Scalable thermal synthesis of a highly crumpled, highly exfoliated and N-doped graphene/Mn-oxide nanoparticle hybrid for high-performance supercapacitors

Schematic illustration for the synthesis of the highly crumpled, highly exfoliated, and N-doped graphene/Mn-oxide nanoparticle hybrid and its SEM image.

Wide bicontinuous compositional windows from co-networks made with telechelic macromonomers

Phase-separated and self-assembled co-network materials offer a simple route to bicontinuous morphologies, which are expected to be highly beneficial for applications such as ion, charge, and oxygen transport. Despite these potential advantages, the programmed creation of co-network structures has not been achieved, largely due to the lack of well-controlled chemistries for their preparation. Here, a thiol-ene end-linking platform enables the systematic investigation of phase-separated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polystyrene (PS) networks in terms of the molecular weight and relative volume fractions of precursor polymers. The ion conductivity and storage modulus of these materials serve as probes to demonstrate that both phases percolate over a wide range of compositions, spanning PEG volume fractions from ∼0.3-0.65. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) shows that microphase separation of these co-networks yields disordered structures with d-spacings that follow d∼Mn0.5, for 4.8 kg/mol<Mn<37 kg/mol, where Mn is the molecular weight of the precursor polymers at the same ratio of PEG to PS. Over this range of molecular weights and corresponding d-spacings (22-55 nm), the ion conductivity (10(-4.7) S/cm at 60 °C), thermal properties (two glass transitions, low PEG crystallinity), and mechanical properties (storage modulus ≈90 MPa at 30 °C) remained similar. These findings demonstrate that this approach to thiol-ene co-networks is a versatile platform to create bicontinuous morphologies.

Flash freezing route to mesoporous polymer nanofibre networks

There are increasing requirements worldwide for advanced separation materials with applications in environmental protection processes. Various mesoporous polymeric materials have been developed and they are considered as potential candidates. It is still challenging, however, to develop economically viable and durable separation materials from low-cost, mass-produced materials. Here we report the fabrication of a nanofibrous network structure from common polymers, based on a microphase separation technique from frozen polymer solutions. The resulting polymer nanofibre networks exhibit large free surface areas, exceeding 300 m² g⁻¹, as well as small pore radii as low as 1.9 nm. These mesoporous polymer materials are able to rapidly adsorb and desorb a large amount of carbon dioxide and are also capable of condensing organic vapours. Furthermore, the nanofibres made of engineering plastics with high glass transition temperatures over 200 °C exhibit surprisingly high, temperature-dependent adsorption of organic solvents from aqueous solution.

Mesoporous polymeric materials are good candidates for advanced separation materials, though their low-cost production remains challenging. Here, the authors report a microphase separation technique for the fabrication of nanoporous networks from frozen solutions of common polymers.

High-modulus, high-conductivity nanostructured polymer electrolyte membranes via polymerization-induced phase separation

The primary challenge in solid-state polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) is to enhance properties, such as modulus, toughness, and high temperature stability, without sacrificing ionic conductivity. We report a remarkably facile one-pot synthetic strategy based on polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) to generate nanostructured PEMs that exhibit an unprecedented combination of high modulus and ionic conductivity. Simple heating of a poly(ethylene oxide) macromolecular chain transfer agent dissolved in a mixture of ionic liquid, styrene and divinylbenzene, leads to a bicontinuous PEM comprising interpenetrating nanodomains of highly cross-linked polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide)/ionic liquid. Ionic conductivities higher than the 1 mS/cm benchmark were achieved in samples with an elastic modulus approaching 1 GPa at room temperature. Crucially, these samples are robust solids above 100 °C, where the conductivity is significantly higher. This strategy holds tremendous potential to advance lithium-ion battery technology by enabling the use of lithium metal anodes or to serve as membranes in high-temperature fuel cells.

A non-micellar synthesis of mesoporous carbon via spinodal decomposition

Mesoporous carbons were prepared via spinodal decomposition of non-amphiphilic linear polyethylene glycol with phloroglucinol–formaldehyde resin under refluxing acidic ethanol conditions.

Simple additive-free method to manganese monoxide mesocrystals and their template application for the synthesis of carbon and graphitic hollow octahedrons

Mesocrystals are of great importance owing to their novel hierarchical microstructures and potential applications. In the present work, a simple additive-free method has been developed for the controllable synthesis of manganese monoxide (MnO) mesocrystals, in which cheap manganese acetate (Mn(Ac)2) and ethanol were used as raw materials without involving any other expensive additives such as surfactants, polyelectrolyte, or polymers. The particle size of the resulting MnO mesocrystals is tunable in the range 400-1500 nm by simply altering the concentration of Mn(Ac)2 in ethanol. The percentage yield of the octahedral MnO mesocrystals is about 38 wt % with respect to the starting Mn(Ac)2. The selective adsorption of oligomers, which was resulted from the polymerization of ethanol, acted as an important role for the mesocrystal formation. A mechanism involving the oriented aggregation of MnO nanoparticle subunits and the subsequent ripening process was proposed. Moreover, for the first time, the as-synthesized MnO mesocrystals were employed as a novel template to fabricate functional materials with an octahedral morphology including MnO@C core/shells, carbon, and graphitic hollow octahedrons. This method shows the importance of mesocrystals not only for the field of material research but also for the application in functional materials synthesis.

Magnetic microrheology of block copolymer solutions

The viscosity of poly(styrene)-b-poly(lactide) [PS-b-PLA] solutions in a neutral solvent was characterized by magnetic microrheology. The effect of polymer concentration on the viscosity of the block polymer solutions was compared with that of the PS and PLA homopolymers in the same solvent. The viscosity of PS-b-PLA solution, unlike the homopolymer solutions, showed a steep increase over a narrow concentration range. The steep rise was concomitant with microphase separation into an ordered cylindrical microstructure as determined by small-angle X-ray scattering. Hence microrheology proved effective as a means of characterizing the order-disorder transition concentration. During an in situ drying experiment, changes in local viscosity through the depth of a block copolymer solution were characterized as a function of drying time. Early in the drying process, the viscosity rose steadily and was uniform through the depth, a result consistent with steadily increasing and uniform polymer concentration. However, later in the drying process as the overall polymer concentration approached that required for microphase separation, the viscosity of the polymer solution near the free surface became an order of magnitude higher than that near the bottom of the container. The zone of high viscosity moved downward as drying proceeded, consistent with a microphase separation front.

Polymeric Micelles with Mesoporous Cores

Mesoporous polymer nanoparticles containing pores with sizes ranging from 2 to 50 nm are attractive for wide applications, such as catalysis, drug delivery, and separations. On the basis of nanometer-sized phase separation and cleavage reaction in the micellar cores, polymeric micelles with mesoporous cores are prepared in this research. A triblock terpolymer, consisting of one hydrophilic block and two mutually incompatible hydrophobic blocks covalently connected by a redox-responsive disulfide linkage, self-assembles into multicompartment micelles, a type of micelle with subdivided hydrophobic cores, in aqueous solution. Due to the incompatibility, the two hydrophobic blocks have nanometer-sized phase separation in the micellar cores, one in the discontinuous phase and the other in the continuous phase. Upon cleavage of the disulfide linkage, the discontinuous phase is dissolved in a selective solvent, and micelles with mesoporous cores are obtained. The average pore size is around 3 nm. Functionalization of the mesopores with functional compounds and inorganic nanoparticles renders these micelles suited for wide applications.

Polymerization-induced spinodal decomposition of ethylene glycol∕phenolic resin solutions under electric fields

Temporal evolution of polymerization-induced spinodal decomposition (PISD) under electric fields was investigated numerically in ethylene glycol∕phenolic resin solutions with different initial composition. A model composed of the nonlinear Cahn-Hilliard-Cook equation for spinodal decomposition and a rate equation for curing reaction was utilized to describe the PISD phenomenon. As initial composition varied, deformed droplet-like and aligned bi-continuous structures were observed in the presence of an electric field. Moreover, the anisotropic parameter (D), determined from the 2D-FFT power spectrum, was employed to quantitatively characterize the degree of morphology anisotropy. The value of D increased quickly in the early stage and then decreased in the intermediate stage of spinodal decomposition, which was attributed to the resistance of coarsening process to morphology deformation and the decline of electric stress caused by polymerization reaction. The results can also provide a guidance on how to control the morphology of monolithic porous polymer and carbon materials with anisotropic structures.

Biodegradable mesostructured polymer membranes

The extracellular matrix (ECM) has a quasi-ordered reticular mesostructure with feature sizes on the order of tenths of to a few hundred nanometers. Approaches to preparing biodegradable synthetic scaffolds for engineered tissues that have the critical mesostructure to mimic ECM are few. Here we present a simple and general solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) approach to preparing concentrically reticular mesostructured polyol-polyester membranes. The mesostructures were formed by a novel self-assembly process without covalent or electrostatic interactions, which yielded feature sizes matching those of ECM. The mesostructured materials were nonionic, hydrophilic, and water-permeable and could be shaped into arbitrary geometries such as conformally molded tubular sacs and micropatterned meshes. Importantly, the mesostructured polymers were biodegradable and were used as ultrathin temporary substrates for engineering vascular tissue constructs.

Nanoporous poly(lactide) by olefin metathesis degradation

We describe an approach to ordered nanoporous poly(lactide) that relies on self-assembly of poly(butadiene)-poly(lactide) (PB-PLA) diblock copolymers followed by selective degradation of PB using olefin metathesis. The block copolymers were obtained by a combination of anionic and ring-opening transesterification polymerizations. The molar mass of each block was tailored to target materials with either a lamellar or cylindrical microphase-separated morphology. Orientation of these nanoscale domains was induced in thin films and monolithic samples through solvent annealing and mechanical deformation, respectively. Selective degradation of PB was achieved by immersing the samples in a solution of Grubbs first-generation catalyst in cyclohexane, a nonsolvent for PLA. Successful elimination of PB was confirmed by size-exclusion chromatography and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Direct imaging of the resulting nanoporous PLA was obtained by scanning electron microscopy.

One-Step Synthesis of Cross-Linked Block Polymer Precursor to a Nanoporous Thermoset

Using a simultaneous block polymerization/in situ cross-linking from a heterofunctional initiator approach, we produced a nanostructured and cross-linked block polymer in a single step from a ternary mixture of monomers and used it as a precursor for a cross-linked nanoporous material. Using 2-(benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl)ethanol as a heterofunctional initiator, simultaneous ring-opening transesterification polymerization of d,l-lactide in the presence of tin 2-ethylhexanoate as a catalyst and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of styrene at 120 °C produced a polylactide-b-polystyrene (PLA-b-PS) block polymer. Incorporation of divinylbenzene in the polymerization mixture allowed in situ cross-linking during the simultaneous block polymerization to result in the cross-linked block polymer precursor in one step. This material was converted into cross-linked nanoporous polymer by etching PLA in a basic solution.

Carbon microfibers with hierarchical porous structure from electrospun fiber-like natural biopolymer

Electrospinning offers a powerful route for building one-dimensional (1D) micro/nanostructures, but a common requirement for toxic or corrosive organic solvents during the preparation of precursor solution has limited their large scale synthesis and broad applications. Here we report a facile and low-cost way to prepare 1D porous carbon microfibers by using an electrospun fiber-like natural product, i.e., silk cocoon, as precursor. We surprisingly found that by utilizing a simple carbonization treatment, the cocoon microfiber can be directly transformed into 1D carbon microfiber of ca. 6 μm diameter with a unique three-dimensional porous network structure composed of interconnected carbon nanoparticles of 10~40 nm diameter. We further showed that the as-prepared carbon product presents superior electrochemical performance as binder-free electrodes of supercapacitors and good adsorption property toward organic vapor.

Sub-oxide-to-metallic, uniformly-nanoporous crystalline nanowires by plasma oxidation and electron reduction

Sub-oxide-to-metallic highly-crystalline nanowires with uniformly distributed nanopores in the 3 nm range have been synthesized by a unique combination of the plasma oxidation, re-deposition and electron-beam reduction. Electron beam exposure-controlled oxide → sub-oxide → metal transition is explained using a non-equilibrium model.