollen-derived biohybrid magnetic microrobots (CDBMRs) with spiny protrusion, hollow cavity, and porous surface structure were proposed for tumor assassination and active tissue regeneration. By exquisitely designing the sequential treatment process, CDBMRs were fabricated and the innate morphology of pollen templates was well preserved. Under magnetic field, CDBMR exhibited various individual and collective behaviors. CDBMRs were utilized for synergetic tumor treatment by the combination of magnetically controlled physical assassination and active drug delivery. Meanwhile, CDBMRs showed excellent ability for active cell delivery and tissue regeneration, which was further proved by enhanced osteogenesis ability. By making full use of the natural morphology of pollen grains, the biohybrid microrobots presented a promising strategy for effective tumor therapeutics and tissue regeneration.

General synthesis of nanostructured Mo2C electrocatalysts using a carbon template for electrocatalytic applications

Cost-effective and high-active electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are crucial to sustainable hydrogen generation. Because of the intrinsic Pt-like electronic structure and unique catalytic properties, Mo2C is a promising alternative to Pt-based catalysts. However, synthesis of Mo2C catalysts remains challenging on loss of active sites from structural collapse and sintering at high temperatures. Herein, a facile technique is described to synthesize robust nanostructured Mo2C with a carbon template morphology by salt-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The highly active metallic vapor precursor generated from the mixture of MoO3 and NaCl facilitates conversion of carbon template into carbide via a novel interface induced propagating synthesis mechanism. The obtained nanostructured Mo2C catalyst has high purity and crystallinity in addition to excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability in both alkaline and acidic media. The results demonstrate a promising synthetic strategy to construct high-quality nanostructured Mo2C and the technique can be extended to other carbide-based electrocatalysts for other energy-related applications.

Gold/Pentablock Terpolymer Hybrid Multifunctional Nanocarriers for Controlled Delivery of Tamoxifen: Effect of Nanostructure on Release Kinetics.

Here, we describe the preparation and characterization of organic/inorganic hybrid polymer multifunctional nanocarriers. Novel nanocomposites of gold nanoparticles using pH-responsive coordination pentablock terpolymers of poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone), bearing or not bearing partially quaternized vinylpyridine moieties, were studied. The template morphology of the coordination pentablock terpolymer at physiological pH ranges from crew-cut to multicompartmentalized micelles which can be tuned by chemical modification of the central block. Additionally, the presence of 2VP groups allows the coordination of gold ions, which can be reduced in situ to construct gold@polymer nanohybrids. Furthermore, the possibility of tuning the gold distribution in the micelles, through partial quaternization of the central P2VP block, was also investigated. Various morphological gold colloidal nanoparticles such as gold@core-corona nanoparticles and gold@core-gold@corona nanoparticles were synthesized on the corresponding template of the pentablock terpolymer, first by coordination with gold ions, followed by reduction with NaBH4. The pentablock and gold@pentablock nanoparticles could sparingly accommodate a water-soluble drug, Tamoxifen (TAX), in their hydrophobic micellar cores. The nanostructure of the nanocarrier remarkably affects the TAX delivery kinetics. Importantly, the hybrid gold@polymer nanoparticles showed prolonged release profiles for the guest molecule, relative to the corresponding bare amphiphilic pentablock polymeric micelles. These Gold@pentablock terpolymer hybrid nanoparticles could act as a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform, integrating sustainable pH-controlled drug delivery, diagnostic function and photothermal therapy.

Structure–property relations of three-dimensional nanoporous template-based graphene foams

Recently, much attention has been directed to 3D graphene structures due to their potential of retaining intrinsic 2D graphene properties, in combination with structural flexibility and tunable porosity. From a theoretical point of view, however, it is challenging to build 3D graphene foam structures that accurately represent experimental topological configurations. Here, we generate open-cell 3D graphene structures that closely reflect template-based manufacturing techniques and investigate their mechanical properties. We use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to relate the overall stiffness, collapse stress and fracture properties to the underlying graphene microstructure represented by the graphene relative density, template relative density and number of graphene layers. We do so for four different template morphologies: gyroids, regular foam (BCC), random foam and nanoporous gold. The overall mechanical properties as a function of graphene relative density are analyzed in terms of power law relations to probe the microstructural deformation modes. Our results show that the open-cell 3D graphene structures feature bending as the dominant deformation mode, with regular graphene foams having the highest stiffness and strength and random foams the lowest. For gyroids we found that a higher template relative density leads to reduced mechanical properties but improved ductility. A similar trend was observed when the number of graphene layers was increased: enhanced ductility but at the expense of a reduced strength. Interestingly, we found that for low graphene density, the gyroids feature a strong self-stiffening response, leading to improvements in both strength as well as ductility. Our findings can be used as a guideline for the experimental design of innovate and lightweight graphene structures with strongly enhanced mechanical properties.

In situ polymerization and electrical conductivity of polypyrrole/cellulose nanocomposites using Schweizer's reagent.

Cellulose-based composites have attracted interest given the shift towards ‘green’ materials, but achieving uniform dispersions of cellulose in polymer matrices and/or enhancement of interfacial interactions between components remains challenging. Herein we report the preparation of polypyrrole/cellulose nanocomposites in [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2](OH)2 (Schweizer's reagent/cuoxam)-based reaction media via in situ polymerization. The effect of cellulose template morphology and reaction media on the microstructure, electrical conductivity, and surface wettability was studied. Aqueous reaction media favored the formation of a uniform polypyrrole coating encapsulating the cellulose fibers; concentrated cuoxam solutions promoted inhomogeneity and exhibited a progressive decline in conductivity. The maximum conductivity attained was 3.08 S cm−1 from a bacterial cellulose-templated composite prepared in aqueous reaction media and afforded an approximately threefold increase in conductivity when compared with pure PPy at 1.14 S cm−1. Generally, the composites resembled wetting surfaces – with highly concentrated cuoxam solutions yielding improved hydrophilicity, while substitution of bacterial cellulose with nanocrystalline cellulose engendered a shift towards hydrophobicity. Most composites displayed a contact angle of less than 90° suggesting PPy/cellulose composites tended towards hydrophilic behavior. This study highlights investigations into the viability of cellulose solvents as a facile means to control the structure and performance of in situ functionalized cellulose nanocomposites.

Enhancing visible-light photocatalytic activity of hard-biotemplated TiO2: From macrostructural morphology replication to microstructural building units design

Biotemplating technique using hard templates is an effective strategy to prepare visible light-activated TiO2 inherited macrostructural morphologies and self-doping elements from templates. However, conventional hard biotemplating method for preparing TiO2 focused only on replicating the macrostructural morphology of templates via the sol-gel method, and neglected the effect of microstructural building units for artificial macrostructure assembly. Generally, the microstructural building units of the final macrostructural morphology are tightly packed nanoparticles. This paper presents a newly designed solvothermal method to replace the microstructural building units from tightly packed nanoparticles to convex nanowires or concave pores. This strategy can achieve the leap of conventional hard biotemplating method from macrostructure replication to microstructural building units design. The hard-biotemplated TiO2 with designed microstructure exhibited significantly further enhanced visible-light photocatalytic efficiency in tetracycline degradation due to the increase of active sites, high separation efficiency of photo-generated electrons and reducing the charge-transfer resistance. Biotemplated TiO2 with concave porous microstructural building units is 22.0, 5.5 and 4.4 times higher than those of pure TiO2 and the two biotemplated TiO2 samples prepared via conventional sol-gel method and solvothermal method without glycerol or HF added, respectively. The enhanced visible-light photocatalytic efficiency by microstructure design was also demonstrated by using ciprofloxacin.

Biopolymer‐Templated Deposition of Ordered and Polymorph Titanium Dioxide Thin Films for Improved Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensitivity

AbstractTitanium dioxide (TiO2) is an excellent candidate material for semiconductor metal oxide‐based substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Biotemplated fabrication of TiO2 thin films with a 3D network is a promising route for effectively transferring the morphology and ordering of the template into the TiO2 layer. The control over the crystallinity of TiO2 remains a challenge due to the low thermal stability of biopolymers. Here is reported a novel strategy of the cellulose nanofibril (CNF)‐directed assembly of TiO2/CNF thin films with tailored morphology and crystallinity as SERS substrates. Polymorphous TiO2/CNF thin films with well‐defined morphology are obtained by combining atomic layer deposition and thermal annealing. A high enhancement factor of 1.79 × 106 in terms of semiconductor metal oxide nanomaterial (SMON)‐based SERS substrates is obtained from the annealed TiO2/CNF thin films with a TiO2 layer thickness of 10 nm fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO), when probed by 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid molecules. Common SERS probes down to 10 nm can be detected on these TiO2/CNF substrates, indicating superior sensitivity of TiO2/CNF thin films among SMON SERS substrates. This improvement in SERS sensitivity is realized through a cooperative modulation of the template morphology of the CNF network and the crystalline state of TiO2.

Structural and Synthetic Modification of Graphitic Foams and Dendritic Graphitic Foams for Thermal Management

The performances of porous graphitic foams in flexible electronic, electrochemical, and thermal management devices can be enhanced by increasing the interfacial charge or heat transport between the 3D graphitic network and the functional materials filled into the pore space. Herein, an investigation of the effects of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) conditions on the structure and thermal conductivities of both graphitic foams grown from reticular Ni foams and dendritic graphitic foams (DGFs) synthesized from electrodeposited dendritic Ni foams is reported. A room‐temperature solid thermal conductivity () up to 800 W m−1 K−1 is obtained from the graphitic foams (GF) with less than 1% volume fraction. In comparison, the DGFs, which provide a large increase of the specific surface area for enhanced interfacial heat transfer, achieve an effective thermal conductivity of 2.5 ± 0.2 W m−1 K−1 because of an enhanced volume fraction to about 5% despite a compromised around 200 W m−1 K−1 due to the increased defect density. Through systematical variations of the catalyst template morphology and CVD conditions, this work reveals the distinct roles of catalyst surface curvature and graphitic strut thickness in controlling the properties of GFs and DGFs for thermal management.

CARP Affix Ordering: Problematic in Lubukusu

Hyman and Mchombo (1992), Babye (1985), (Myers 1987), (Rice 2000), and Hyman (2002 & 2003) have shown that there is affix ordering in Proto-Bantu languages that obeys the 'CARP' (Causative-Applicative-Reciprocal-Passive template). Drawing data from Lubukusu, a Bantu language, the current study analyzes affix ordering of class-changing morphemes, arguing against the templatic morphology that most researchers have shown to be dominant in Bantu languages. The current study uses Bybee’s (1985) principle of iconicity (principle of relevance), where it is proposed that affixes closer to the verb stem are more 'relevant' to the verb than to the rest of the sentence and those affixes further away are less relevant. Based on Baybee’s relevance principle, the study argues that there are various affix ordering orders in Lubukusu, which are semantically motivated. The data that are used in the analyses are self-generated and verified by three native Lubukusu speakers who are competent in the language. Findings show that as much as Lubukusu obeys the templatic morphology, the same is violated in various morpho-semantic contexts. The study recommends more studies on affix ordering in the Lubukusu language based on other existing frameworks that have been tested on languages rather than those from the proto Bantu family.

Chirality Induction to CdSe Nanocrystals Self-Organized on Silica Nanohelices: Tuning Chiroptical Properties.

CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) were grafted on chiral silica nanoribbons, and the mechanism of resulting chirality induction was investigated. Because of their chiral organization, these NCs show optically active properties that depend strongly on their grafting densities and sizes of the NCs. The effect of the morphology of the chiral silica templates between helical (cylindrical curvature) vs twisted (saddle like curvature) ribbons was investigated. The g-factor of NCs-silica helical ribbons is larger than that of the NCs-silica twisted ribbons. Finally, rod-like NCs (QR) with different lengths were grafted on the twisted silica ribbons. Interestingly, their grafting direction with respect to the helix surface changed from side-grafting for short QR to tip-grafting for long rods and the corresponding CD spectra switched signs.

Morphological effect on electrochemical performance of nanostructural CrN* *Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11904299, U1930124, and 11804312) and China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) Foundation (Grant No. 2018AB02).

Size and morphology are critical factors in determining the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor materials, due to the manifestation of the nanosize effect. Herein, different nanostructures of the CrN material are prepared by the combination of a thermal-nitridation process and a template technique. High-temperature nitridation could not only transform the hexagonal Cr2O3 into cubic CrN, but also keep the template morphology barely unchanged. The obtained CrN nanostructures, including (i) hierarchical microspheres assembled by nanoparticles, (ii) microlayers, and (iii) nanoparticles, are studied for the electrochemical supercapacitor. The CrN microspheres show the best specific capacitance (213.2 F/g), cyclic stability (capacitance retention rate of 96% after 5000 cycles in 1-mol/L KOH solution), high energy density (28.9 Wh/kg), and power density (443.4 W/kg), comparing with the other two nanostructures. Based on the impedance spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption analysis, it is revealed that the enhancement arised mainly from a high-conductance and specific surface area of CrN microspheres. This work presents a general strategy of fabricating controllable CrN nanostructures to achieve the enhanced supercapacitor performance.

Probe decorated porous silica and polymer monoliths as solid-state optical sensors and preconcentrators for the selective and fast recognition of ultra-trace arsenic ions

In this work, we manifested a new approach in designing solid-state colorimetric sensors for the selective optical sensing of As3+. The sensor fabrication is modulated using, (i) a cubic mesopores of ordered silica monolith, and (ii) a bimodal macro-/meso-porous polymer monolith, as hosting templates that are immobilized with a tailor-made chromoionophoric probe (DFBEP). The surface morphology and structural dimensions of the monolith templates and the sensor materials are characterized using p-XRD, XPS, FE-SEM-EDAX, HR-TEM-SAED, FT-IR, TGA, and BET/BJH analysis. The sensing components such as pH, probe content, sensor dosage, kinetics, temperature, analyte concentration, linear response range, selectivity, and sensitivity are optimized to arrive at the best sensing conditions. The silica and polymer-based monolithic sensors show a linear spectral response in the concentration range of 2–300 and 2–200 ppb, with a detection limit of 0.87 and 0.75 ppb for As3+, respectively. The real-time ion-monitoring propensity of the sensors is tested with spiked synthetic and real water samples, with a recovery efficiency of ≥99.1% (RSD ≤1.57%). The sensors act as both naked-eye optical sensors and preconcentrators, with a response time of ≤2.5 min. The molecular and photophysical properties of the DFBEP-As3+ complex are studied by TD-DFT calculations, using the B3LYP/6–31G (d,p) method.

Electrohydrodynamic Processing of PVP-Doped Kraft Lignin Micro- and Nano-Structures and Application of Electrospun Nanofiber Templates to Produce Oleogels

The present work focuses on the development of lignin micro- and nano-structures obtained by means of electrohydrodynamic techniques aimed to be potentially applicable as thickening or structuring agents in vegetable oils. The micro- and nano-structures used were mainly composed of eucalyptus kraft lignin (EKL), which were doped to some extent with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). EKL/PVP solutions were prepared at different concentrations (10–40 wt.%) and EKL:PVP ratios (95:5–100:0) in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and further physico-chemically and rheologically characterized. Electrosprayed micro-sized particles were obtained from solutions with low EKL/PVP concentrations (10 and 20 wt.%) and/or high EKL:PVP ratios, whereas beaded nanofiber mats were produced by increasing the solution concentration and/or decreasing EKL:PVP ratio, as a consequence of improved extensional viscoelastic properties. EKL/PVP electrospun nanofibers were able to form oleogels by simply dispersing them into castor oil at nanofiber concentrations higher than 15 wt.%. The rheological properties of these oleogels were assessed by means of small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and viscous flow tests. The values of SAOS functions and viscosity depended on both the nanofiber concentration and the morphology of nanofiber templates and resemble those exhibited by commercial lubricating greases made from traditional metallic soaps and mineral oils.