Investigating the thermal conductivity and flame-retardant properties of BN/MoS2/PCNF composite film containing low BN and MoS2 nanosheets loading

Fabrication of flame-retardant and water-resistant nanopapers through electrostatic complexation of phosphorylated cellulose nanofibers and chitin nanocrystals

Biogenic, sustainable two-dimensional architectures, such as films and nanopapers, have garnered considerable interest because of their low carbon footprint, biodegradability, advanced optical/mechanical characteristics, and diverse potential applications. Here, bio-based nanopapers with tailored characteristics were engineered by the electrostatic complexation of oppositely charged colloidal phosphorylated cellulose nanofibers (P-CNFs) and deacetylated chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs). The electrostatic interaction between anionic P-CNFs and cationic ChNCs enhanced the stretchability and water stability of the nanopapers. Correspondingly, they exhibited a wet tensile strength of 17.7 MPa after 24 h of water immersion. Furthermore, the nanopapers exhibited good thermal stability and excellent self-extinguishing behavior, triggered by both phosphorous and nitrogen. These features make the nanopapers sustainable and promising structures for application in advanced fields, such as optoelectronics.

Recent Progress in Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Flame Retardance and Fire-Warning Applications

Graphene-like 2D nanomaterials, such as graphene, MXene, molybdenum disulfide, and boron nitride, present a promising avenue for eco-friendly flame retardants. Their inherent characteristics, including metal-like conductivity, high specific surface area, electron transport capacity, and solution processability, make them highly suitable for applications in both structural fire protection and fire alarm systems. This review offers an up-to-date exploration of advancements in flame retardant composites, utilizing pristine graphene-like nanosheets, versatile graphene-like nanosheets with multiple functions, and collaborative systems based on these nanomaterials. Moreover, graphene-like 2D nanomaterials exhibit considerable potential in the development of early fire alarm systems, enabling timely warnings. This review provides an overview of flame-retarding and fire-warning mechanisms, diverse multifunctional nanocomposites, and the evolving trends in the development of fire alarm systems anchored in graphene-like 2D nanomaterials and their derivatives. Ultimately, the existing challenges and prospective directions for the utilization of graphene-like 2D nanomaterials in flame retardant and fire-warning applications are put forward.

Facile Construction of Chestnut-Like Structural Fireproof PDMS/Mxene@BN for Advanced Thermal Management and Electromagnetic Shielding Applications

Composite polymer materials featured superior thermal conductivity, flame retardancy, and electromagnetic shielding performance are increasingly in demand due to the rapid development of highly miniaturized, portable, and flexible electronic devices. Herein, a facile and green ball milling shear method is utilized for generating MXene@Boron nitride (MXene@BN). The multi-functional fillers (MXene@BN) are constructed and incorporated into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare a multifunctional composite (PDMS/MXene@BN) for achieving improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance and thermal conductivity as well as flame retardancy simultaneously. When the PDMS/MXene@BN composite has a MXene@BN loading of 2.4 wt.%, it exhibits a high thermal conductivity of 0.59 W m-1K-1, which is 210% higher than that of the pure PDMS matrix. This is attributed to its unique chestnut-like double-layer structure. With a smoke production rate (SPR) of 0.04 m2 s-1 and total smoke production (TSP) of 3.51 m2, PDMS/MXene@BN 2.4 composite exhibits superb smoke suppression properties. These SPR and TSP values are 63.20% and 63.50% lower than the corresponding values of pure PDMS. Moreover, the EMI SE of the PDMS/MXene@BN 2.4 can reach 26.3 dB at 8.5 GHz. The work reported herein provides valuable insight into developing composites with multiple functions, which show strong potential for application in advanced packaging materials.

Valorization of sugarcane bagasse with in situ grown MoS2 for continuous pollutant remediation and microbial decontamination

In this study, sugarcane bagasse (SB) was strategically subjected to a delignification process followed by the in situ growth of multi-layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets with hexagonal phase (2H-phase) crystal structure via hydrothermal treatment. The MoS2 nanosheets underwent self-assembly to form nanoflower-like structures in the aligned cellulose inter-channels of delignified sugarcane bagasse (DSB), the mechanism of which was understood through FTIR and XPS spectroscopic studies. DSB, due to its porous morphology and abundant hydroxyl groups, shows remediation capabilities of methylene blue (MB) dye through physio-sorption but shows a low adsorption capacity of 80.21 mg/g. To improve the removal capacity, DSB after in situ growth of MoS2 (DSB-MoS2) shows enhanced dye degradation to 114.3 mg/g (in the dark) which further improved to 158.74 mg/g during photodegradation, due to catalytically active MoS2. Interestingly, DSB-MoS2 was capable of continuous dye degradation with recyclability for three cycles, reaching an efficiency of > 83%, along with a strong antibacterial response against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). The present study introduces a unique strategy for the up-conversion of agricultural biomass into value-added bio-adsorbents, which can effectively and economically address the remediation of dyes with simultaneous microbial decontamination from polluted wastewater streams.

Preparation of MoS2@PDA-Modified Polyimide Films with High Mechanical Performance and Improved Electrical Insulation

Polyimide (PI) has been widely used in cable insulation, thermal insulation, wind power protection, and other fields due to its high chemical stability and excellent electrical insulation and mechanical properties. In this research, a modified PI composite film (MoS2@PDA/PI) was obtained by using polydopamine (PDA)-coated molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a filler. The low interlayer friction characteristics and high elastic modulus of MoS2 provide a theoretical basis for enhancing the flexible mechanical properties of the PI matrix. The formation of a cross-linking structure between a large number of active sites on the surface of the PDA and the PI molecular chain can effectively enhance the breakdown field strength of the film. Consequently, the tensile strength of the final sample MoS2@PDA/PI film increased by 44.7% in comparison with pure PI film, and the breakdown voltage strength reached 1.23 times that of the original film. It can be seen that the strategy of utilizing two-dimensional (2D) MoS2@PDA nanosheets filled with PI provides a new modification idea to enhance the mechanical and electrical insulation properties of PI films.