Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yan Gao, Xiao Wang, Hongxia Guo, Li Liu, Huan Wang, Wenquan Cui
Summary: In this study, the addition of ionic liquids (ILs) to the electrolyte solution was found to significantly enhance the photocatalytic performance of CO2 reduction to ethanol. The cations of [Emim]BF4 in ILs were enriched toward the cathode region under external bias, facilitating the capture of CO2. Additionally, a strong interaction was observed between [Emim]BF4 and the Cu2O/TiO2 catalyst surface, enhancing the separation efficiency and migration rate of photogenerated charges. This favorable environment created by ILs contributed to the rapid conversion of CO2 into intermediates CO2- and *CO, ultimately promoting the selectivity of C-C coupling to C2H5OH.
MOLECULAR CATALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Runlong Li, Yu Fan, Zhiheng Ma, Dan Zhang, Yiming Liu, Jiaqiang Xu
Summary: A 2D ultrathin MXene nanosheet was prepared and utilized as a sensitive film for constructing a humidity sensor with high sensitivity and stability. The enhanced humidity response mechanism of MXene nanosheets was explored through DFT calculations and experimental verification.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jingsong Wang, Bing Zhao, Chunchang Wang
Summary: TiO2/KNbO3 nanocomposite was prepared by a two-step hydrothermal method, and impedance-type sensors based on TiO2/KNbO3, TiO2, and KNbO3 were fabricated. The TiO2/KNbO3-based sensor exhibited a large impedance change over 5 orders of magnitude, which was 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than that of TiO2- and KNbO3-based sensors. The improved humidity sensing performance of the TiO2/KNbO3 nanocomposite was attributed to the heterojunction at the TiO2/KNbO3 interface and the Grotthuss mechanism. This study highlights the significance of the two-step hydrothermal method in fabricating high-purity nanocomposites with excellent humidity sensing performance.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
S. -p. Cheng, L. -w. Wei, H. -Paul Wang
Summary: The conversion of CO2 to low-carbon fuels using solar energy is an economically attractive and environmentally friendly route. In this study, novel Cu2O/TiO2 heterojunctions were prepared and showed effective photocatalytic CO2-to-CH3OH conversion under visible light irradiation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Muhammad Asif Ali Rehmani, Kartikay Lal, Ayesha Shaukat, Khalid Mahmood Arif
Summary: This work presents a simple method for fabricating capacitive transduction electrodes for sensing applications. The electrodes were produced on a PMMA substrate using a laser engraving machine and characterized by optical microscopy. A functional polymer porous cellulose decorated sensing layer was applied to the geometries for humidity sensing. The resulting sensors exhibited good sensing response with sensitivities ranging from 0.13 to 2.37 pF/%RH. Moreover, by changing the electrode geometry, the sensitivity of the sensors can be increased up to 5 times. The simplicity of the fabrication process and the higher sensitivity offered by the electrode designs make them suitable for various applications, such as air quality sensors and touch or tactile sensors.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kun Tang, Xiangdong Chen, Xing Ding, Xiang Yu, Xinglin Yu
Summary: In this study, MoS2/graphene oxide (GO)/C-60-OH nano-composites were synthesized and used in a QCM humidity sensor, showing fast response/recovery times and high sensitivity. The addition of MoS2 nanoflowers and C-60-OHs contributed to the improved humidity-sensitive response of the sensor.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xuanliang Zhao, Kanglin Zhou, Yujia Zhong, Peng Liu, Zechen Li, Jialiang Pan, Yu Long, Meirong Huang, Abdelrahman Brakat, Hongwei Zhu
Summary: Flexible humidity sensitive composites based on immobilized ionic liquid and hydrophobic materials showed high performance in humidity sensing. Adjusting the ratio of ionic liquid can modulate the properties of the composite, while different processing methods lead to materials with different response characteristics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wenhang Wang, Hui Ning, Xiang Fei, Xiaoshan Wang, Zhengguang Ma, Zhenmei Jiao, Yani Wang, Noritatsu Tsubaki, Mingbo Wu
Summary: Cu2O with (110) facets was successfully synthesized by using trace amounts of the ionic liquid [Bmim]BF4, which showed lower energy barrier for C-C coupling compared to (100) and (111) facets. The Cu2O(110) exhibited high selectivity (71.1%) and large current density (265.1 mA cm(-2)) towards C2H4 and C2H5OH in CO2 electroreduction. In situ and electrochemical analysis confirmed that Cu2O(110) possessed strong adsorption of *CO2 and *CO, large active area, and excellent conductivity. This study provides a new strategy for enhancing C-2 selectivity in CO2 electroreduction by crystal structure engineering.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pengyan Li, Li Liu, Weijia An, Huan Wang, Wenquan Cui
Summary: By coupling thermal field and ionic liquids, a Cu2O/g-C3N4 heterojunction was constructed for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to ethanol, achieving higher efficiency. The ILs, specifically 1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, showed superior CO2 reduction performance with a higher current density than KHCO3 electrolyte.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mohini Panday, Gaurav K. Upadhyay, L. P. Purohit
Summary: Antimony-doped SnO2 thin films were prepared and tested as gas and humidity sensors. The results showed that the doping of antimony can significantly affect the optical and electrical properties of the films, leading to excellent sensing response at different temperatures and humidities.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xin Lv, Caihui Feng, Tingting Lin
Summary: This paper investigates the ability of boron (B) as a dopant in TiO2 nanofibers for use in humidity sensing. The influences of B content on the phase transition, specific surface area, morphology, and surface valence of TiO2 nanofibers are studied. The results show that B is successfully incorporated into the TiO2 lattice using interstitial mode, inducing an increase in humidity sensitivity. The B-doped TiO2 nanofibers based on the optimum B/Ti molar ratios exhibit high sensitivity, quick response and recovery time, and favorable repeatability and stability.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fika Fauzi, Aditya Rianjanu, Iman Santoso, Kuwat Triyana
Summary: Graphene and graphene-based materials have great potential in detecting gases and humidity due to their high specific surface areas. Recently, QCM sensors coated with graphene composites have been explored for their sensitivity and selectivity in detecting various gases and humidity. Challenges for future works include further development of QCM sensors using graphene materials or composites.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yan-Yan Yin, Le-Xi Zhang, Heng Xu, Yue-Cheng Jian, Meng-Jun Zhang, Li-Jian Bie
Summary: In this study, a new CP material CdTMA was successfully synthesized and explored as an impedimetric humidity sensing material, showing high sensitivity, good repeatability, fast response, and narrow hysteresis loop. The humidity sensing mechanism was discussed through complex impedance analysis, and the interaction between water molecules and CdTMA at different RH was further visualized by schematic diagrams.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xuan Zhao, Xiangdong Chen, Xing Ding, Xiang Yu, Xinpeng Chen, Fang Liu
Summary: This paper presents a high-performance humidity sensor based on TiO2 nanowires, showing high sensitivity and fast response speed. Analysis reveals that the sensor's superior performance is attributed to the specific area of nanowires and their intricate connection network, with a proposed mechanism for the NDR effect.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Radha Bhardwaj, Arnab Hazra
Summary: Diverse metal oxide semiconductors play important roles in chemical sensing applications. In this study, SrTiO3-TiO2 heterostructured nanotube arrays were successfully designed by growing different quantities of SrTiO3 on TiO2 nanotubes. The sensors exhibited selective response to ethanol, excellent response magnitude, and fast response time. Additionally, the sensors showed good stability, low detection limit, and good selectivity.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Eric S. Muckley, Rama Vasudevan, Bobby G. Sumpter, Rigoberto C. Advincula, Ilia N. Ivanov
Summary: In this study, we have developed an integrated machine-intelligent experimental system that allows simultaneous testing of the electrical, optical, gravimetric, and viscoelastic properties of materials under a programmable dynamic environment. The system is controlled by specially designed software that enables on-the-fly extensive data analysis, real-time iterative feedback, and rapid visualization of experimental results. This system provides a viable platform for AI-centered material characterization and has the potential to accelerate the discovery of multifunctional materials when coupled with an AI-controlled synthesis system.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Daniel Salatto, Zhixing Huang, Peter Todd Benziger, Jan-Michael Y. Carrillo, Yashasvi Bajaj, Aiden Gauer, Leonidas Tsapatsaris, Bobby G. Sumpter, Ruipeng Li, Mikihito Takenaka, Wei Yin, David G. Thanassi, Maya Endoh, Tadanori Koga
Summary: Synergistic nanostructured surfaces combining bactericidal and bacteria-releasing properties were reported in this study. A diblock copolymer was used to fabricate vertically oriented cylindrical structures on silicon substrates. The results demonstrate that these surfaces exhibit highly effective bactericidal and bacteria-releasing properties against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to understand the mechanisms underlying these properties.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Monojoy Goswami, Oluwagbenga Oare Iyiola, Wei Lu, Kunlun Hong, Piotr Zolnierczuk, Laura-Roxana Stingaciu, William T. Heller, Omar Taleb, Bobby G. Sumpter, Daniel T. Hallinan Jr
Summary: The structure and dynamics of a block copolymer were studied to understand the effect of an interfacial block on chain dynamics. It was found that the interfacial rubbery block exhibited slower dynamics and confined layered morphologies, while the chain-end rubbery block dispersed in the rubbery matrix showed faster dynamics. The dynamical slowing at the interface was observed only at length scales larger than the characteristic segmental length, and the disparity between interfacial and chain-end dynamics increased with increasing length.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jan-Michael Y. Carrillo, Zhan Chen, Uvinduni I. Premadasa, Christian Steinmetz, E. Bryan Coughlin, Benjamin Doughty, Thomas P. Russell, Bobby G. Sumpter
Summary: By conducting experimental and simulation studies, this research addresses the issues of assembly, reconfiguration, and equilibrium conformation of charged star block copolymers at the oil-water interface, with implications for the development of novel surfactants or amphiphiles.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chi-Huan Tung, Shou-Yi Chang, Ming-Ching Chang, Jan-Michael Carrillo, Bobby Sumpter, Changwoo Do, Wei-Ren Chen
Summary: A machine learning solution is proposed to solve the potential inversion problem in elastic scattering. The proposed solution consists of a generative network using a variational autoencoder to extract the targeted static two-point correlation functions from experimentally measured scattering cross sections, and a Gaussian process framework for probabilistically inferring the relevant structural parameters. A case study on charged colloidal suspensions is used to critically evaluate the feasibility of this approach for quantitative study of molecular interaction and demonstrate its advantages over existing deterministic approaches in terms of numerical accuracy and computational efficiency.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Haden L. Scott, Dima Bolmatov, Uvinduni I. Premadasa, Benjamin Doughty, Jan-Michael Y. Carrillo, Robert L. Sacci, Maxim Lavrentovich, John Katsaras, Charles P. Collier
Summary: Phospholipid bilayers can act as voltage-dependent memory capacitors, storing energy in the form of long-term potentiation (LTP) during training. LTP is caused by membrane restructuring and asymmetric ion distribution. Different salts have varying effects on LTP.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiancheng Luo, Xiao Zhao, Hao Ju, Xiangjun Chen, Sheng Zhao, Zoriana Demchuk, Bingrui Li, Vera Bocharova, Jan-Michael Y. Carrillo, Jong K. Keum, Sheng Xu, Alexei P. Sokolov, Jiayao Chen, Peng-Fei Cao
Summary: Inspired by classical elasticity theory, this study presents a design principle for ultra-tough and highly recyclable elastic vitrimers with a defined network. By chemically crosslinking pre-synthesized disulfide-containing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chains with tetra-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG), the defined network is achieved, resulting in significantly improved mechanical performance and thermal recyclability compared to random network elastomers.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jan-Michael Carrillo, Yangyang Wang, Rajeev Kumar, Bobby G. Sumpter
Summary: This study investigates the behavior of charged polyelectrolytes in semidilute solutions using explicit-solvent coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The results highlight the importance of explicit-solvent effects in understanding polyelectrolyte solution behavior, particularly in semidilute solutions.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhiqiang Shen, Jan-Michael Y. Carrillo, Bobby G. Sumpter, Yangyang Wang
Summary: The collective density-density and hydrostatic pressure-pressure correlations of glass-forming liquids were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that below the Arrhenius temperature, there is a slow nonhydrodynamic collective dynamics that is closely related to the local structural dynamics. This result highlights the importance of understanding the dynamic crossover phenomenon.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Catalin Gainaru, Rajeev Kumar, Ivan Popov, Md Anisur Rahman, Michelle Lehmann, Eric Stacy, Vera Bocharova, Bobby G. Sumpter, Tomonori Saito, Kenneth S. Schweizer, Alexei P. Sokolov
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms controlling the energy barrier for ion hopping in conducting polymers. It is found that the Arrhenius fit of the temperature dependence of conductivity relaxation time for polymer electrolytes leads to unphysical values, and the energy barrier for charge transport in these polymers has strong temperature dependence even below their glass transition temperature. Significant temperature variations of dielectric permittivity and instantaneous shear modulus in the glassy state of these polymers are also observed. The proposed approach reveals that the energy barrier for ion hopping in polymer electrolytes is significantly lower than previously estimated using traditional Arrhenius fit.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhen Xu, Nuwayo Eric Munyaneza, Qikun Zhang, Mengqi Sun, Carlos Posada, Paul Venturo, Nicholas A. Rorrer, Joel Miscall, Bobby G. Sumpter, Guoliang Liu
Summary: Conversion of plastic wastes to fatty acids is an attractive and economically viable method for supplementing the sourcing of high-value chemicals. Our method achieves a conversion rate of up to 80% and produces fatty acids with high molar masses. The process can be applied to municipal PE and PP wastes, and the resulting fatty acids can be further converted into high-value surfactants without the need for subsidies.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Linke Yu, Fengyu Li, Jingsong Huang, Bobby G. Sumpter, William E. Mustain, Zhongfang Chen
Summary: In this work, a combination of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and machine learning (ML) was used to explore the potential of double-atom catalysts (DACs) on defective graphene for CO2 reduction reactions. Stable DACs were identified based on their binding energy, formation energy, and dissolution potential, and machine learning models were employed to predict potential electrocatalysts.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Md Arifuzzaman, Bobby G. Sumpter, Zoriana Demchuk, Changwoo Do, Mark A. Arnould, Md Anisur Rahman, Peng-Fei Cao, Ilja Popovs, Robert J. Davis, Sheng Dai, Tomonori Saito
Summary: Plastic recycling is limited due to the difficulty of recycling mixed plastics. A versatile organocatalyst has been developed for selective glycolysis of diverse consumer plastics and their mixed waste streams, providing a chemical recycling path for many existing mixed plastics. The production of condensation polymers from the deconstructed monomers can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy input, promoting plastic circularity towards a net-zero carbon society.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2023)