ABSTRACT
Multilayered core-shell Fe3O4-SnO2-C nanoparticles were prepared via surface treatment and carbonization at atmospheric pressure. Fe3O4-SnO2 nanoparticles were prepared by the carboxylation of the pivotal particles (Fe3O4) with an anionic surfactant to immobilize SnO2 nanoparticles. A method was proposed to externally surround hydrophilic carbon with amine-forming materials, polyethyleneimine (PEI), and (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES). The synthesis strategy was based on the electrostatic bonding of the introduced amine group with the hydroxyl group on the carbon precursor and the carbonization of the coating layer by the catalytic reaction of sulfuric acid.
ABSTRACT
Zirconium diboride (ZrB²) is an ultrahigh-temperature ceramic (UHTC) with excellent thermal and mechanical properties. To fabricate a complexly structured UHTC sintered body with high density a high-solid-loading slurry with low viscosity is required to fill the mold well. Extensive studies have been carried out to improve the dispersion properties, including those on solvents and surfactants. In this study, a surface treatment using polyethylenimine (PEI) was investigated. This reagent was used to provide ZrB² particles with desirable properties, such as electrostatic repulsive force and steric hindrance, by the functionalization of amine groups. Additionally, surface treatments with different concentrations of PEI were performed. The appropriate content for a high dispersity was determined. The surface functional groups of the PEI-treated ZrB² were observed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface charge and enhancement in dispersion were evaluated by zeta potential and particle size distribution analysis, respectively. The rheological properties of the ZrB² slurries with various solid loadings were analyzed by viscosity measurements. In conclusion, ZrB² slurries with solid loadings up to 50 vol% could be prepared through the PEI treatments.
ABSTRACT
Graphite is economic and earth-abundant carbon precursor for preparing graphene quantum dots (GQDs). Here, we report a facile and green approach to produce GQDs from graphite flakes via a pulsed laser ablation (PLA) method assisted by high-power sonication. A homogeneous dispersion of graphite flakes, caused by high-power sonication during PLA, leads to the formation of GQDs following a laser fragmentation in liquid (LFL) rather than laser ablation in liquid (LAL) mechanism. The final product of GQDs exhibits the distinct structural, chemical, and optical properties of pristine graphene itself. However, graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) with abundant surface oxygen-rich functional groups are readily formed from graphite flakes when high-power sonication is not employed during the PLA process. GQDs and GOQDs show a significantly different luminescence nature. Hence, selective production of either functional GQDs or GOQDs can be achieved by simply turning the high-power sonication during the PLA process on and off. We believe that our modified PLA process proposed in this work will further open up facile and simple routes for designing functional carbon materials.
ABSTRACT
Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is widely used for the application of flat panel display like liquid crystal displays and plasma display panel. It is also applied in the field of touch panel, solar cell electrode, low-emissivity glass, defrost window, and anti-static material. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis of ethanol-added FTO precursor solutions. FTO thin film by spray pyrolysis is very much investigated and normally formed at high temperature, about 500 degrees C. However, these days, flexible electronics draw many attentions in the field of IT industry and the research for flexible transparent conducting thin film is also required. In the industrial field, indium-tin oxide (ITO) film on polymer substrate is widely used for touch panel and displays. In this study, we investigated the possibility of FTO thin film formation at relatively low temperature of 250 degrees C. We found out that the control of volume of input precursor and exhaust gases could make it possible to form FTO thin film with a relatively low electrical resistance, less than 100 Ohm/sq and high optical transmittance about 88%.
ABSTRACT
The surface morphology control of poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) layer for the improvement of polymer bistable devices (PBDs) performance was investigated based on the simultaneous consideration of the compatibility of polymer with solvent and the polymer ordering behavior during the solvent evaporation by introducing the bisolvent system of chloroform and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro-ethane (TCE). It was confirmed by ultra violet (UV)-vis spectroscopy that PVK has significantly higher compatibility with chloroform than TCE. On the other hand, atomic force microscope (AFM) revealed that the chloroform/TCE = 9/1 bisolvent led to the improved film morphology (the surface roughness of 0.190 nm) than chloroform, because the presence of TCE representing slower evaporation rate contributed to the enhancement of PVK ordering and arrangement during the solvent evaporation for the film formation. The great correlation was made between the film morphology properties and I-V characteristics of PBDs. The PBDs with PVK layer cast from the chloroform/TCE = 9/1 bisolvent showed dramatically improved bistability characteristics (Vth approximately equal to 2 V and Ion/Ioff ratio > 10(3)).