Special Issue "Advances in Materials Science"

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2009)

Special Issue Editor

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Andreas Taubert
Institute of Chemistry, University of Potsdam, Building 26, Rm. 2.64, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, D-14476 Golm, Germany
Website: http://www.chem.uni-potsdam.de/atb/index.htm
E-Mail:
Interests: inorganic materials synthesis in ionic liquids; functional ionic liquids-hybrid materials; self-assembling polymers, peptides & nanoparticles; calcium phosphate materials; silica hybrid materials; iron oxide materials; metal-peptide frameworks; materials for metallic implants

Published Papers

Click here to see a list of 3 papers that have been published in this special issue.

Special Issue Information

Submission

All papers should be submitted to materials@mdpi.org. To be published continuously until the deadline and papers will be listed together at the special website.

Submitted papers should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed quarterly journal published by Molecular Diversity Preservation International. Review manuscripts: Before writing their manuscripts, potential authors of review articles should forward the title and a short abstract to materials@mdpi.org. We will then provide feedback on the suitability of the topic.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

Article Processing Charges (APC) will be waived for well prepared manuscripts of invited papers. For the first two volumes of this new journal the APC are of 300 CHF (or 550 CHF per paper for those papers that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections).

Planned Papers

Feature Papers

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Separation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Naoki Komatsu
Affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Shiga University of Medical Science (SUMS), Seta, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan
Abstract: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are currently the focus of great interest because of their unique physical and chemical properties. For their further development in fundamental studies and technological applications, structural control of SWNTs is very important, as the electronic and optical properties are largely determined by their structures. Therefore, separation of SWNTs have been extensively investigated. Sorting methods of SWNTs have been developed by ultracentrifugation of surfactant-encapsulated SWNTs, ion exchange chromatography of DNA-wrapped SWNTs, electrophoresis of surfactant-wrapped SWNTs, and selective extraction of SWNTs with aromatic molecules. In this review, the separation of SWNTs due to their differences in metallicity, diameter, length, (n, m) structure and helicity is categorized according to the above-mentioned techniques.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Room-temperature Ferromagnetism in Undoped ZnO

Author: Yewu Wang

Affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle, Germany
Abstract: Recently, transition-metal-doped dilute magnetism semiconductor has attracted considerable attention for the promising applications as spintronic devices. However, the real origin of its ferromagnetism remains controversial, especially when undoped ZnO has been found to be ferromagnetic at room temperature. In this article, we mainly review the status of research on the room-temperature ferromagnetism in undoped ZnO. Firstly, we give a brief introduction of the room-temperature ferromagnetism in transition-metal-doped ZnO. Subsequently, the current research progress of the room temperature ferromagnetism in undoped ZnO is described in details. Especially the factors affecting the ferromagnetic ordering of undoped ZnO are summarized and analysed, for example, sample preparation parameters, annealing atmosphere, surface modification and so on. Some theoretical calculation results are also presented to interpret the mechanism involved in the room-temperature ferromagnetism of undoped ZnO. Finally, a detailed discussion of the origin of room-temperature ferromagnetism in undoped ZnO is provided and an outlook for research in this field is also addressed.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Research and Development on Metal-Nitrogen-Hydrogen Systems as Hydrogen Storage Material

Author: Takayuki Ichikawa and Yoshitsugu Kojima

Abstract: Metal-Nitrogen-Hydrogen systems have been expected as a reversible hydrogen storage media with high capacity of more than 5.5 mass%. In the Li-N-H system, we have clarified that the hydrogen desorbing reaction takes place by the ammonia mediate model, in which an interaction between NH3 and LiH plays an important role for the progress of hydrogen desorbing and absorbing reactions. On the basis of this model, we focused on the LiH-Mg(NH2)2 composite with 8 : 3 molar ratio as the most promising system.

Keywords: Hydrogen Storage Materials, Metal Amide, Metal Imide, Ammonia, Inorganic Material, Reversible Hydrogen Storage, Reaction Mechanism, Thermodynamic Properties, Kinetic Properties, Spectroscopy

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Electronic Structure and Chemical Bonding in Functionalized Graphene
Authors: D.W.Boukhvalov and M.I.Katsnelson
Abstract: We review various types of chemical bonding relevant for chemistry of graphene. Formation of covalent bonds is considered using chemisorption of hydrogen, fluorine and hydroxy groups on graphene as examples. Chemical bonding between graphene and metals is discussed. Weak bonds responsible for physisorption of gases on graphene are considered. We focus on difference in chemical activity between graphene and graphite. Magnetism and chemical activity of zigzag edges are considered.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Ceria-based Formulations in Catalysts for Diesel Soot Combustion: Recent Advances and Future Challenges

Authors: Eleonora Aneggi and Alessandro Trovarelli

Affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Udine, Via Cotonificio 108, 33100 Udine- Italy

Abstract: Diesel traps are the most effective control technologies for the reduction of particulate emissions with high efficiency. The use of catalysts in DPF (diesel particulate filter) is a well established procedure which allows a rapid and self-sustained regeneration of the filter during operations by lowering th soot oxidation temperature to a level that can be reached by exhaust gases during normal operations.
Several catalytic materials and methods have been studied in the last years. One approach is to increase the contact points between the soot particle and the catalysts by using fuel borne catalyst additives or molten salt catalysts which can wet the soot surface and therefore decrease the oxidation temperature. The use of a more powerful oxidant than oxygen, like NO₂, can also efficiently decrease the soot combustion temperature. Among the several catalyst components used for soot oxidation the most promising formulations are based on addition of potassium to oxides of transition metals (such as Cu, V, Mo, Co or Fe), or on systems based on combination of Co,K/MgO or Ba,K/CeO₂ or on the use of perovskites like La_1-xCs_xCoO₃, LaMnO₃, and La_0.9K_0.1Cr_0.9O_3-_g. Several supports like ZrO₂, TiO₂, Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ have also been reported for use in diesel soot oxidation. Ceria alone or in combination with other oxides is active in the oxidation of carbon particles and the mechanism of action is associated to the redox activity of the material or to the ability of forming surface active oxygen species. It has been reported that the use of supports based on cerium oxide confers interesting properties to soot combustion catalysts due to high availability of surface oxygen and high surface reducibility In addition, the use of CeO₂ supported metals can increase the benefit of bare ceria due to the establishment of an interaction between the metal and the support that enhances the redox characteristics of pure ceria. A mechanism in which the redox of CeO₂ contributes to the generation of superoxide species in a more efficient manner compared to other oxides has also been recently put forward to explain its higher reactivity.
Although a large number of studies have appeared in the last few years, the role of ceria as catalyst or promoter in soot oxidation is still a matter of discussion. The purpose of this work is to critically review these studies and to offer the reader a unique picture on the role of ceria based formulations in soot combustion and in other catalytic reaction.

Type of Paper: Review

Title: Carbon-Based Honeycomb Monoliths for Environmental Applications

Authors: Carlos Moreno-Castilla, Agustín F. Pérez-Cadenas

Affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

Abstract: Monolithic honeycomb structures are unitary structures composed of a large number of straight and parallel channels that extend throughout the monolith. This shape is known to have a very high geometric surface area to volume ratio, which provides high contact efficiencies between the monolith and gas flow streams. These structures have found applicability as adsorbents or supports for catalysts when large volumes of gas have to be treated, because they offer a very low pressure drop, short diffusion lengths, and no obstruction by particulate matter. The most common material for these structures is cordierite, although others are commercially available. Carbon-based honeycomb monoliths can be of two types: integral or carbon-coated ceramic monoliths, which can be prepared with different physico-chemical surface properties. These materials have been used as adsorbents and supports for catalysts to remove various pollutants from high-flow gases, including NO, CH₄, CO₂, n-butane, and volatile organic compounds. This review shows the different preparation methods for carbon-based honeycomb monoliths, their characteristics, and their environmental applications as adsorbents and catalyst supports.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: To the Best Synthesis Method of Zeolite Membranes Based on Fundamentals
Authors: Michiel Makkee and Jacobus C.Jansen
Affiliation: Chemical Engineering, DelftChemTech, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BL, Delft, The Netherlands
Abstract: Since the first preparation of zeolite membranes there has not been made substantial progress in the membrane quality. The main problem is the selectivity and the flux. As the membrane formation is dependent on the continuity and the thickness of the crystallites of the zeolite it is relevant to apply fundamental rules on nucleation and crystal growth. The focus must be a crystal growth on support in lateral directions whereby the underlying well adopted theory of island or grain growth should be used in the synthesis method for a continuous layer. The film thickness is extremely difficult to tune and hardly unique. Based on preliminary experiments it is indicated that only phase transformation of amorphous into crystalline material can result in a thin, rather unique coating. In this paper the various avenues to the best synthesis of zeolite membranes is discussed.

Last update: 11 November 2009

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