In any electrochemical device, the interface between electrolyte and electrode should be the only “legitimate” location where redox reactions happen. Particularly in Li ion batteries, these interfaces become “interphases” due to the reactivity of the electrode materials used, and they mainly consist of chemical species from the sacrificial decomposition of electrolyte components. Since the emergence of Li ion technology, it has been recognized that interphase on graphitic anodes, usually referred as SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) after its electrolyte attributes, is the key component supporting the reversibility of Li+-intercalation chemistry. Research attention focused on this component during the past two decades has led to substantial understanding about both its chemistry and mechanism. This article summarizes these progresses, and elaborates on the relatively recent insights, including the effect of Li+-solvation sheath structure on the interphasial processes at graphitic anode. A new strategy of forming a more desirable interphase is also discussed.

Systematic studies have been carried out for investigating the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced phenolic resin. In this work, phenolic resin/CNT nanocomposite were processed using two different techniques: (i) three-roll calender device (TRC) and (ii) aqueous solution processes. In both techniques, up to 2 wt% CNT was used. In this study, it was observed that the values of tensile strength, Young’s modulus, shear stress, impact resistance and also that of the tribological properties increased directly proportional to carbon nanotube volume content. Halpin-Tsai, Voigt-Reuss and Cox equations were adopted to fit the experimental data of the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the multiwalled carbon nanotube/phenolic resin composite. Morphological analysis was done utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and good dispersion of nanotubes within the phenolic resin matrix was revealed. Also according to the results presented in this work, SEM showed that TRC processing gave better dispersion than aqueous solution mixing. The observation that the values for mechanical properties increased more for TRC than aqueous mixed samples is consistent with this.

Nanocomposite piezoelectric powders comprising polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized using a novel process, which combines ultrasonication and solvent-nonsolvent mixture-induced crystallization at very low temperatures ≤10 °C. The morphological and thermal properties of these composite powders were extensively studied. Scanning electron microscopy characterization showed that these composite powders have polymer particles with an average diameter of 150 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle x-ray scattering analyses confirmed that at CNT concentrations of 0.05–20 wt% this process introduces the β-phase in both PVDF/single-walled CNT (SWCNT) and PVDF/multiwalled CNT (MWCNT) composite powders. Both types of composite powders (PVDF-multiwalled and PVDF-single-walled nanotubes) have shown piezoelectric response at different voltages up to 1% loading of multiwalled nanotubes (MWCNTs) and 0.5% loading of single-walled nanotubes (SWCNTs) in composites.

In this work, a novel core–shell structured hybrid graphene oxide-encapsulated silica (GO–SiO2) was first fabricated via an electrostatic assembly between negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) sheets and positively charged sub-micro-sized silica. Then, the new kind of hybrid filler was used for the in situ preparation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/GO–SiO2 composites. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the prepared composites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis measurements, and tensile test. It was found that GO could be covalently assembled onto the subsized silica surface via its plenty of functional groups that can also provide strong interaction with the PET. As a result, a uniform dispersion of GO–SiO2 hybrids and enhanced interfacial adhesion as well as improved mechanical property have been evidenced. The new concept of using GO as a potent inorganic fillers surface modifier may broaden the use of GO and provides a new idea for the design and fabrication of advanced polymer composites.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) obtained using ethylene as a carbon source and nanocrystalline iron as a catalyst were used as the initial material. The functionalization of MWCNTs was carried out using chlorine in the liquid and gas phase. In the second case, the reaction was conducted in the temperature range from 50 to 450 °C for 2 h. The presence of chlorine species on the surface of chlorinated samples was confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A quantitative analysis of metal impurity content was validated by means of thermogravimetric analysis. Better results of metal removal were achieved when the chlorination process was conducted in the gas phase and the ratio of metal in samples amounted from 2.3% to 5.1%.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-reinforced copper (Cu) nanocomposite coatings were consolidated using kinetic spraying. Nanocomposite particles colliding with supersonic velocity led to severe plastic deformation and deposition and resulted in bimodal structural evolution by grain refinement and work hardening. These microstructural factors contributed to the remarkable strengthening of the nanocomposites in conjunction with Orowan looping of MWCNTs. In this study, the microstructural and physical metallurgical analyses were performed to understand the strengthening mechanisms of MWCNT/Cu nanocomposites consolidated by kinetic spraying.

High-density cobalt (Co) nanowires (NWs) were fabricated using porous anodized aluminum oxide as a template. Measurement results show a high magnetic performance for NWs with a coercivity of about 1750 Oe and strong magnetic anisotropy with an easy axis parallel to the NW direction. We have investigated the effect of alternating current (AC) electrodeposition frequency on the magnetic properties of NW samples. We show that understanding the effect of barrier layer is critical for controlling the rate of NW electrodeposition. A circuit model is proposed that accurately describes the role of the barrier and interfacial layers during deposition. Results obtained by simulation of the circuit show an excellent agreement with experimental results for different frequencies and voltages. It is shown that the amount of electrodeposited material can be estimated based on the difference between the anodic and cathodic half cycles in the electrodeposited current. Use of higher frequency leads to more symmetrical half cycles and smaller electrodeposited material.

Calcium vanadate nanorods with Ca10V6O25 phase have been synthesized by a hydrothermal process without any surfactants. Hydrothermal temperature, reaction time and calcium (Ca) raw materials play important roles in the formation and size of the calcium vanadate nanorods. The nucleation and crystal growth combined with crystal splitting process have been proposed to explain the formation and growth of calcium vanadate nanorods. The calcium vanadate nanorods are used as glassy carbon electrode-modified materials to analyze the electrochemical behaviors of tartaric acid. The calcium vanadate nanorod-modified glassy carbon electrode exhibits good performance for the electrochemical detection of tartaric acid with a detection limit of 2.4 μM and linear range of 0.005–2 mM. The analytical performance and straightforward fabrication method make the calcium vanadate nanorods promising for the development of electrochemical sensors for tartaric acid.

The effect of the use of different zinc salts as zinc sources during hydrothermal growth of zinc oxide nanowires was systematically investigated. Change in the temperature, pH, and transmittance of the growth solutions prepared with three different zinc salts was monitored and used to provide a broad explanation to the effect of the salt. In addition to conventional heating process, microwave heating of the growth solutions was also performed, and differences in the ZnO nanowires synthesized through both heating methods were examined. It was found that ionization of zinc in growth solutions is influencing the formation of ZnO nanowires leading to growth with different aspect ratios, and zinc acetate dihydrate salt allows the synthesis of nanowires with the highest aspect ratio.

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (denoted as N-doped TiO2) nanomaterials were prepared through the ion exchange of sodium titanate nanotube (the precursor; denoted as STN) with aqueous NH4Cl and follow-up sintering at different temperatures in air. The morphology, structure, surface component, and optical properties of as-obtained N-doped TiO2 nanomaterials have been analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible light diffuse reflectance spectrometry. The formation mechanism and the origin of the visible light absorption for N-doped TiO2 nanomaterials have been discussed. Moreover, the thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis of N-doped TiO2 nanomaterial calcined at 100 °C are conducted as an example to examine the thermal stability of as-synthesized N-doped TiO2. It has been found that, as the calcination temperature rises, the initial nanotubular morphology of STN is transformed to the final nanoscale granular one, accompanied by a phase transformation from orthorhombic crystalline system to anatase TiO2. The N content in N-doped TiO2 is 7.04%, 6.22%, 3.20%, 1.14%, 0.61%, and 0.40% (atomic percentage), depending on calcination temperature rising from 100 to 600 °C. Moreover, N-doped TiO2 samples experience three stages of weight losses, and that calcinated at 300 °C and above have strong visible light absorption, due to the formation of Ti–O–N bonds thereat.

There is high scientific and technological interest to develop photocatalytic coatings on stainless steels surface to remove fouling under light radiation. In this study, a novel method is described to prepare photocleanable stainless steel by anodization to form aligned nanopore arrays (NPAs) on the surface in ethylene glycol containing perchloric acid. Perchloric acid concentration, applied voltage and anodization time of anodization process were investigated. The NPAs are mainly composed of iron (III) oxide and chromium (III) oxide. This photocleanable stainless steel has remarkable visible-light photocatalytic activities, which show potential applications particularly for outdoor purpose. Moreover, the stainless steel surface remains highly polished and exhibits good corrosion resistance after anodization.

In this study, Au/aminosilica composite nanospheres have been synthesized via a simple one-pot route using HAuCl4 and N-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)-ethylenediamine as starting materials. Scanning electron microscopy results show that these spheres are with diameters of about 300 nm. The obtained Au/aminosilica nanospheres were used as nonviral carriers for gene delivery. Compared with commercial Lipofectamine 2000, the Au/aminosilica nanospheres are with higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the nanospheres are biocompatible, which may find applications in gene delivery and drug carrier.

The consolidation of crystalline powders to obtain dense microstructures is typically achieved through a combination of volume and grain boundary diffusion. In situ transmission electron microscopy was utilized to study neck formation between adjacent nickel particles during the early stages of sintering. It was found that the presence of carbon during consolidation of Ni lowers the reduction temperature of nickel oxides on the particle surface and therefore has the potential to accelerate consolidation. In the absence of carbon, the surface oxides remain present during the early stage of sintering and neck formation between particles is limited by self-diffusion of nickel through the oxide layer. This study provides direct experimental evidence that corroborates related earlier hypotheses of self-cleaning on the surface of the nanoparticles that precedes neck formation and growth.

Copper–tin (CuxSn1−x) nanocluster is a promising system for gas sensing applications, mainly because of its sensitivity and selectivity for H2S. In this work, pure Sn and Cu as well as composite CuxSn1−x nanoclusters were synthesized using the dc magnetron sputtering gas condensation technique. Nanoclusters with different Sn to Cu ratios were produced by changing the ratio of Sn and Cu in the target. The dependence of Sn, Cu, and CuxSn1−x nanoclusters’ size distribution on various source parameters, such as the inert gas flow rate and aggregation length, has been investigated in detail. The results show that as the inert gas flow rate increases, the mean nanocluster size increases for Sn, decreases for Cu, while increases and then decreases for CuxSn1−x. The results could be understood in terms of the contribution percentage of the nanocluster formation mechanism. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the ability of tuning the CuxSn1−x nanoclusters’ size and composition by a proper optimization of the source operation conditions.