Melt-spinning of novel phase change fibers (PCFs) capable of management of thermal energy is an ideal solution to smartly regulate the human body's microenvironment temperature. The development of these fibers as well as fabrics is however limited by the number of available phase change materials (PCMs) given their currently facing low heat resistance and poor washing durability. We present here a

The continuous trend of miniaturization leads to unprecedented power densities within electronic devices, which also becomes the bottleneck of the device performance. Effective cooling of electronic devices is critical and polymer-based materials may play an important role in this important direction, with advantages such as low cost, corrosion resistance, light weight, and flexibility. For thermal

With the development of downstream applications, functionalized polyimide (PI) composites have gradually become a research hotspot. The traditional approaches to prepare functional PI are complex and time-consuming, which are not suitable for large-scale production. In this paper, a three-step strategy for PI microspheres functionalization through PAA microsphere preparation, functional material cladding

Energy expenditure in buildings and transportation is about 63% of all global energy consumption, making them major targeted sectors for energy conservation and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction. To save energy in cooling of automobiles and buildings, transparent passive-cooling films with 90-nm-diameter zinc oxide (ZnO) particles dispersed in low density polyethylene were manufactured. These

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs)-based materials have been widely applied in various environmental applications, including the catalytic reduction of organic pollutants and elimination of the microbial pathogens in wastewater due to its unique physicochemical properties. However, the stability and catalytic activity of NPs-based materials are limited due to their severe aggregation in aqueous environments

Stress relaxation is an important parameter factor to determine the applicability of materials under the condition of dynamic loading. Here, we found that soy protein polymer (SPP), a natural polymer, can improve stress relaxation resistance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) films. Such improvement in stress relaxation resistance was accompanied with the improved thermal stability. The mechanism of the improved

The M40 carbon fibers reinforced magnesium matrix composites were fabricated by pressure infiltration method. The interfacial reactions and mechanical properties of the composites were optimized by adjusting the preheating temperatures of the preform (PRT) and the casting temperatures of the melting (CAT). The lower preheating temperatures of preform resulted in casting defects at the interface between

A major problem with carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) composites is their weakness to resist interlaminar delamination originating from the brittle epoxy matrix. Interleaving has been long studied as a solution. In this work, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were uniformly decorated on electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers by ultra-sonication to form flexible interleaves for CF/EP laminates. Upon epoxy curing

Black phosphorus (BP) has attracted a lot of interest in the fields of oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Nevertheless, in terms of single use of BP as a catalyst, the inherent instability and poor conductivity of BP often limit further improvement of OER catalytic performance. Herein, we report a method using mechanical shear force to fully mix the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and red phosphorus powder (RP)

Rambutan-like Nb2O5 coated single-layer hollow carbon spheres (Nb2O5@SHCs) with unique morphology were synthesized by using SHCs as template via a simple hydrothermal method. The as-fabricated rambutan-like Nb2O5@SHCs presents improved electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance, especially strong reflection loss (RL) and wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < −10 dB). The minimum reflection

It is a challenge in the application of phase change materials (PCMs) to effectively prevent leakage and improve thermal conductivity while still maintaining high enthalpy and excellent mechanical properties. In this work, a novel phase change composite (PCC) has been successfully fabricated via in-situ filling the prepared microcapsules (Paraffin@SiO2) together with boron nitride (BN) into the poly

Fabricating flexible and large-scale graphene-based films through a simple process to achieve excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance is still a daunting challenge. Herein, the flexible and large-area EMI shielding films with ultrathin coating thickness (i.e., 10 μm) and low coating density (i.e., 2.4 mg/cm2) were fabricated through a simple drop-casting approach by using

Copper matrix composites reinforced by in-situ grown graphene provides a promising approach to realize both high strength and high electrical conductivity in metallic conductors. However, in-situ growth on Cu powder usually cause wrinkles and thick layer thickness in the graphene, which could form defects in the final composites. Here, a method of plasma assisted ball milling is introduced to treat

Despite the significant progress in thermoelectric composites in recent years, composite systems completely composed of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures are rarely reported. In this study, the thermoelectric composites are prepared using 2D nanobelts of SnSe, obtained by a chemically exfoliation process (solvothermal lithium-intercalation and subsequent exfoliation), and

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated onto glass fibres (GFs) using a one-step flame synthesis method. The GF/epoxy resin matrix interfacial bonding strength was investigated by fibre bundle pull-out tests. Results showed that, compared to the as-received GF/epoxy, significant interfacial bonding strength enhancement of ~33% was obtained for CNT-coated GFs/epoxy. Moreover, the wettability of CNT-coated

Owing to low cost and natural abundance of sodium reserves, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are attracting increasing attention and become promising alternatives to lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Based on merits of high structure stability and superb conductivity, nanocomposites have been widely investigated for SIB electrodes. However, SIBs still face some significant issues like serious side reactions

In this paper, In2Se3/CdSe nanocomposites are successfully synthesized and used for photocatalytic hydrogen production. HRTEM and XPS confirm the existence of heterojunction between In2Se3 and CdSe. The In2Se3/CdSe nanocomposite with a CdSe content of about 85.96% shows the best photocatalytic hydrogen production activity, and its photocatalytic performance is much better than that of In2Se3 and CdSe

Lattice structures have several advantageous properties, including light weight, high specific strength, and high specific stiffness. 3D printing technology was used to prepare pyramidal structures with different strut diameters. Here, compression tests were used to study the effect of the relative density on the structural deformation mechanism, compression performance, and energy absorption characteristics

Vapor-phase polymerization (VPP) of pyrrole is a facile, and salutary technique for enhancing multilateral properties of substrates for various applications. Herein, a facile, and eco-friendly VPP of pyrrole on the cotton/polyester substrate using the silver nitrate has been primarily introduced. The polymerization time and the oxidant concentration have been varied to obtain new composite textiles

The emanation of 3D printing technology has enabled researchers to manufacture complex geometrical structures to design high impact energy-absorbing structure for different laboratory and industrial applications. In the present investigation, an Impact test had been performed to measure the absorbed energy during the plastic deformation of the PLA (Polylactic acid) 3D printed components with the combination

Polyimide (PI) nanofiber membrane prepared by electrospinning technique exhibits poor mechanical strength for the slippage of fibers, which limits it applied into lithium ion battery (LIB). In this study, we are devoted to promoting the macro mechanical strength of PI nanofiber membrane by inhibiting the slippage among the fibers. Lithium polyacrylate (PAALi) is a kind of excellent binder, and it contributes

Stiffness of composites with coated inclusions can be determined by a variety of micromechanical methods. The present method approaches the problem by modeling the stiffness of a multi-phase composite with coated inclusions as a combination of stiffness tensors obtained for two-phase models. The potential advantage of the present method is its applicability to arbitrary inclusion geometries and multiple

A novel Cu-containing magnetic ionic liquid-based nanoporous organosilica composite with yolk-shell structure [Fe3O4@RF@void@PMO(IL)/Cu] was synthesized through nonsacrificial self-template strategy. The Fe3O4@RF@void@PMO(IL)/Cu nanosphere was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), transmission

The achievement of electrode materials with favorable electrolytic wettability is of significance for raising their electrochemical performance due to the occurring of electrostatic and pseudocapacitive processes at the interface. Herein, a polyaniline-decorated carbon nanofiber/nanosheet network (PANI@CNF/CNS) was prepared by in-situ polymerization of PANI on the surface of an interwoven carbon nanofiber/nanosheet

Compared with laminated FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) tube, FRP-foam sandwich tube can improve the stability of the member and better exert the high strength of FRP. It can be used in civil engineering as compression member with lightweight, high bearing capacity and corrosion resistance. In order to study the compression characteristics of this new type of compression member, axial compression tests

The Bouligand structure is a typical helicoidal architecture found in various crustaceans in which each layer rotates by a small angle relative to the adjacent one. We present a theoretical analysis to relate the rotation pitch angle to the mechanical performance (interlaminar shear property in this case) of laminas mimicking the Bouligand architecture. For a given laminate, there exists an optimal

The hybrid type of polymer nanocomposites based on Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Poly(vinyl) pyrrolidone (PVP) with tin oxide (SnO) have been prepared by simple solution casting method. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been employed to elucidate the successful incorporation of SnO nanoparticles (NPs) in the PVA/PVP

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been proposed as a promising technique in biological and chemical sample detection. Herein, with nanographene oxide (nGO) as substrate, we firstly prepared facile platforms (PAMAMG1-nGO-PEG and PAMAMG3-nGO-PEG) through the functionalization of nGO with biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hyperbranched polyamidamine (PAMAM) dendrimer. nGO/gold

Personal thermal management, including warming, cooling, and adaptive thermoregulation of human body, is critical to the comfort and performance of individuals in daily life. Most people feel comfortable within a narrow range of temperature (i.e., between 20 °C and 27 °C) and relative humidity (between 35% and 60%). However, extremely hot or cold environments, dynamic climate changes, and excessive

The developed multi-material fused deposition modeling (m-FDM) 3D printing approach was proposed to fabricate functionally gradient composites (FGCs) with diversely tunable mechanical gradients. The mechanical properties of the m-FDM 3D printed FGCs were studied as a whole part, including the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), the storage modulus, and the tensile strength. The interlaminar shear testing

We developed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) and polyethylene oxide composites and demonstrated their use for soft and stretchable thin film thermoelectric devices. A stable thermoelectric performance can be observed under 20% stretching. Due to the vast processability of the polyethylene oxide polymer, bulk size thermoelectric devices can be produced with scalable manufacturing

Construction of metal-organic framework (MOF) derived hierarchical hybrid (βCD@P-MOF) as intumescent fire retardant is first proposed to enhance the fire retardancy of epoxy resin (EP), which consists of bio-based phytic acid functionalized MOF(P-MOF) and carbon source β-cyclodextrin. With only 3% of the novel hybrid, EP composites exhibited a 41% reduction in peak heat release rate (pHRR) and 62%

Insulating materials with effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and heat dissipation are urgently required for modern electronic devices and systems, but it seems that the EMI shielding cannot be compensated without sacrificing the electrical insulation performance. In this study, a layer-by-layer spin coating process has been proposed to prepare multilayer films (MXene/polydimethylsiloxane/boron

In this study, a novel UV-resistant hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU) was designed and processed into a series of waterborne sizing agents for short carbon fiber (SCF). The content of functional groups on the SCF surface was subsequently increased, leading to improvement of the interfacial adhesion of SCF/polyamide6 (PA6) composites. According to the mechanical property results, SCF/PA6 composites

High thermal conductivity and high flexibility, required by advanced microelectronic devices, are hard to be combined in composites, because their dependences on components concentration often contradict each other. Here, the conflicting goals are achieved by preparing meter-level BN paper containing 82.6 wt% commercial micron BN sheets with dihydromyricetin (DMY) from herbal medicine as a novel surface

Functionalized and/or heteroatom-doped nanostructured hollow graphitic carbonaceous composites have stimulated extensive interest in many applications due to their distinctive structures and physical properties. However, there are still some amorphous carbons in the graphitic composite matrix, which limit their broader usage. Herein, we report a simple acid-based hydrothermal process to not only selectively

Exploring highly efficient and low-cost bifunctional electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is significant for the development of renewable energy. Here, Co9S8 nanospheres with hollow structure anchored on N and S dual-doped graphene oxide (Co9S8-NSGO) are synthesized by solvothermal strategy. After pyrolyzed, advanced bifunctional electrocatalysts

Fiber-Metal Laminates (FMLs) have gained increasing attention in the advanced industry due to their unique structural reliability, weight reduction, and improved damage tolerance. Nevertheless, the existing forming approaches are not well qualified for the high-volume manufacturing of small and complex laminate components. With the forming of FMLs, the cured fiber and resin matrix layers are deformed

“Green cement” has been extensively studied to reduce the carbon emission and the energy consumption associated with the construction materials production. In this research, we developed a sectioned compaction system to produce bricks of ultralow-binder-content (UBC) composite, which consisted of ~96 wt% sand and ~4 wt% epoxy binder. After premixing, the material was compressed in nine sections and

Polymer nanofibers have a great potential in PM2.5 filtration, but they generally cannot remove particulate matter (PM) particles directly from high-temperature sources due to their vulnerable structure. Polysulfonamide (PSA)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite nanofibers that can withstand a temperature up to 400 °C, were fabricated by a simple electrospinning method. The interactions between PSA and

In the present study, in-situ TiB whiskers and La2O3 particles showing a network structure were designed and introduced into Ti–Ni composites. With LaB6 content increasing, the amount of in-situ TiB whiskers and La2O3 particles also increases. In addition to the in-situ reinforcements, Ti2Ni second phase also precipitates. The B19'⇌B2 martensitic transformation can be detected in all Ti–Ni composites

Noble metal-based catalysts with rationally designed nanostructures have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent catalytic activity for important chemical reactions. It is highly desired to develop efficient nanostructured noble metal based catalysts and to understand the mechanism underlying their catalytic activities. Here, highly efficient nitrophenol reduction was achieved on Pd

Hydrophobic polydopamine (HPDA) nanoparticles were prepared by surface modification of polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles to improve their dispersion in hydrophobic polymer matrix. Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/HPDA with well dispersed HPDA nanoparticles were prepared through solution coagulation. The mechanical properties of PBAT were reinforced efficiently with Young's modulus improved

The flexible heat dissipation material with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation is ideal for highly integrated flexible electronic devices. In this study, the flexible polymer composite films were prepared by spin coating process, the thermal conductivity and electrical insulation of the composite film are significantly enhanced by adding short carbon fibers (SCF) and boron nitride

In this work, the low-density, compressible and porous composites are fabricated by simply coating polyurethane (PU) sponge with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and hematite (Fe2O3) hollow microspheres for the application of absorption-dominant electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites in X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz). By coating rGO on the skeleton of PU sponge, the composites possess high EMI

In predicting the electrical conductivity (EC) of carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer nanocomposites (CPCs), previous analytical models did not simultaneously consider the effects of CNT waviness and dispersion state, which exist inevitably for real CPCs. In this work, an effective and comprehensive analytical model is developed to predict the percolation threshold and the EC of CPCs by taking into account

Silicon anode usually exhibits high capacity, good initial coulombic efficiency, but poor cycle performance. While the extra oxygen in SiO can significantly contribute to the cyclic stability but at the cost of initial coulombic efficiency. Therefore oxygen content plays a key role in the performance balance of silicon-based anode materials. In order to demonstrate the influence of oxygen content on

Herein, a facile method is developed to fabricate the three novel blends consisting of Polyamide-imide/Cyanate ester resins (PAI/CE), Kane Ace MX451/Cyanate ester resins (MX451/CE), and Polyamide-imide/Kane Ace MX451/Cyanate ester resins(PAI/MX451/CE). It was found that the fractured surface of PAI/CE presented an ordered micro-stratified morphology with parallel and regular arrangement. By means of

In this work, iron carbide/ferroferric oxide/carbon/reduced graphene oxide (Fe2C/Fe3O4/C/RGO) nanocomposite was fabricated through a facile solvothermal self-assembly and subsequent pyrolysis two-step strategy. Results of micromorphology and structure analysis showed that carbon frameworks displayed unique octahedral structure, and numerous Fe2C and Fe3O4 nanoparticles with an average size ca. 29 nm

SnO2 as a promising anode material possesses a high theoretical capacity and a safe lithiation potential; however, it suffers from low cycle stability and poor rate capability due to its nano-aggregation effect, structural instability, and sluggish electrode kinetics. Herein a one-pot hydrothermal process was developed to craft ultrasmall SnO2 nanocrystals uniformly encapsulated in the polyimide matrix

Graphene aerogel/PVDF (GA/PVDF) composites with a three-dimensional structure were prepared using a vacuum-assisted impregnation process. The phase structure, morphology and piezoelectric properties have been systematically studied. The results show that GA/PVDF composites have good piezoelectric output characteristics and can provide corresponding feedback according to the magnitude and frequency

In this study, electromechanical responses of BiFeO3/BaTiO3 (BFO/BTO) (0–3) nanocomposites with different volume fractions of BFO nanoparticles are investigated using phase field model based on the Landau–Ginzburg theory. A rich phase coexistence, including tetragonal (T), orthorhombic (O), and rhombohedral (R) phases, is characteristically formed in the domain structure of the nanocomposite due to