Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Albert M. Iskandarov, Tomofumi Tada
Summary: Fast proton conductors are important for catalysis and energy conversion, but their conductivity in glassy coordination polymers has been limited. This study develops a hybrid approach combining molecular dynamics and kinetic Monte Carlo methods to simulate long-range ionic diffusion in non-crystalline materials. Based on this approach, a design concept for a fast proton-conducting coordination polymer is proposed and confirmed.
MATERIALS & DESIGN
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Min Young Kim, Hee-Jung Ban, Young-Woong Song, Jinsub Lim, Sang -Jun Park, Woo Joong Kim, Youngsun Hong, Byeong-Su Kang, Ho-Sung Kim
Summary: A composite catalyst of nano-grade IrO2/TiO2 powder has been synthesized for SPE cells, which reduces overvoltage and decreases costs. The catalyst has a porous composite nanostructure and exhibits better oxygen evolution reaction performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shengda Liu, Jiayun Xu, Xiumei Li, Tengfei Yan, Shuangjiang Yu, Hongcheng Sun, Junqiu Liu
Summary: Efforts have been made to synthesize covalent polymer nano/microstructured materials with specific morphologies, typically by using templates or preorganization followed by template removal. However, the challenge remains in developing a template-free, self-assembled strategy for well-defined nano/microstructures formed by covalent polymers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hiroyuki Muto, Yusaku Sato, Wai Kian Tan, Atsushi Yokoi, Go Kawamura, Atsunori Matsuda
Summary: This study demonstrates the controlled incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNT) with alumina and zirconia nanoparticles using an electrostatic nano-assembly method, resulting in the fabrication of homogeneous composite granules. The spark-plasma-sintered composite granules exhibited significantly higher electrical conductivity compared to a homogeneous composite artifact. This novel fabrication method using electrostatic integrated assembly shows potential for the development of multiscale and multicomponent composite materials.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fumin Tang, Cunman Zhang, Pingwen Ming
Summary: Various electrocatalysts developed for the cathode of PEMFC show better performance on a rotating disk electrode (RDE) compared to being assembled in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), but this phenomenon has not been quantitatively explained yet. In this study, the Butler-Volmer equation is further developed based on the detailed disassembly of the elemental reaction processes on the cathodic catalyst surface and in the MEA. These analytical equations quantitatively indicate how the catalyst's structural parameters and the electrode's microstructural parameters influence the catalyst's performance. Further analysis reveals that optimizing the structure of the catalytic layer can potentially improve the PEMFC's current density by more than one order of magnitude when using traditional catalysts like Pt/C. However, increasing hydrogen permeation not only reduces the open-circuit voltage but also decreases the PEMFC's lifetime. The established equations in this work, derived from strict mathematical and physical deductions, provide new guidance for evaluating and improving the performance of electrocatalysts in MEA assembly.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tatyana Reshetenko, Madeleine Odgaard, Guenter Randolf, Kenta K. Ohtaki, John P. Bradley, Barr Zulevi, Xiang Lyu, David A. Cullen, Charl J. Jafta, Alexey Serov, Andrei Kulikovsky
Summary: In this study, a cathodic catalysts layer (CCL) design was achieved using a catalyst coated membrane approach with Platinum Group Metal-free (PGM-free) electrocatalysts. Three different Fe-Mn-N-C compounds were synthesized and characterized, and their electrochemical properties were evaluated. It was found that the CCLs exhibited high proton conductivity and predominantly exhibited a 4e- oxygen reduction reaction mechanism.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Guodong Zhao, Lei Shi, Meiling Zhang, Bowen Cheng, Guang Yang, Xupin Zhuang
Summary: Constructing consecutive proton-conducting nanochannels and optimizing nanophase separation within proton exchange membrane using a novel MOF-based nanofibrous mats showed promising improvements in proton conductivity, thermal stability, and dimensional stability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Review
Polymer Science
Miriam M. Tellez-Cruz, Jorge Escorihuela, Omar Solorza-Feria, Vicente Compan
Summary: The study of electrochemical catalyst conversion of renewable electricity and carbon oxides into chemical fuels is crucial for mitigating the global energy crisis. Research efforts are currently focused on developing high-performance membranes and nanomaterials with high catalytic activity to improve fuel cell performance and reduce the use of expensive platinum group metals.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shengchu Liu, Rui Lin, Jiayin Tian, Hong Wang, Yuan Jing, Kai Lu
Summary: The effects of solvent composition and catalyst concentration on the structure and properties of the catalyst layer were investigated. Different concentrations and compositions of catalyst slurry were used to prepare catalyst layers. The evaporation rate of the catalyst ink influenced the pore structure of the catalyst layer. Solvent composition and ink composition affected the mass transfer loss of the membrane electrode assembly.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Igor I. Ponomarev, Dmitry Y. Razorenov, Kirill M. Skupov, Ivan I. Ponomarev, Yulia A. Volkova, Konstantin A. Lyssenko, Anna A. Lysova, Elizaveta S. Vtyurina, Mikhail I. Buzin, Zinaida S. Klemenkova
Summary: High molecular weight film-forming pre-polymers were obtained by polyamidation for the first time and then thermal cyclization to form N-methoxyphenyl substituted polybenzimidazoles for proton-conducting membrane in HT-PEM fuel cells. The self-phosphorylation of PBI membranes during operation significantly increased proton conductivity, reaching 100 mS/cm, and improved the current-voltage characteristics, achieving a peak power of 680 mW/cm(2) at 180°C, surpassing the commercial standard. This approach can reduce the cost and ensure the environmental friendliness of PBI membrane production.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lili Liu, Yao Lu, Cong Ning, Na Li, Shouwen Chen, Zhaoxia Hu
Summary: Structure design plays a crucial role in preparing proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with excellent performance. In this study, a series of comb-shaped sulfonated fluorinated poly(aryl ether sulfone) (SPFAES) membranes were synthesized and demonstrated improved proton conductivity and physicochemical stability compared to linear SPFAE membranes. These findings offer a promising example for the synthesis of high-performance PEMs with flexible comb-shaped side chains.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Hyeseong Lee, Mi Na Kim, Han Gyeol Jang, Ji-un Jang, Jaewoo Kim, Seong Yun Kim
Summary: The aggregation of nano-carbon fillers in composites due to van der Waals forces hinders their excellent conductive properties. To overcome this, a dispersion strategy using phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) as a non-covalent functionalization agent was proposed. The composites filled with PGE-treated nano-carbon fillers showed significantly improved electrical and thermal conductivities.
COMPOSITES COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Yijie Xia, Ying Cui, Pengju Huang, Luchao Wu, Shuaishuai Du, Yinfei Zhu, Jian Lin, Xuyan Liu, Gaoyu Zhong
Summary: This study developed a mild treatment method using a cosolvent of formamide and methanol to significantly improve the film conductivity of PEDOT:PSS. The flexible piezoresistive sensor made with the treated film demonstrated good performance in detecting finger joint movement.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Subir Paul, Sang-June Choi, Hee Jin Kim
Summary: The incorporation of high-proton-conductive Co-tri MOF improved the proton conductivity of Aquivion (R), resulting in an enhanced cell performance and a 66% increase in proton conductivity compared to the pristine membrane. The effect of Co-tri MOF on the structural morphology and thermal properties of the Aquivion (R) membrane was also investigated.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yao Jing, Yukihiro Yoshida, Tokutaro Komatsu, Hiroshi Kitagawa
Summary: A 2D-to-2D structural transformation with bond rearrangement and coordination environment change is demonstrated in a coordination polymer for the first time. This transformation leads to an increase in in-plane magnetic susceptibility and proton conductivity. The energy diagram that governs this unique structural transformation is unveiled through in situ experiments and theoretical calculations.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Mustafa Kalay, Abidin Esidir, Mahmut Ruzi, N. Burak Kiremitler, Mustafa Serdar Onses
Summary: This study proposes stable and addressable polymer PUFs, utilizing a cross-linkable polymer system, which demonstrates high stochastic characteristics and low-cost production. The performance of the polymer features is evaluated through various analyses, and direct image authentication is achieved using feature matching algorithms.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jingyu Jin, Guoqiang Lu, Jun Nie, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: Photopolymerization technology is limited in the fields of food packaging and biomedicine due to the high migration of small molecules from photoinitiators. In this study, a polymerizable 2-vinyl thioxanthone (ETX) was synthesized to improve the migration stability of photoinitiators. Macromolecular photoinitiators (PPI1, PPI2) were also prepared to further reduce migration. The results showed that the ETX/TEOA system had higher initiation performance and PPI2 displayed favorable initiation ability. Additionally, the migration of ETX, PPI1, and PPI2 in photocured film was significantly reduced. These low-migration photoinitiators have potential applications in the fields of food packaging and biological materials.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Weijie Li, Jun Nie, Yingying Zhao, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: This study focuses on the development of high-performance, low-migration photoinitiators. A polymerizable photoinitiator (VBP) was synthesized by introducing an ethylene group into benzophenone, and three different molecular weight single-component photoinitiators (PVBN1-3) were synthesized based on VBP. The results show that these new photoinitiators have stronger absorption ability compared to benzophenone and significantly reduce the migration of initiators and co-initiators, addressing the safety concerns caused by migration.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Seira Morimune-Moriya, Yuki Iwahashi, Mitsuru Nakamura, Daisuke Ogawa, Keiji Nakamura
Summary: This study investigates the effect of plasma treatment on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the structure/properties of polyimide (PI) nanocomposites with ultra-low content of CNTs. The results show that plasma treatment introduces isocyanate groups on the surface of CNTs and enhances the interfacial interaction between PI and treated CNTs. This leads to a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, with even a small addition of treated CNTs showing a substantial increase in Young's modulus, tensile strength and toughness.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanlong Li, Chaojie Chen, Guoqing Cui, Li Liu, Chao Zhou, Guangfeng Wu
Summary: In this study, a novel ion-conducting hydrogel was fabricated using a straightforward approach. The hydrogel showed excellent tensile properties and high toughness due to physical interactions and covalent binding. Additionally, the introduction of hydroxyethyl cellulose and lithium chloride improved the biocompatibility, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and frost resistance of the hydrogel, demonstrating its potential for cold climate applications.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Dengwei Yan, Jinxian Yang, Xuejun Pan, Xiaozheng Duan, Lianwei Li, Mo Zhu
Summary: The influence of backbone length on grafting efficiency during the graft-onto reaction process was investigated. It was found that the polydispersity effect of backbone length does not affect the final grafting efficiency, indicating that the local dynamics of chain segments dominate the graft-onto process.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhaoyi Luo, Xianjie Pan, Fanqi Liu, Quanxi Yi, Yanning Zeng, Yunhua Chen, Chaoyang Wang
Summary: This study provides a method to prepare high-performance epoxy materials with good malleability and thermal stability. The materials have self-healing and welding capabilities, thanks to the addition of specific chemical bonds and network structures. They exhibit mechanical properties comparable to commercial epoxy resins and show great potential for sustainable industrial development.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Chaoji Xiong, Hao Wang, Lihua Deng, Kun Liang, Chunhua Wu, Wei Wu, Qian Chen
Summary: In this study, four polyamides were synthesized and their adsorption performances for Hg2+ in aqueous systems were investigated. The polyamides exhibited high adsorption capacities and excellent reusability, with the involvement of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen in the chemical adsorption process of Hg2+.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Siim Laanesoo, Olivier Bonjour, Rauno Sedrik, Iris Tamsalu, Patric Jannasch, Lauri Vares
Summary: The insertion of rigid aliphatic or aromatic building blocks in polymer structures is an effective way to synthesize high -Tg polymer materials. In this study, a series of isosorbide-2-aryl carboxylate-5-methacrylate monomers (ArIMAs) were synthesized by functionalizing isosorbide 5-methacrylate with various aromatic lignin-inspired esters. These monomers were polymerized to obtain high molecular-weight poly(aryl carboxylate isosorbide methacrylates) (PArIMAs). The resulting polymers showed high glass transition temperatures and thermal stability, making them suitable for use as high-performance plastics and coatings.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuqian Wu, Weijie Xu, Jianliang Li, Zhangfeng Zhong, Liqing Huang, Shengke Li, Huaping Tan
Summary: This study investigates the improvement of degradation and drug release characteristics of dynamic Schiff base-mediated natural polysaccharide hydrogels using tannic acid (TA), leading to enhanced stability and functionality.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Xi Zhang, Xiangli Kong, Xin Zhou, Yiyan Gao, Yibo Sun, Guanghui Gao, Wei Liu, Kai Shi
Summary: Conductive hydrogels have great development prospects in flexible strain sensors, but long-term direct contact with human skin can cause bacterial infection. A hydrogel with antibacterial, biocompatibility, and toughness was designed and manufactured using a freeze-thaw method. The hydrogel maintains tensile properties and fatigue resistance at low temperatures and is resistant to bacteria. Therefore, hydrogel sensors can be used to monitor human movements.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Wei Zhang, Jiangang Yu, Mingyang Wu, Rui Li, Anqiang Zhang, Yaling Lin
Summary: In this study, polyacrylamide containing quaternary ammonium salts (PAM-X) were synthesized and found to effectively inhibit soil-borne pathogenic fungi while maintaining the balance of microbial population in soil. PAM-X also showed low toxicity to earthworms and fish, providing a new method for the prevention and control of soil-borne fungal diseases.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiawen He, Haojie Yu, Li Wang, Jian Yang, Yanhui Zhang, Wenbing Huang, Chenguang Ouyang
Summary: This review discusses the use of polymeric hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), including the mechanism of water sorption, fabrication methods, and strategies for optimizing the structure of hydrogels. The extended applications of hygroscopic photothermal hydrogels, such as agricultural irrigation and dehumidification, are also explored. The challenges and prospects of using polymeric hydrogels for AWH are summarized.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Ying Du, Shuaishuai Lu, Yuanna Sun, Qingshan Li, Xinhai He
Summary: This study introduces a method to improve the performance of hydrogels by incorporating proline, resulting in hydrogels with excellent stretchability, high conductivity, and long-term stability. The hydrogel remains flexible and conductive even at ultra-low temperatures.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)