Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Titanium Metal Matrix Composites Prepared by Powder Metallurgy—A Review

Titanium-based metal composites (TMCs) are showing great potential to replace existing traditional materials in aerospace, automotive, and other high temperature engineering applications. This is due to their excellent mechanical, thermal, and physical properties and improved strength to weight ratio. Weight savings in the aerospace industry results in higher efficiency. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), because of their low density and high Young's modulus, are considered to be an excellent reinforcement for metal matrix composites (MMCs). In the last 20 years extensive research has been carried out to investigate the combination of carbon nanotubes with aluminum, nickel, copper, magnesium, and other metal matrices. The production techniques such as mechanical alloying through powder metallurgy routes and their effects on the mechanical properties of CNT reinforced TMCs are reviewed in this article. The role of the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes and their dispersion into the metal matrix are highlighted. Governing equations to predict the mechanical and tribological properties of CNT reinforced titanium matrix composites are deduced. With the help of this initial prediction of properties, the optimal processing parameters can be optimized. Successful development of CNT reinforced TMCs would result in better wear and mechanical behavior and enhance their ability to withstand high temperature and structural loading environments.     

Ce-Cu-Co/CNTs催化剂催化合成气制低碳醇及乙醇的研究

采用共浸渍法制备了不同Ce含量的Ce-Cu-Co/CNTs催化剂,考察了其在合成气制低碳醇反应中的催化性能,借助X射线衍射(XRD)、程序升温还原(H2-TPR)、N2吸脱附实验(BET)、透射电镜(TEM)和CO程序升温脱附(CO-TPD)对这些催化剂进行了表征.结果表明,当Ce的质量分数为3%时,低碳醇的时空收率和选择性达到最高,分别为696.4 mg?g-1?h-1和59.7%,其中乙醇占总醇的46.8%,适量Ce的添加能提高Cu物种在催化剂上的分散度和催化剂的还原性能,能显著地增加催化剂吸附CO的能力,促进合成醇活性位的形成,进而明显提高催化剂的活性和总醇的选择性.研究表明,将具有高活性和高碳链增长能力的CuCo基催化剂与碳纳米管的限域效应结合,可实现缩窄产物分布、大幅度提高乙醇选择性的目的.     

具有优异甲醇催化氧化性能的Pt/MoO3-WO3/CNTs催化剂

以聚二烯丙基二甲基胺盐酸盐(PDDA)为连接剂,采用原位自组装方式将MoO3和WO3负载到碳纳米管(CNTs)上,然后通过乙二醇还原法负载Pt纳米颗粒,得到Pt纳米颗粒均匀分布的Pt/MoO3-WO3/CNTs催化剂.当氧化物总量控制在10 wt%,MoO3与WO3摩尔比为1:0.5时,Pt/MoO3-WO3/CNTs催化剂催化甲醇氧化活性最高,甲醇氧化峰电流If高达835 A/gPt.WO3和MoO3的加入提高了催化剂的甲醇氧化活性、抗CO中毒能力和稳定性,使得Pt/MoO3-WO3/CNTs催化剂表现出优异的甲醇电催化氧化性能.     

Carbon nanotubes-supported palladium nanoparticles for the Suzuki reaction in supercritical carbon dioxide: A facile method for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted olefins

A facile and efficient method for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted olefins in supercritical carbon dioxide was developed by using carbon nanotubes-supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd/CNTs) as the catalyst. Compared with common Pd/C, Pd/CNTs could more effectively catalyze the reaction of dibromo-substituted olefins with boronic acids, affording the corresponding tetrasubstituted olefins with moderate to good yields. This environmentally benign route with an easy-to-handle catalyst provides an appealing alternative to the currently available methods.     

Electrochemical Characterization of the Interaction of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Doxorubicin

It has been suggested that multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) interacting with pharmaceutics may be introduced into the body as nanocarriers. To deliver the anticancer drugs, covalent or noncovalent functionalization of MWCNTs is required. In this study, the influence of oxidation on MWCNTs in the interaction with chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin, was characterized. The binding of doxorubicin with MWCNTs decreased rapidly with the increasing oxidation period with sulfuric acid. However, with nitric acid, the interaction increased initially and slowly decreased with time. The best results were obtained for sulfuric and nitric acid following 1 and 3?h of oxidation, respectively. The results show that sulfuric acid provided more favorable interaction for MWCNTs with doxorubicin than nitric acid.     

Beyond labels: A review of the application of quantum dots as integrated components of assays, bioprobes, and biosensors utilizing optical transduction

A comprehensive review of the development of assays, bioprobes, and biosensors using quantum dots (QDs) as integrated components is presented. In contrast to a QD that is selectively introduced as a label, an integrated QD is one that is present in a system throughout a bioanalysis, and simultaneously has a role in transduction and as a scaffold for biorecognition. Through a diverse array of coatings and bioconjugation strategies, it is possible to use QDs as a scaffold for biorecognition events. The modulation of QD luminescence provides the opportunity for the transduction of these events via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), charge transfer quenching, and electrochemiluminescence (ECL). An overview of the basic concepts and principles underlying the use of QDs with each of these transduction methods is provided, along with many examples of their application in biological sensing. The latter include: the detection of small molecules using enzyme-linked methods, or using aptamers as affinity probes; the detection of proteins via immunoassays or aptamers; nucleic acid hybridization assays; and assays for protease or nuclease activity. Strategies for multiplexed detection are highlighted among these examples. Although the majority of developments to date have been in vitro, QD-based methods for ex vivo biological sensing are emerging. Some special attention is given to the development of solid-phase assays, which offer certain advantages over their solution-phase counterparts.     

表面修饰碳纳米管/二氧化钛复合光催化剂制备及催化活性研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法在聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)修饰的碳纳米管表面均匀沉积纳米级二氧化钛粒子制得复合光催化剂。采用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、紫外-可见吸收光谱仪(UV-Vis)和X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)等手段对复合光催化剂进行表征。结果表明,二氧化钛粒子是呈球形、团聚,随机沉积在未修饰碳纳米管任意表面,甚至部分碳纳米管表面是完全裸露的。经PVP修饰后的碳纳米管,二氧化钛纳米粒子均匀沉积在碳纳米管表面,二氧化钛为纯锐钛矿晶体结构,没有金红石和板钛矿相。表面修饰碳纳米管/二氧化钛复合光催化剂在紫外光照射下降解亚甲基蓝,相比纯的二氧化钛和碳纳米管/二氧化钛复合光催化剂,具有非常高的催化活性。     

Field emission characteristics of screen-printed carbon nanotubes cold cathode by hydrogen plasma treatment

Selective plasma etching and hydrogen plasma treatment were introduced in turn to improve field emission characteristics of screen-printed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) cold cathode, which was prepared by using slurry of mixture of multi-wall CNTs, organic vehicles and inorganic binder, i.e. silicon dioxide sol. The results show that selective plasma etching process could effectively remove parts of surface inorganic vehicle (SiO₂) layer and expose more smooth and clean CNTs on cathode surface, which could significantly decrease the operating field of CNTs cathode. There are some nanoparticles emerging on the out of CNTs wall after hydrogen plasma treatment, which are equivalent to increase field emission point of cathode. At the same time, these nanoparticles can increase the local electric field of CNTs, which can decrease operating voltage of CNTs cathode and improve uniformity field emission.     

Effect of ionic liquid on dielectric, mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polychloroprene rubber composites

This paper focuses on the influence of ionic liquid on carbon nanotube based elastomeric composites. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are modified using an ionic liquid at room temperature, 1-butyl 3-methyl imidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulphonyl) imide (BMI) and modified MWCNTs exhibit physical (cation–π/π–π) interaction with BMI. The polychloroprene rubber (CR) composites are prepared using unmodified and BMI modified MWCNTs. The presence of BMI not only increases the alternating current (AC) electrical conductivity and polarisability of the composites but also improves the state of dispersion of the tubes as observed from dielectric spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy respectively. In addition to the hydrodynamic reinforcement, the formation of improved filler–filler networks is reflected in the dynamic storage modulus (E′) for modified MWCNTs/CR composites in amplitude sweep measurement upon increasing the proportion of BMI. Hardness and mechanical properties are also studied for the composites as a function of BMI.     

Optimized Aluminum Reflector for Enhancement of UVC Cathodoluminescence Based-AlGaN Materials with Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters

The far ultraviolet C (UVC) light sources based on carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitters as excitation sources have become promising light sources for sterilization, disinfection, and water purification. However, the low light extraction efficiency of UVC–CNT light sources still hinders the practical application of these structures. Herein, we report an optimized aluminum (Al) reflector to enhance the light extraction efficiency of UVC–CNT light sources. Optical analysis of UVC-CNT light sources covered by the Al reflectors with various thicknesses ranging from 30 to 150 nm was performed to realize the optimized reflector. The UVC-CNT light sources exhibit the highest light extraction efficiency when the Al reflector layer has an optimized thickness of 100 nm. For comparison, the cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra were recorded for UVC–CNT light sources with and without the optimized Al reflector. The measured light output power and the estimated power efficiency of the UVC–CNT light-source-tube with Al reflector were enhanced by about 27 times over the reference. This enhancement is mainly attributed to the outstanding reflection effect of the Al reflector.