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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Effect Of Tensile Load On The Actuation Performance Of Ph-Sensitive Hydrogels, Sina Naficy, Geoffrey M. Spinks Jan 2015

Effect Of Tensile Load On The Actuation Performance Of Ph-Sensitive Hydrogels, Sina Naficy, Geoffrey M. Spinks

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

pH-responsive hydrogels are capable of converting chemical energy to mechanical work. To optimize their use as actuators, their response when operating against an external load must be fully characterized. Here, the actuation strain of a model pH-sensitive hydrogel as a function of different constant loads is studied. The experimental actuation strain, produced by switching the pH from 2 to 12, decreases significantly and monotonically with increasing initial tensile load. Two models are developed to predict the actuation strain as a function of applied stress. Simple mechanical models based on the change in hydrogel modulus and cross sectional area due to …


Size-Dependent Chemical Reactivity Of Silicon Nanocrystals With Water And Oxygen, Melanie L. Mastronardi, Kenneth K. Chen, Kristine Liao, Gilberto Casillas, Geoffrey A. Ozin Jan 2015

Size-Dependent Chemical Reactivity Of Silicon Nanocrystals With Water And Oxygen, Melanie L. Mastronardi, Kenneth K. Chen, Kristine Liao, Gilberto Casillas, Geoffrey A. Ozin

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

A detailed investigation examines how the size of allylbenzene-capped silicon nanocrystals (ncSi:AB) affects their chemical reactivity with gaseous O2, H2O, and O2/H2O as probed by in situ luminescence spectroscopy. Specifically, changes in the photoluminescence (PL) of size-separated ncSi:AB are monitored through alterations of their PL absolute quantum yield (AQY) as well as the wavelength and intensity of their PL spectra over time. These experiments, conducted under both continuous and intermittent illumination, help elucidate the roles of O2, H2O, and mixtures of O2/H2O, with respect …


A Custom Battery For Operando Neutron Powder Diffraction Studies Of Electrode Structure, Wei Kong Pang, Vanessa Peterson Jan 2015

A Custom Battery For Operando Neutron Powder Diffraction Studies Of Electrode Structure, Wei Kong Pang, Vanessa Peterson

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Structure-property relations are central to understanding functional materials, and for battery research the use of neutron powder diffraction to reveal the atomistic and molecular-scale origin of battery performance characteristics is often essential. Although operando experiments of this kind are increasingly common as neutron sources and instrumentation advance, these experiments are hindered by the often large barrier presented by the preparation of whole batteries that yield a neutron diffraction signal from the electrode of interest that is sufficient to extract detailed structural information. This article presents a custom battery that is specifically designed for operando neutron powder diffraction. The battery is …


Next Generation Bioelectronics: Advances In Fabrication Coupled With Clever Chemistries Enable The Effective Integration Of Biomaterials And Organic Conductors, Paul Molino, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2015

Next Generation Bioelectronics: Advances In Fabrication Coupled With Clever Chemistries Enable The Effective Integration Of Biomaterials And Organic Conductors, Paul Molino, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Organic bioelectronics is making an enormous impact in the field of tissue engineering, providing not just biocompatible, but biofunctional conducting material platforms. For their true potential to be reached, it is critical to integrate organic conductors with other biopolymers in a targeted manner, allowing the development of devices and scaffold architectures capable of delivering a number of physical, chemical, and electrical stimuli. Herein, we provide an overview of the methods currently being employed to tailor organic conductors for bioapplications, with a focus on the development of fabrication techniques vital to the development of the next generation of intelligent bionic devices.


A Facile Approach To Synthesize Stable Cnts@Mno Electrocatalyst For High Energy Lithium Oxygen Batteries, Wenbin Luo, Shulei Chou, Jiazhao Wang, Yu-Chun Zhai, Hua-Kun Liu Jan 2015

A Facile Approach To Synthesize Stable Cnts@Mno Electrocatalyst For High Energy Lithium Oxygen Batteries, Wenbin Luo, Shulei Chou, Jiazhao Wang, Yu-Chun Zhai, Hua-Kun Liu

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

A composite of manganese monoxide loaded onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs@MnO) has been synthesized by a facile approach, in which the CNTs form a continuous conductive network connecting the electrocatalyst MnO nanoparticles together to facilitate good electrochemical performance. The electrocatalyst MnO shows favourable rechargeability, and good phase and morphology stability in lithium oxygen batteries. Excellent cycling performance is also demonstrated, in which the terminal voltage is higher than 2.4 V after 100 cycles at 0.4 mA cm-2, with 1000 mAh g-1 (composite) capacity. Therefore, this hybrid material is promising for use as a cathode material for lithium oxygen …


Mesoporous Hierarchical Anatase For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Achieving Over 10% Conversion Efficiency, Jianjian Lin, Yoon-Uk Heo, Andrew Nattestad, Yusuke Yamauchi, S X. Dou, Jung Ho Kim Jan 2015

Mesoporous Hierarchical Anatase For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Achieving Over 10% Conversion Efficiency, Jianjian Lin, Yoon-Uk Heo, Andrew Nattestad, Yusuke Yamauchi, S X. Dou, Jung Ho Kim

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Interest in both one-dimensional and hierarchical architectures of metal oxide semiconductors has intensified within the field of materials science over recent years. Herein, a new mesoporous anatase TiO2 architecture that combines these two concepts, as it is composed of individual, high-aspect-ratio, nanoribbon-like components, was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method without any surfactant or template. An 8.3% solar-to-electric conversion efficiency was obtained when these structures were used in photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells, which are superior to commercial state-of-the-art TiO2 (6.6%), due to enhanced dye loading and efficient light scattering. To further improve the light scattering effect, a …


Flexible Free-Standing Graphene Paper With Interconnected Porous Structure For Energy Storage, Kewei Shu, Caiyun Wang, Sha Li, Chen Zhao, Yang Yang, Hua-Kun Liu, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2015

Flexible Free-Standing Graphene Paper With Interconnected Porous Structure For Energy Storage, Kewei Shu, Caiyun Wang, Sha Li, Chen Zhao, Yang Yang, Hua-Kun Liu, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

A novel porous graphene paper is prepared via freeze drying a wet graphene oxide gel, followed by thermal and chemical reduction. The macroscopic structure of the formed graphene paper can be tuned by the water content in the gel precursor. With 92% water content, an interconnected macroporous network can be formed. This porous graphene (PG) paper exhibits excellent electrochemical properties. It can deliver a high discharge capacity of 420 mA h g−1 at a current density of 2000 mA g−1 when used as binder-free lithium ion battery anode. PG paper exhibits a specific capacitance of 137 F g …


Hydrostatic Pressure: A Very Effective Approach To Significantly Enhance Critical Current Density In Granular Iron Pnictide Superconductors, Babar Shabbir, Xiaolin Wang, Shaban Reza Ghorbani, C Shekhar, S X. Dou, O.N Srivastava Jan 2015

Hydrostatic Pressure: A Very Effective Approach To Significantly Enhance Critical Current Density In Granular Iron Pnictide Superconductors, Babar Shabbir, Xiaolin Wang, Shaban Reza Ghorbani, C Shekhar, S X. Dou, O.N Srivastava

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Pressure is well known to significantly raise the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, in both iron pnictides and cuprate based superconductors. Little work has been done, however, on how pressure can affect the flux pinning and critical current density in the Fe-based superconductors. Here, we propose to use hydrostatic pressure to significantly enhance flux pinning and Tc in polycrystalline pnictide bulks. We have chosen Sr4V2O6Fe2As2 polycrystalline samples as a case study. We demonstrate that the hydrostatic pressure up to 1.2 GPa can not only significantly increase Tc from …


Magnetocaloric Effect And Magnetostructural Coupling In Mn0.92fe0.08coge Compound, Jianli Wang, Precious Shamba, Wayne D. Hutchison, Qinfen Gu, M F. Md Din, Q Y. Ren, Zhenxiang Cheng, Shane J. Kennedy, Stewart J. Campbell, S X. Dou Jan 2015

Magnetocaloric Effect And Magnetostructural Coupling In Mn0.92fe0.08coge Compound, Jianli Wang, Precious Shamba, Wayne D. Hutchison, Qinfen Gu, M F. Md Din, Q Y. Ren, Zhenxiang Cheng, Shane J. Kennedy, Stewart J. Campbell, S X. Dou

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The structural properties of Mn0.92Fe0.08CoGe have been investigated in detail using synchrotron x-ray diffraction in zero and applied pressure (p = 0-10 GPa). A ferromagnetic transition occurs around TC = 300 K and a large magnetic-entropy change −ΔSM = 17.3 J/kg K detected at TC for a field change of ΔB = 5 T. The field dependence of −ΔS M max can be expressed as −ΔS M max ∝ B. At ambient temperature and pressure, Mn0.92Fe0.08CoGe exhibits a co-existence of the orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure (space group Pnma) and hexagonal …


The Potential Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells In Models Of Neurological Disorders: Implications On Future Therapy, Jeremy M. Crook, Gordon G. Wallace, Eva Tomaskovic-Crook Jan 2015

The Potential Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells In Models Of Neurological Disorders: Implications On Future Therapy, Jeremy M. Crook, Gordon G. Wallace, Eva Tomaskovic-Crook

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

There is an urgent need for new and advanced approaches to modeling the pathological mechanisms of complex human neurological disorders. This is underscored by the decline in pharmaceutical research and development efficiency resulting in a relative decrease in new drug launches in the last several decades. Induced pluripotent stem cells represent a new tool to overcome many of the shortcomings of conventional methods, enabling live human neural cell modeling of complex conditions relating to aberrant neurodevelopment, such as schizophrenia, epilepsy and autism as well as age-associated neurodegeneration. This review considers the current status of induced pluripotent stem cell-based modeling of …


Stretchable, Weavable Coiled Carbon Nanotube/Mno2/Polymer Fiber Solid-State Supercapacitors, Changsoon Choi, Shi Hyeong Kim, Hyeon Jun Sim, Jae Ah Lee, A Young Choi, Youn Tae Kim, Xavier Lepro, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Ray H. Baughman, Seon Jeong Kim Jan 2015

Stretchable, Weavable Coiled Carbon Nanotube/Mno2/Polymer Fiber Solid-State Supercapacitors, Changsoon Choi, Shi Hyeong Kim, Hyeon Jun Sim, Jae Ah Lee, A Young Choi, Youn Tae Kim, Xavier Lepro, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Ray H. Baughman, Seon Jeong Kim

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Fiber and yarn supercapacitors that are elastomerically deformable without performance loss are sought for such applications as power sources for wearable electronics, micro-devices, and implantable medical devices. Previously reported yarn and fiber supercapacitors are expensive to fabricate, difficult to upscale, or non-stretchable, which limits possible use. The elastomeric electrodes of the present solid-state supercapacitors are made by using giant inserted twist to coil a nylon sewing thread that is helically wrapped with a carbon nanotube sheet, and then electrochemically depositing pseudocapacitive MnO2 nanofibers. These solid-state supercapacitors decrease capacitance by less than 15% when reversibly stretched by 150% in the …


Controllable Synthesis Of Concave Cubic Gold Core-Shell Nanoparticles For Plasmon-Enhanced Photon Harvesting, Yang Bai, Teera Butburee, Hua Yu, Zhen Li, Rose Amal, Gao Qing (Max) Lu, Lianzhou Wang Jan 2015

Controllable Synthesis Of Concave Cubic Gold Core-Shell Nanoparticles For Plasmon-Enhanced Photon Harvesting, Yang Bai, Teera Butburee, Hua Yu, Zhen Li, Rose Amal, Gao Qing (Max) Lu, Lianzhou Wang

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Well-defined core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) containing concave cubic Au cores and TiO2 shells (CA@T) were synthesized in colloidal suspension. These CA@T NPs exhibit Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) absorption in the NIR region, which provides a unique property for utilizing the low energy range of the solar spectrum. In order to evaluate the plasmonic enhancement effect, a variety of CA@T NPs were incorporated into working electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By adjusting the shell thickness of CA@T NPs, the plasmonic property can be tuned to achieve maximum photovoltaic improvement. Furthermore, the DSSC cells fabricated with the CA@T NPs exhibit …


Contribution Of Radicals And Ions In Catalyzed Growth Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes From Low-Temperature Plasmas, Z Marvi, S Xu, G Foroutan, Kostya Ostrikov Jan 2015

Contribution Of Radicals And Ions In Catalyzed Growth Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes From Low-Temperature Plasmas, Z Marvi, S Xu, G Foroutan, Kostya Ostrikov

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The growth kinetics of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a low-temperature, low-pressure reactive plasma is investigated using a multiscale numerical simulation, including the plasma sheath and surface diffusion modules. The plasma-related effects on the characteristics of SWCNT growth are studied. It is found that in the presence of reactive radicals in addition to energetic ions inside the plasma sheath area, the effective carbon flux, and the growth rate of SWCNT increase. It is shown that the concentration of atomic hydrogen and hydrocarbon radicals in the plasma plays an important role in the SWCNT growth. The effect of the effective carbon …


Facile Method To Synthesize Na-Enriched Na1+Xfefe(Cn)6 Frameworks As Cathode With Superior Electrochemical Performance For Sodium-Ion Batteries, Weijie Li, Shulei Chou, Jiazhao Wang, Yong-Mook Kang, Jianli Wang, Yong Liu, Qinfen Gu, Hua-Kun Liu, S X. Dou Jan 2015

Facile Method To Synthesize Na-Enriched Na1+Xfefe(Cn)6 Frameworks As Cathode With Superior Electrochemical Performance For Sodium-Ion Batteries, Weijie Li, Shulei Chou, Jiazhao Wang, Yong-Mook Kang, Jianli Wang, Yong Liu, Qinfen Gu, Hua-Kun Liu, S X. Dou

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Different Na-enriched Na1+xFeFe(CN)6 samples can be synthesized by a facile one-step method, utilizing Na4Fe(CN)6 as the precursor in a different concentration of NaCl solution. As-prepared samples were characterized by a combination of synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (S-XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, magnetic measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma analysis. The electrochemical results show that the Na1.56Fe[Fe(CN)6]·3.1H2O (PB-5) sample shows a high specific capacity of more than 100 mAh g-1 and excellent capacity retention of 97% over 400 cycles. The details structural evolution during …


Boosting The Efficiency Of Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Up To 7.11% Through Simultaneous Engineering Of Photocathode And Photoanode, Yang Bai, Chao Han, Xinqi Chen, Hua Yu, Xu Zong, Zhen Li, Lianzhou Wang Jan 2015

Boosting The Efficiency Of Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Up To 7.11% Through Simultaneous Engineering Of Photocathode And Photoanode, Yang Bai, Chao Han, Xinqi Chen, Hua Yu, Xu Zong, Zhen Li, Lianzhou Wang

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

We demonstrate a new strategy of boosting the efficiency of quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) by engineering the photocathode and photoanode simultaneously. Nanostructured photocathodes based on non-stoichiometric Cu2-xSe electrocatalysts were developed via a simple and scalable approach for CdS/CdSe QDs co-sensitized solar cells. Compared to Cu2S CE, remarkably improved photovoltaic performance was achieved for QDSSCs with Cu2-xSe CEs. The superior catalytic activity and electrical conductivity of Cu2-xSe CEs were verified by the electrochemical impedance spectra and Tafel-polarization measurements. To maximize the efficiency enhancement, the photoanodes were optimized by introducing a pillared …


Contamination Mitigation Strategies For Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, David R. G Mitchell Jan 2015

Contamination Mitigation Strategies For Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, David R. G Mitchell

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Modern scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) enables imaging and microanalysis at very high magnification. In the case of aberration-corrected STEM, atomic resolution is readily achieved. However, the electron fluxes used may be up to three orders of magnitude greater than those typically employed in conventional STEM. Since specimen contamination often increases with electron flux, specimen cleanliness is a critical factor in obtaining meaningful data when carrying out high magnification STEM. A range of different specimen cleaning methods have been applied to a variety of specimen types. The contamination rate has been measured quantitatively to assess the effectiveness of cleaning. The …


N-Doped Crumpled Graphene Derived From Vapor Phase Deposition Of Ppy On Graphene Aerogel As An Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst, Meng Wang, Jiazhao Wang, Yuyang Hou, Dongqi Shi, David Wexler, Simon D. Poynton, Robert C.T. Slade, Weimin Zhang, Hua-Kun Liu, Jun Chen Jan 2015

N-Doped Crumpled Graphene Derived From Vapor Phase Deposition Of Ppy On Graphene Aerogel As An Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst, Meng Wang, Jiazhao Wang, Yuyang Hou, Dongqi Shi, David Wexler, Simon D. Poynton, Robert C.T. Slade, Weimin Zhang, Hua-Kun Liu, Jun Chen

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Nitrogen-doped crumpled graphene (NCG) is successfully synthesized via vapor phase deposition of polypyrrole onto graphene aerogel followed by thermal treatment. The NCG was explored as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction, showing comparable electrocatalytic performance with the commercial Pt/C in alkaline membrane exchange fuel cells because of the well-regulated nitrogen doping and the robust micro-3D crumpled porous nanostructure.


A Bi-Layer Tio2 Photoanode For Highly Durable, Flexible Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Jianjian Lin, Yong Peng, Alexander Pascoe, Fuzhi Huang, Yi-Bing Cheng, Yoon-Uk Heo, Andrew Nattestad, Wanchul Seung, Sung Kyun Kim, Hoon Joon Yoon, Sang Woo Kim, Yusuke Yamauchi, S X. Dou, Jung Ho Kim Jan 2015

A Bi-Layer Tio2 Photoanode For Highly Durable, Flexible Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Jianjian Lin, Yong Peng, Alexander Pascoe, Fuzhi Huang, Yi-Bing Cheng, Yoon-Uk Heo, Andrew Nattestad, Wanchul Seung, Sung Kyun Kim, Hoon Joon Yoon, Sang Woo Kim, Yusuke Yamauchi, S X. Dou, Jung Ho Kim

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Low-temperature processing of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) [B. Oregan, M. Grätzel, Nature, 1991, 353, 737] is crucial to enable their commercialization with low-cost plastic substrates. Much of the previous work in this area has focused on mechanical compression of premade particles on plastic substrates; however, many reported that this technique did not yield sufficient interconnections for high charge carrier transport. Herein, we present bi-layer photoanodes that incorporate microstructured TiO2 sea-urchin-like assemblies, composed of high-aspect-ratio single crystalline nanoribbons, i.e., two-dimensional subunits, which were deposited onto a nanoparticle layer (commercial P25), with a 5.6% conversion efficiency realized. We demonstrate that …


A Versatile Binder-Free Tio2 Paste For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Jeremy H. Yune, Inna Karatchevtseva, P Evans, Klaudia K. Wagner, Matthew J. Griffith, David L. Officer, Gerry Triani Jan 2015

A Versatile Binder-Free Tio2 Paste For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Jeremy H. Yune, Inna Karatchevtseva, P Evans, Klaudia K. Wagner, Matthew J. Griffith, David L. Officer, Gerry Triani

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

In this study, binder-free TiO2 colloidal pastes have been prepared using a variety of heterocyclic bases with diverse characteristics to produce robust photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) from a single cast film thickness of 5 micron. The influence of the base on the electrode structure and film morphology, including its electron donor characteristics are investigated after low temperature thermal treatment and high temperature sintering. The results show that quinoline in the TiO2 paste is retained within the electrode structure in comparison to piperidine and pyridine after a short thermal treatment of 150 °C for 15 minutes. The …


Large Entropy Change Accompanying Two Successive Magnetic Phase Transitions In Tbmn2si2 For Magnetic Refrigeration, Guoxing Li, Jianli Wang, Zhenxiang Cheng, Qing Yon Ren, Chunsheng Fang, S X. Dou Jan 2015

Large Entropy Change Accompanying Two Successive Magnetic Phase Transitions In Tbmn2si2 For Magnetic Refrigeration, Guoxing Li, Jianli Wang, Zhenxiang Cheng, Qing Yon Ren, Chunsheng Fang, S X. Dou

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Structural and magnetic properties in TbMn2Si2 are studied by variable temperature X-ray diffraction, magnetization, electrical resistivity, and heat capacity measurements. TbMn2Si2 undergoes two successive magnetic transitions at around Tc1 = 50 K and Tc2 = 64 K. Tc1 remains almost constant with increasing magnetic field, but Tc2 shifts significantly to higher temperature. Thus, there are two partially overlapping peaks in the temperature dependence of magnetic entropy change, i.e., −ΔSM (T). The different responses of Tc1 and Tc2 to external magnetic field, and the overlapping of −ΔSM …


Guanidinium Octahydrotriborate: An Ionic Liquid With High Hydrogen Storage Capacity, Weidong Chen, Zhenguo Huang, Guotao Wu, Teng He, Zhao Li, Juner Chen, Zaiping Guo, Hua-Kun Liu, Ping Chen Jan 2015

Guanidinium Octahydrotriborate: An Ionic Liquid With High Hydrogen Storage Capacity, Weidong Chen, Zhenguo Huang, Guotao Wu, Teng He, Zhao Li, Juner Chen, Zaiping Guo, Hua-Kun Liu, Ping Chen

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

For chemical hydrogen storage, capacity is one key criterion that has spurred intense efforts to investigate compounds with high hydrogen content. The guanidinium cation and the octahydrotriborate anion possess 6 H+ and 8 H-, respectively. The combination of these two ions yields guanidinium octahydrotriborate with 13.8 wt% hydrogen. This paper presents its facile synthesis, as confirmed by 11B and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results show that guanidinium octahydrotriborate is an ionic liquid with a melting point below -10°C, which makes it a possible injectable/pumpable hydrogen carrier. It decomposes selectively to hydrogen, in stark …


Chemically Converted Graphene: Scalable Chemistries To Enable Processing And Fabrication, Sanjeev Gambhir, Rouhollah Jalili, David L. Officer, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2015

Chemically Converted Graphene: Scalable Chemistries To Enable Processing And Fabrication, Sanjeev Gambhir, Rouhollah Jalili, David L. Officer, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Graphene, a nanocarbon with exceptional physical and electronic properties, has the potential to be utilized in a myriad of applications and devices. However, this will only be achieved if scalable, processable forms of graphene are developed along with ways to fabricate these forms into material structures and devices. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the chemistries suitable for the development of aqueous and organic solvent graphene dispersions and their use for the preparation of a variety of polymer composites, materials useful for the fabrication of graphene-containing structures and devices. Fabrication of the processable graphene dispersions or composites …


Electrochemical Synthesis Of Mesoporous Pt Nanowires With Highly Electrocatalytic Activity Toward Methanol Oxidation Reaction, Cuiling Liu, Victor Malgras, Saad Alshehri, Jung Ho Kim, Yusuke Yamauchi Jan 2015

Electrochemical Synthesis Of Mesoporous Pt Nanowires With Highly Electrocatalytic Activity Toward Methanol Oxidation Reaction, Cuiling Liu, Victor Malgras, Saad Alshehri, Jung Ho Kim, Yusuke Yamauchi

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Self-supported one-dimensional (1D) mesoporous Pt nanowires (NWs) are prepared by confining micelle assembly in channels of a polycarbonate (PC) membrane. The obtained mesoporous Pt NWs show very high electrochemical activity and excellent durability as catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in comparison with the commercially available Pt black (PtB) catalyst. This work demonstrates that an appropriate combination of both self-supported 1D shape and mesoporous architecture indeed improve the electrocatalytic performances which is critical for further implementation and practical applications.


Reduced Graphene Oxide And Polypyrrole/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite Coated Stretchable Fabric Electrodes For Supercapacitor Application, Chen Zhao, Kewei Shu, Caiyun Wang, Sanjeev Gambhir, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2015

Reduced Graphene Oxide And Polypyrrole/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite Coated Stretchable Fabric Electrodes For Supercapacitor Application, Chen Zhao, Kewei Shu, Caiyun Wang, Sanjeev Gambhir, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The advent of self-powered functional garments has given rise to a demand for stretchable energy storage devices that are amendable to integration into textile structures. The electromaterials (anode, cathode and separator) are expected to sustain a deformation of 3% to 55% associated with body movement. Here, we report a stretchable fabric supercapacitor electrode using commonly available nylon lycra fabric as the substrate and graphene oxide (GO) as a dyestuff. It was prepared via a facile dyeing approach followed by a mild chemical reduction. This reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coated fabric electrode retains conductivity at an applied strain of up to …


A Bio-Friendly, Green Route To Processable, Biocompatible Graphene/Polymer Composites, Eoin Murray, Sepidar Sayyar, Brianna C. Thompson, Robert A. Gorkin Iii, David L. Officer, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2015

A Bio-Friendly, Green Route To Processable, Biocompatible Graphene/Polymer Composites, Eoin Murray, Sepidar Sayyar, Brianna C. Thompson, Robert A. Gorkin Iii, David L. Officer, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Grapene-based polymer composites are a very promising class of compounds for tissue engineering scaffolds. However, in general the methods of synthesis are environmentally hazardous and residual toxic materials can affect the biocompatibility significantly. In this paper a simple, scalable, environmentally-friendly, microwave-assisted synthesis is described that results in conducting graphene/polycaprolactone composites that retain the processability and biocompatibility of the pristine polymer without introducing possibly hazardous reducing agents. Composites of polycaprolactone and graphene oxide were synthesised in a single step by the ring-opening polymerisation of ε-caprolactone in the presence of dispersed graphene oxide nanosheets under microwave irradiation. The graphene oxide provides a …


Corrosion Protection Afforded By Praseodymium Conversion Film On Mg Alloy Aznd In Simulated Biological Fluid Studied By Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy, Seyed S. Jamali, Simon E. Moulton, Dennis E. Tallman, Maria Forsyth, Jan Weber, Azadehsadat Mirabedini, Gordon G. Wallace Jan 2015

Corrosion Protection Afforded By Praseodymium Conversion Film On Mg Alloy Aznd In Simulated Biological Fluid Studied By Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy, Seyed S. Jamali, Simon E. Moulton, Dennis E. Tallman, Maria Forsyth, Jan Weber, Azadehsadat Mirabedini, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Surface passivation of AZNd Mg alloy with Pr(NO3)3 is studied using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in surface generation/tip collection (SG/TC) and AC modes. Corrosion protection afforded by the Pr treatment and the degradation mechanism in a simulated biological environment was examined on a local scale and compared with non-treated AZNd. SG/TC mode results revealed a drastic decrease in H2 evolution due to the Pr treatment. Mapping the local insulating characteristics using AC-SECM showed higher conductivity of the surface where H2 evolution was most favorable.


Giant Enhancement In Critical Current Density, Up To A Hundredfold, In Superconducting Nafe0.97co0.03 As Single Crystals Under Hydrostatic Pressure, Babar Shabbir, Xiaolin Wang, Shaban Reza Ghorbani, A-Li Wang, S X. Dou, X.H Chen Jan 2015

Giant Enhancement In Critical Current Density, Up To A Hundredfold, In Superconducting Nafe0.97co0.03 As Single Crystals Under Hydrostatic Pressure, Babar Shabbir, Xiaolin Wang, Shaban Reza Ghorbani, A-Li Wang, S X. Dou, X.H Chen

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Tremendous efforts towards improvement in the critical current density "Jc" of iron based superconductors (FeSCs), especially at relatively low temperatures and magnetic fields, have been made so far through different methods, resulting in real progress. Jc at high temperatures in high fields still needs to be further improved, however, in order to meet the requirements of practical applications. Here, we demonstrate a simple approach to achieve this. Hydrostatic pressure can significantly enhance Jc in NaFe0.97Co0.03As single crystals by at least tenfold at low field and more than a hundredfold at high fields. …


Enhanced Electron Lifetime Of Cdse/Cds Quantum Dot (Qd) Sensitized Solar Cells Using Znse Core-Shell Structure With Efficient Regeneration Of Quantum Dots, Rasin K. Ahmed, Long Zhao, Attila J. Mozer, Geoffrey D. Will, John M. Bell, Hongxia Wang Jan 2015

Enhanced Electron Lifetime Of Cdse/Cds Quantum Dot (Qd) Sensitized Solar Cells Using Znse Core-Shell Structure With Efficient Regeneration Of Quantum Dots, Rasin K. Ahmed, Long Zhao, Attila J. Mozer, Geoffrey D. Will, John M. Bell, Hongxia Wang

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Research on development of efficient passivation materials for high performance and stable quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) is highly important. While ZnS is one of the most widely used passivation material in QDSCs, an alternative material based on ZnSe which was deposited on CdS/CdSe/TiO2 photoanode to form a semi-core/shell structure has been found to be more efficient in terms of reducing electron recombination in QDSCs in this work. It has been found that the solar cell efficiency was improved from 1.86% for ZnSe0 (without coating) to 3.99% using 2 layers of ZnSe coating (ZnSe2) deposited by successive ionic …


Strain-Induced Magnetic Phase Transition In Srcoo3−Δ Thin Films, S J. Callori, S Hu, Joel Bertinshaw, Zhilian Yue, S Danilkin, Xiaolin Wang, V Nagarajan, Frank Klose, Jan Seidel, Clemens Ulrich Jan 2015

Strain-Induced Magnetic Phase Transition In Srcoo3−Δ Thin Films, S J. Callori, S Hu, Joel Bertinshaw, Zhilian Yue, S Danilkin, Xiaolin Wang, V Nagarajan, Frank Klose, Jan Seidel, Clemens Ulrich

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

It has been well established that both in bulk at ambient pressure and for films under modest strains, cubic SrCoO3−δ (δ<0.2) is a ferromagnetic metal. Recent theoretical work, however, indicates that a magnetic phase transition to an antiferromagnetic structure could occur under large strain accompanied by a metal-insulator transition. We have observed a strain-induced ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic phase transition in SrCoO3−δ films grown on DyScO3 substrates, which provide a large tensile epitaxial strain, as compared to ferromagnetic films under lower tensile strain on SrTiO3 substrates. Magnetometry results demonstrate the existence of antiferromagnetic spin correlations and neutron diffraction experiments provide a direct evidence for a G-type antiferromagnetic structure with Neél temperatures between TN∼135±10K and ∼325±10K, depending on the oxygen content of the samples. Therefore, our data experimentally confirm the predicted strain-induced magnetic phase transition to an antiferromagnetic state for SrCoO3−δ thin films under large epitaxial strain.


Dual Yolk-Shell Structure Of Carbon And Silica-Coated Silicon For High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries, L Y. Yang, H Z. Li, Jun Liu, Ziqi Sun, S S. Tang, M Lei Jan 2015

Dual Yolk-Shell Structure Of Carbon And Silica-Coated Silicon For High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries, L Y. Yang, H Z. Li, Jun Liu, Ziqi Sun, S S. Tang, M Lei

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Silicon batteries have attracted much attention in recent years due to their high theoretical capacity, although a rapid capacity fade is normally observed, attributed mainly to volume expansion during lithiation. Here, we report for the first time successful synthesis of Si/void/SiO2/void/C nanostructures. The synthesis strategy only involves selective etching of SiO2 in Si/SiO2/C structures with hydrofluoric acid solution. Compared with reported results, such novel structures include a hard SiO2-coated layer, a conductive carbon-coated layer, and two internal void spaces. In the structures, the carbon can enhance conductivity, the SiO2 layer has mechanically …