Materials, Volume 3, Issue 2

Nanocomposites made up of polymer matrices and carbon nanotubes are a class of advanced materials with great application potential in electronics packaging. Nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes as fillers have been designed with the aim of exploiting...

Creating heterogeneous tissue constructs with an even cell distribution and robust mechanical strength remain important challenges to the success of in vivo tissue engineering. To address these issues, we are developing a scaffold sheet tissue engine...

Since the initial research leading to the production of diamond composite materials, there have been several important developments leading to significant improvements in the properties of these superhard composite materials. Apart from the fact that...

Hydrogel nanoparticles—also referred to as polymeric nanogels or macromolecular micelles—are emerging as promising drug carriers for therapeutic applications. These nanostructures hold versatility and properties suitable for the delivery of bioactive...

Polymer/metal nanocomposite containing intrinsically anisotropic metal nanostructures such as metal nanorods and nanowires appeared extremely more sensitive and responsive to mechanical stimuli than nanocomposites containing spherical nanoparticles....

This article will highlight our recent work using conjugated oligomers as precursors to electroactive polymer films and self-assembling nanomaterials. One area of investigation has focused on nonbenzenoid aromaticity in the context of charge delocali...

Correlative studies of three oxalato-bridged polymers, obtained under hydrothermal conditions for the two isostructural compounds {Rb(HC₂O₄)(H₂C₂O₄)(H₂O)₂}_∞¹, 1, {H₃O(HC₂O₄)(H₂C₂O₄).2H₂O}_∞¹, 2, and by conventional synthetic method for {Rb(HC₂O₄)}_∞³,...

A layer-by-layer method has been developed for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their deposition on functionalized organic surfaces. The approach is based on the sequential immersion of functionalized organic surfaces into solutio...

The unique size- and shape-dependent electronic properties of nanocrystals (NCs) make them extremely attractive as novel structural building blocks for constructing a new generation of innovative materials and solid-state devices. Recent advances in...

At present, thick film (powder based) alternating current electroluminescence (AC-EL) is the only technology available for the fabrication of large area, laterally structured and coloured light sources by simple printing techniques. Substrates for pr...

Magnetic hollow spheres with a controlled diameter and shell thickness have emerged as an important class of magnetic nanomaterials. The confined hollow geometry and pronouncedly curved surfaces induce unique physical properties different from those...

Honeycomb monoliths consist of a large number of parallel channels that provide high contact efficiencies between the monolith and gas flow streams. These structures are used as adsorbents or supports for catalysts when large gas volumes are treated,...

The leading cause of oral pain and tooth loss is from caries and their treatment include restoration using amalgam, resin, porcelain and gold, endodontic therapy and extraction. Resin composite restorations have grown popular over the last half a cen...

Polystyrene-silica core-shell nanocomposite particles are successfully prepared via one-step Pickering emulsion polymerization. Possible mechanisms of Pickering emulsion polymerization are addressed in the synthesis of polystyrene-silica nanocomposit...

We set out to study the use of a series of ruthenocenes as possible and promising sources for ruthenium and/or ruthenium oxide film formation.The thermal stability of a series of ruthenocenes, including (η⁵-C₅H₄R)(η⁵-C₅H₄R´)Ru (1), R = R´ = H (3), R...

Cylindrical elastomers were prepared through the UV-initiated crosslinking of terminally acrylated, 8,000 Da star-poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-ε-caprolactone) and star-poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-D,L-lactide). These elastomers were implanted int...

Timber gridshells have become a very popular, efficient, sustainable and beautiful structural application of timber. However, given the slender laths involved in this form of construction, there is concern over the durability of timber for this purpo...

The Cp₂ZrCl₂/2 BuLi catalyzed co-polymerization of H₂MeSiSiMeH₂ and PhSiH₃ was compared to the homo-polymerization of H₂MeSiSiPhH₂. In contrast to the co-polymerization, which gave molecular weights comparable to homo-polymerization of phenylsilane,...

Although block- or granular-type sintered hydroxyapatite are known to show excellent tissue responses and good osteoconductivity, apatite powder elicits inflammatory response. For the fabrication of hydroxyapatite block or granules, sintering is comm...

The Fe-Si binary system provides several iron silicides that have varied and exceptional material properties with applications in the electronic industry. The well known Fe-Si binary silicides are Fe₃Si, Fe₅Si₃, FeSi, a-FeSi₂ and b-FeSi₂. While the i...

Polymer nanocomposites with engineered electrical properties can be made by tuning the fabrication method, processing conditions and filler’s geometric and physical properties. This work focuses on investigating the effect of filler’s geometry (aspec...

Ductile fracture is the macroscopic result of a micromechanical process consisting in void nucleation and growth to coalescence. While growing in size, voids also evolve in shape because of the non-uniform deformation field in the surrounding materia...

Concrete science is a multidisciplinary area of research where nanotechnology potentially offers the opportunity to enhance the understanding of concrete behavior, to engineer its properties and to lower production and ecological cost of construction...

This work reviews the use of porous silicon (PS) as a nanomaterial which is extensively investigated and utilized for various applications, e.g., in the fields of optics, sensor technology and biomedicine. Furthermore the combination of PS with one o...

Advances in the extraction, purification, and characterization of keratin proteins from hair and wool fibers over the past century have led to the development of a keratin-based biomaterials platform. Like many naturally-derived biomolecules, keratin...

In this work we report the polymerization behaviour of natural clays (montmorillonites, MMT) as activating supports. These materials have been modified by treatment with different aluminium compounds in order to obtain enriched aluminium clays and to...

The synthesis and characterization of a Keggin-type mono-rhenium(V)-substituted polyoxotungstate are described. The dimethylammonium salt [Me₂NH₂]₄[PW₁₁Re^VO₄₀] was obtained as analytically pure homogeneous black-purple crystals by reacting mono-lacun...

This paper reviews the current array of complexes of relevance to achieving lanthanide mediated nitrogen fixation. A brief history of nitrogen fixation is described, including a limited discussion of successful transition metal facilitated nitrogen f...

The positive results of the performance of zirconia for orthopedics devices have led the dental community to explore possible esthetical and mechanical outcomes using this material. However, questions regarding long-term results have opened strong an...

Biphasic calcium phosphates (BCP) have been sought after as biomaterials for the reconstruction of bone defects in maxillofacial, dental and orthopaedic applications. They have demonstrated proven biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, safety and predi...

The liquid crystalline dimer of 4-(4-pentenyloxy)benzoic acid, a member of the n-alkoxybenzoic acid homologous series, was synthesized using potassium carbonate supported on alumina as catalyst. The acid dimer complex exhibited three mesophases; iden...

Spark plasma sintered 3Y-TZP has been investigated with respect to hydrothermal ageing and grinding. The sintering was performed between the temperatures of 1,100 and 1,600 °C for a soaking time of 5 minutes and the resulting materials were obtained...

The typical large specific surface area and high reactivity of nanostructured porous silicon (nanoPS) make this material very suitable for the development of sensors. Moreover, its biocompatibility and biodegradability opens the way to the developmen...

Mesoporous silica molecular sieves are a kind of unique catalyst support due to their large pore size and high surface area. Several methods have been developed to immobilize heteropolyacids (HPAs) inside the channels of these mesoporous silicas. The...

We show why and how the spin state of transition-metal ions affects the thermoelectric properties of transition-metal oxides by investigating two perovskite-related oxides. In the A-site ordered cobalt oxide Sr₃YCo₄O_10.5, partial substitution of Ca f...