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Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2024) | Viewed by 18858

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Functional Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
Interests: optical materials; wettability; coating; nanoparticles; smart windows; dynamic materials

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Guest Editor
College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
Interests: optical materials; stimuli-responsive materials; electrochemical; energy materials

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Guest Editor
Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, Beijing, China
Interests: thermal management; thermal protection materials; thermal interface material; thermal insulation materials
National Engineering Research Center for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armored Force Engineering, Beijing, China
Interests: advanced manufacturing; coating; laser processing; metals and alloys

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional nanocomposites normally consist of nanocomponent and matrix. The nanocomponent could be organic, inorganic, or metallic materials with various nanostructures e.g., nanoparticles, nanofibers and nanosheets, etc. and the matrix could be polymers, ceramics, and metals. Functional nanocomposites possess outstanding properties and multi-functions from nanocomponent with intrinsic performance and the nano-synergistic effect of nanocomponent and matrix. This Special Issue is proposed to cover the recent developments and future opportunities in the design, synthesis and manufacturing of nanocomposites and also the unique performance in optics, thermal, electrics, wettability and stimuli-responsive behaviors. In this regard, original research papers, short communications, and review articles are welcome in this Special Issue. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Synthesis technics of nanocomposites
  • Advanced manufacturing of nanocomposites (additive manufacturing, 3D printing, laser processing, photolithography, etc.)
  • Nanocomposites for optical application (smart windows, structure colors, emitting material)
  • Nanocomposites for thermal management (high thermal conductivity materials, thermal insulation materials, thermal emission, etc.)
  • Functional coating (Superhydrophobic coating, anti-icing coating, surface hardening, friction resistance, etc.)
  • Stimuli-responsive materials (mechano-optical materials, electronic sensors, dynamic deformation, shape-memory materials, etc.)

Prof. Dr. Dengteng Ge
Prof. Dr. Xiaoming Yang
Dr. Zhenyu Li
Dr. Jian Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Prof. Dr. Dengteng Ge
Prof. Dr. Xiaoming Yang
Dr. Zhenyu Li
Dr. Jian Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanomaterials
  • composites
  • synthesis
  • advanced manufacturing
  • coating
  • optical
  • thermal
  • electrical
  • wettability
  • stimuli-responsive

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 9440 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Calcium Carbonate Masterbatch–Alkali Soluble Polyester/Polyester Porous Fiber via Melt Spinning
by Yanjiao Zhao, Ruochen Song, Runan Pan, Meiling Zhang and Lifang Liu
Materials 2024, 17(1), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17010160 - 28 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1871
Abstract
Porous fibers have gained significant attention for their lightweight and high porosity properties in applications such as insulation and filtration. However, the challenge remains in the development of cost-effective, high-performance, and industrially viable porous fibers. In this paper, porous fibers were fabricated through [...] Read more.
Porous fibers have gained significant attention for their lightweight and high porosity properties in applications such as insulation and filtration. However, the challenge remains in the development of cost-effective, high-performance, and industrially viable porous fibers. In this paper, porous fibers were fabricated through the melt spinning of an alkali soluble polyester (COPET)– CaCO3 masterbatch and PET slice. Controlled alkali and acid post-treatment techniques were employed to create porous structures within the fibers. The effects on the morphology, mechanical, thermodynamic, crystallinity, pore size, and thermal stability were investigated. The results indicate that the uniform dispersion of CaCO3 particles within the fiber matrix acts as nucleating agents during the granulation process, improving the thermal resistance and strength of the porous fiber. In addition, the porous fiber prepared by COPET/CaCO3 to PET with an 85/15 ratio and post-treated on 4% NaOH and 3% HCl exhibits a “spongy body” with uniformly small pores, favorable strength (2.71 cN/dtex), and elongation at break (47%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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18 pages, 5228 KiB  
Article
Co(II)-Based Metal-Organic Framework Derived CA-CoNiMn-CLDHs with Peroxidase-like Activity for Colorimetric Detection of Phenol
by Wenjie Tan, Rui Xin, Jiarui Zhang, Lilin Yang, Min Jing, Fukun Ma and Jie Yang
Materials 2023, 16(18), 6212; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186212 - 14 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1621
Abstract
Given the serious harm of toxic phenol to human health and the ecological environment, it is urgent to develop an efficient, low-cost and sensitive nanoenzyme-based method to monitor phenol. MOF-derived nanozyme has attracted wide interest due to its hollow polyhedra structure and porous [...] Read more.
Given the serious harm of toxic phenol to human health and the ecological environment, it is urgent to develop an efficient, low-cost and sensitive nanoenzyme-based method to monitor phenol. MOF-derived nanozyme has attracted wide interest due to its hollow polyhedra structure and porous micro-nano frameworks. However, it is still a great challenge to synthesize MOF-derived multimetal synergistic catalytic nanoenzymes in large quantities with low cost. Herein, we reported the synthetic strategy of porous hollow CA-CoNiMn-CLDHs with ZIF-67 as templates through a facile solvothermal reaction. The prepared trimetallic catalyst exhibits excellent peroxidase-like activity to trigger the oxidative coupling reaction of 4-AAP and phenol in the presence of H2O2. The visual detection platform for phenol based on CA-CoNiMn-CLDHs is constructed, and satisfactory results are obtained. The Km value for CA-CoNiMn-CLDHs (0.21 mM) is lower than that of HRP (0.43 mM) with TMB as the chromogenic substrate. Because of the synergistic effect of peroxidase-like activity and citric acid functionalization, the built colorimetric sensor displayed a good linear response to phenol from 1 to 100 μM with a detection limit of 0.163 μM (3σ/slope). Additionally, the CA-CoNiMn-CLDHs-based visual detection platform possesses high-chemical stability and excellent reusability, which can greatly improve economic benefits in practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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12 pages, 20667 KiB  
Article
Solar-Radiation-Dependent Anisotropic Thermal Management Device with Net Zero Energy from 4D Printing Shape Memory Polymer-Based Composites
by Zhuo Wang, Yao Zhang, Yanhui Niu, Xuejian Chen and Jianrong Song
Materials 2023, 16(10), 3805; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103805 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1890
Abstract
Reports have pointed out that nearly 50% of the global total energy demand for buildings is used for daily heating and cooling. Therefore, it is very important to develop various high-performance thermal management techniques with low energy consumption. In this work, we present [...] Read more.
Reports have pointed out that nearly 50% of the global total energy demand for buildings is used for daily heating and cooling. Therefore, it is very important to develop various high-performance thermal management techniques with low energy consumption. In this work, we present an intelligent shape memory polymers (SMPs)-based device with programmable anisotropic thermal conductivity fabricated by a 4D printing technique to assist in thermal management with net zero energy. Highly thermal conductive BN nanosheets were textured in a poly (lactic acid) (PLA) matrix by 3D printing, and the printed composites lamina exhibited significant anisotropic thermal conductivity. The direction of heat flow in devices could be switched programmably, accompanying the light-activated deformation controlled by grayscale of composite, which was demonstrated by the “windows” arrays composed of in-plate thermal conductivity facets and SMPs-based hinge joints, achieving the programmable movement of opening and closing under different light conditions. Based on solar radiation-dependent SMPs coupled with the adjustment of heat flow along anisotropic thermal conductivity, the 4D printed device has been proved in concept for potential applications in thermal management in a building envelop for dynamic climate adaptation, taking place automatically based on the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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15 pages, 1867 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Properties of Hollow Glass Microspheres/Dicyclopentadiene Phenol Epoxy Resin Composite Materials
by Jiadong Lu, Songli Zhang, Leizhi Zhang, Chenxi Wang and Chunying Min
Materials 2023, 16(10), 3768; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103768 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2530
Abstract
With the development of the integrated circuit and chip industry, electronic products and their components are becoming increasingly miniaturized, high-frequency, and low-loss. These demand higher requirements for the dielectric properties and other aspects of epoxy resins to develop a novel epoxy resin system [...] Read more.
With the development of the integrated circuit and chip industry, electronic products and their components are becoming increasingly miniaturized, high-frequency, and low-loss. These demand higher requirements for the dielectric properties and other aspects of epoxy resins to develop a novel epoxy resin system that meets the needs of current development. This paper employs ethyl phenylacetate cured dicyclopentadiene phenol (DCPD) epoxy resin as the matrix and incorporates KH550 coupling-agent-treated SiO2 hollow glass microspheres to produce composite materials with low dielectric, high heat resistance, and high modulus. These materials are applied as insulation films for high density interconnect (HDI) and substrate-like printed circuit board (SLP) boards. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique was used to characterize the reaction between the coupling agent and HGM, as well as the curing reaction between the epoxy resin and ethyl phenylacetate. The curing process of the DCPD epoxy resin system was determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The various properties of the composite material with different HGM contents were tested, and the mechanism of the impact of HGM on the properties of the composite material was discussed. The results indicate that the prepared epoxy resin composite material exhibits good comprehensive performance when the HGM content is 10 wt.%. The dielectric constant at 10 MHz is 2.39, with a dielectric loss of 0.018. The thermal conductivity is 0.1872 Wm−1 k−1, the coefficient of thermal expansion is 64.31 ppm/K, the glass transition temperature is 172 °C, and the elastic modulus is 1221.13 MPa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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18 pages, 10210 KiB  
Article
Glass-Ceramic Coating on Silver Electrode Surface via 3D Printing
by Lilin Yang, Dongzhi Wang, Guoxiang Zhou, Zhidan Lan and Zhihua Yang
Materials 2023, 16(8), 3276; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083276 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2279
Abstract
Silver electrodes are commonly used as a conductive layer for electromagnetic devices. It has the advantages of good conductivity, easy processing, and good bonding with a ceramic matrix. However, the low melting point (961 °C) results in a decrease in electrical conductivity and [...] Read more.
Silver electrodes are commonly used as a conductive layer for electromagnetic devices. It has the advantages of good conductivity, easy processing, and good bonding with a ceramic matrix. However, the low melting point (961 °C) results in a decrease in electrical conductivity and migration of silver ions under an electric field when it works at high temperatures. Using a dense coating layer on the silver surface is a feasible way to effectively prevent the performance fluctuation or failure of the electrodes without sacrificing its wave-transmitting performance. Calcium-magnesium-silicon glass-ceramic (CaMgSi2O6) is a diopside material that has been widely used in electronic packaging materials. However, CaMgSi2O6 glass-ceramics (CMS) are facing tough challenges, such as high sintering temperature and insufficient density after sintering, which significantly confine its applications. In this study, CaO, MgO, B2O3, and SiO2 were used as raw materials to manufacture a uniform glass coating on the silver and Al2O3 ceramics surface via 3D printing technology followed by high-temperature sintering. The dielectric and thermal properties of the glass/ceramic layer prepared with various CaO-MgO-B2O3-SiO2 components were studied, and the protective effect of the glass-ceramic coating on the silver substrate at high temperatures were evaluated. It was found that the viscosity of the paste and the surface density of the coating increase with the increase of solid contents. The 3D-printed coating shows well-bonded interfaces between the Ag layer, the CMS coating, and the Al2O3 substrate. The diffusion depth was 2.5 μm, and no obvious pores and cracks can be detected. According to the high density and well-bonded glass coating, the silver was well protected from the corrosion environment. Increasing the sintering temperature and extending the sintering time is beneficial to form the crystallinity and the densification effect. This study provides an effective method to manufacture a corrosive-resistant coating on an electrically conductive substrate with outstanding dielectric performances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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10 pages, 1855 KiB  
Article
Underwater Highly Pressure-Sensitive Fabric Based on Electric-Induced Alignment of Graphene
by Peiru Zhang, Lili Gu, Weiwei Liu, Dengteng Ge, Lili Yang, Ying Guo and Jianjun Shi
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1567; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041567 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1957
Abstract
Wearable pressure sensors have received widespread attention owing to their potential applications in areas such as medical diagnosis and human–computer interaction. However, current sensors cannot adapt to extreme environments (e.g., wet and underwater) or show moderate sensitivity. Herein, a highly sensitive and superhydrophobic [...] Read more.
Wearable pressure sensors have received widespread attention owing to their potential applications in areas such as medical diagnosis and human–computer interaction. However, current sensors cannot adapt to extreme environments (e.g., wet and underwater) or show moderate sensitivity. Herein, a highly sensitive and superhydrophobic fabric sensor is reported based on graphene/PDMS coating. This wearable sensor exhibits great superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 153.9°) due to the hydrophobic alkyl long chains and rough structure introduced by the Ar plasma. Owing to the network structure created by the electric-induced alignment of graphene sheets, an enhanced sensitivity (ΔI/I0 of 55) and fast response time (~100 ms) are observed. Due to its superhydrophobicity and sensitivity, this wearable sensor demonstrates efficient and stable monitoring of various underwater activities, including pressure, blowing, and tapping. Our approach provides an alternative idea for highly sensitive wearable sensors while broadening the practical application scope. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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10 pages, 5523 KiB  
Article
Two-Step Preparation of CCF/PEEK Wrapped Yarn for 3D Printing Composites with Enhanced Mechanical Properties
by Jianghu Zhang, Hao Shen, Lili Yang and Dengteng Ge
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1168; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031168 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2508
Abstract
Continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFTPCs) have shown advantages such as high strength, long life, corrosion resistance, and green recyclability. Three-dimensional printing of CFTPCs opened up a new strategy for the fabrication of composites with complicated structures, low cost, and short production cycles. [...] Read more.
Continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFTPCs) have shown advantages such as high strength, long life, corrosion resistance, and green recyclability. Three-dimensional printing of CFTPCs opened up a new strategy for the fabrication of composites with complicated structures, low cost, and short production cycles. However, a traditional 3D printing process usually causes poor impregnation of the fiber or surface damage of the fiber due to the short impregnation time or high viscosity of the thermoplastic resin. Here, continuous carbon fiber/poly(ether-ether-ketones) (CCF/PEEK) wrapped yarn was fabricated via powder impregnation and using double spinning technology for the 3D printing. The concentration of PEEK powder suspension and wire speed were optimized as 15% and 2.0 m/min. The twist of wrapped yarn was optimized as 1037 T/m. Mechanical testing showed that the 3D-printed composite wire had excellent tensile and bending strength, which was about 1.6~4.2 times larger than those without the powder pre-impregnation process. It is mainly attributed to the improved impregnation of the CF which took place during the powder pre-impregnation process. We believe that our research on wrapped yarn for 3D-printed composites provides an effective strategy for the 3D printing of composites with enhanced mechanical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 6540 KiB  
Review
Review on Mechanoresponsive Smart Windows: Structures and Driving Modes
by Bo Chen, Qi Feng, Weiwei Liu, Yang Liu, Lili Yang and Dengteng Ge
Materials 2023, 16(2), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020779 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3300
Abstract
The growing awareness about the global energy crisis and extreme weather from global warming drives the development of smart windows market. Compared to conventional electrochromic, photochromic, or thermochromic smart windows, mechanoresponsive smart windows present advantages of simple construction, low cost, and excellent stability. [...] Read more.
The growing awareness about the global energy crisis and extreme weather from global warming drives the development of smart windows market. Compared to conventional electrochromic, photochromic, or thermochromic smart windows, mechanoresponsive smart windows present advantages of simple construction, low cost, and excellent stability. In this review, we summarize recent developments in mechanoresponsive smart windows with a focus on the structures and properties. We outline the categories and discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Especially, we also summarize six unconventional driving modes to generate mechanical strain, including pneumatic, optical, thermal, electric, magnetic, and humidity modes. Lastly, we provide practical recommendations in prospects for future development. This review aims to provide a useful reference for the design of novel mechanoresponsive smart windows and accelerate their practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Functional Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Performance)
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