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Silori GK, Thoka S, Ho KC. Morphological Features of SiO 2 Nanofillers Address Poor Stability Issue in Gel Polymer Electrolyte-Based Electrochromic Devices. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37205840 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c04685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Nanofillers' applicability in gel polymer electrolyte (GPE)-based devices skyrocketed in the last decade as soon as their remarkable benefits were realized. However, their applicability in GPE-based electrochromic devices (ECDs) has hardly seen any development due to challenges such as optical inhomogeneity brought by incompetent nanofiller sizes, transmittance drop due to higher filler loading (usually required), and poor methodologies of electrolyte fabrication. To address such issues, herein, we demonstrate a reinforced polymer electrolyte tailored through poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP),1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIMBF4), and four types of mesoporous SiO2 nanofillers, porous (distinct morphologies) and nonporous, two each. The synthesized electrochromic species 1,1'-bis(4-fluorobenzyl)-4,4'-bipyridine-1,1'-diium tetrafluoroborate (BzV, 0.05 M), counter redox species ferrocene (Fc, 0.05 M), and supporting electrolyte (TBABF4, 0.5 M) were first dissolved in propylene carbonate (PC) and then immobilized in an electrospun PVDF-HFP/BMIMBF4/SiO2 host. We distinctly observed that spherical (SPHS) and hexagonal pore (MCMS) morphologies of fillers endowed higher transmittance change (ΔT) and coloration efficiency (CE) in utilized ECDs; particularly for the MCMS-incorporated ECD (GPE-MCMS/BzV-Fc ECD), ΔT reached ∼62.5% and CE soared to 276.3 cm2/C at 603 nm. The remarkable benefit of filler's hexagonal morphology was also seen in the GPE-MCMS/BzV-Fc ECD, which not only marked an astounding ionic conductivity (σ) of ∼13.5 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 25 °C, thus imitating the solution-type ECD's behavior, but also retained ∼77% of initial ΔT after 5000 switching cycles. The enhancement in ECD's performance resulted from merits brought by filler geometries such as the proliferation of Lewis acid-base interaction sites due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, the creation of percolating tunnels, and the emergence of capillary forces triggering facile ion transportation in the electrolyte matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Kumar Silori
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | | | - Kuo-Chuan Ho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Advanced Research Center of Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Aoyama S, Ismail I, Park YT, Macosko CW, Ougizawa T. PET/Graphene Compatibilization for Different Aspect Ratio Graphenes via Trimellitic Anhydride Functionalization. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:3228-3239. [PMID: 32118138 PMCID: PMC7045320 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Two trimellitic anhydride-functionalized, thermally reduced graphenes with different aspect ratios, A f, and the same C/O ratio (8:1) were prepared and melt-mixed into poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and the mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites were studied with a focus on plastic deformation behavior. A slight increase in the G' of the melt was observed for the surface-modified low-A f graphene composites (A f = 20) below the percolation threshold, whereas a significant enhancement in G' was observed for higher-A f graphene composites (A f = 80) at all graphene loadings, both below and above the percolation concentration. Furthermore, the use of modified low-A f graphene caused an improvement both in Young's modulus and elongation at break of the resulting PET nanocomposites because of enhancement of interfacial adhesion between filler and matrix which resulted in the formation of a coupled network via covalent bonding and the suppression both of strain-induced orientation and strain-induced crystallization. By contrast, the use of modified higher-A f surface graphene in nanocomposites caused a drastic improvement in Young's modulus but lower elongation-at-break than with the unmodified counterpart; the former effect is due to the formation of denser coupled networks and stronger interfacial adhesion as a result of graphene surface modification and the latter is due to the added geometrical restriction in unentangling chains from the PET matrix in the presence of higher-A f graphene. The preceding observations demonstrate the potential impacts of tuning both surface chemistry and aspect ratio of graphene in the fabrication of PET/graphene composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Aoyama
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Issam Ismail
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Yong Tae Park
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christopher W. Macosko
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Toshiaki Ougizawa
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo
Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S8-33, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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Aoyama S, Ismail I, Park YT, Macosko CW, Ougizawa T. Higher-Order Structure in Amorphous Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Graphene Nanocomposites and Its Correlation with Bulk Mechanical Properties. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:1228-1237. [PMID: 31459396 PMCID: PMC6648142 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b03280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Graphene of two different aspect ratios, A f, was melt mixed with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to form amorphous PET/graphene composites with less than 5% crystallinity. The higher-order structure and mechanical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in these composites were investigated using techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis, whereas transmission electron microscopy, melt rheology, and electrical conductivity were used to study the graphene dispersion. A decrease in heat capacity changes, ΔC p, of PET in nanocomposites at the glass transition temperature, T g, without T g change suggests that a rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) of PET was formed at the PET/graphene interface. The stiffening effect of graphene below 1 wt % loading is quite small in the glassy state region and independent of the A f of graphene. Above 2 wt %, graphene forms a mechanical percolation network with the RAF of PET and the PET chains are geometrically restricted by the incorporation of graphene with a high A f, resulting in an unexpectedly higher modulus of nanocomposites both below and above T g.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Aoyama
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Issam Ismail
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Yong Tae Park
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christopher W. Macosko
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Toshiaki Ougizawa
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo
Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S8-33, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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Abstract
This review discusses the important concept of cotton fiber friction at both the macro- and nanoscale. First, the technological importance of fiber friction and its role in fiber breakage during fiber processing is discussed. Next, previous studies on frictional properties of cotton fibers are reviewed and different experimental procedures to measure friction between fibers or against another surface are evaluated. Friction models developed to explain friction process during various experimental procedures are considered and their limitations are discussed. Since interpretation of friction processes at the macroscale can be challenging (mainly due to difficulties in analyzing the multiple asperities in contact), a separate section is devoted to surveying studies on the emerging field of single-asperity friction experiments with atomic force microscope (AFM). Special attention is given to studies on nanoscale frictional characteristics of rough viscoelastic surfaces (e.g., plant cuticular biopolymers and cotton fibers). Due to the close relationship between friction and adhesion hysteresis at the nanoscale, adhesion studies with AFM on viscoelastic surfaces are also reviewed. Lastly, recommendations are made for future research in the field of frictional properties of cotton fibers.
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Carroll B, Cheng S, Sokolov AP. Analyzing the Interfacial Layer Properties in Polymer Nanocomposites by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy. Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b00825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shiwang Cheng
- Chemical
Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Alexei P. Sokolov
- Chemical
Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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New evidence disclosed for the engineered strong interfacial interaction of graphene/rubber nanocomposites. POLYMER 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Cheng S, Carroll B, Bocharova V, Carrillo JM, Sumpter BG, Sokolov AP. Focus: Structure and dynamics of the interfacial layer in polymer nanocomposites with attractive interactions. J Chem Phys 2017; 146:203201. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4978504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shiwang Cheng
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Bobby Carroll
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Vera Bocharova
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Jan-Michael Carrillo
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
- Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Bobby G. Sumpter
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
- Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Alexei P. Sokolov
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
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Cheng S, Bocharova V, Belianinov A, Xiong S, Kisliuk A, Somnath S, Holt AP, Ovchinnikova OS, Jesse S, Martin H, Etampawala T, Dadmun M, Sokolov AP. Unraveling the Mechanism of Nanoscale Mechanical Reinforcement in Glassy Polymer Nanocomposites. NANO LETTERS 2016; 16:3630-3637. [PMID: 27203453 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical reinforcement of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) above the glass transition temperature, Tg, has been extensively studied. However, not much is known about the origin of this effect below Tg. In this Letter, we unravel the mechanism of PNC reinforcement within the glassy state by directly probing nanoscale mechanical properties with atomic force microscopy and macroscopic properties with Brillouin light scattering. Our results unambiguously show that the "glassy" Young's modulus in the interfacial polymer layer of PNCs is two-times higher than in the bulk polymer, which results in significant reinforcement below Tg. We ascribe this phenomenon to a high stretching of the chains within the interfacial layer. Since the interfacial chain packing is essentially temperature independent, these findings provide a new insight into the mechanical reinforcement of PNCs also above Tg.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shaomin Xiong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Mintova S, Jaber M, Valtchev V. Nanosized microporous crystals: emerging applications. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:7207-33. [PMID: 25983108 DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00210a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This review highlights recent developments in the synthesis and unconventional applications of nanosized microporous crystals including framework (zeolites) and layered (clays) type materials. Owing to their microporous nature nanosized zeolites and clays exhibit novel properties, different from those of bulk materials. The factors controlling the formation of nanosized microporous crystals are first revised. The most promising approaches from the viewpoint of large-scale production of nanosized zeolites and clays are discussed in depth. The preparation and advanced applications of nanosized zeolites and clays in free (suspension and powder forms) and fixed (films) forms are summarized. Further the review emphasises the non-conventional applications of new porous materials. A comprehensive analysis of the emerging applications of microporous nanosized crystals in the field of semiconductor industry, optical materials, chemical sensors, medicine, cosmetics, and food industry is presented. Finally, the future needs and perspectives of nanosized microporous materials (zeolites and clays) are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Mintova
- Laboratoire Catalyse & Spectrochimie, ENSICAEN - Université de Caen - CNRS 6, boulevard Maréchal Juin, 14050 Caen, France.
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