Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Biodegradable Nanocomposite Multifunctional Packaging Film For Fruits, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Dileswar Pradhan, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Biopolymers have been used in food packaging in recent years due to high pollution rates and decreased biodegradation of synthetic polymers. Chitosan (CH) and Sodium alginate (SA) are both biodegradable biopolymers with excellent film forming capability. TiO2 nanoparticles have high mechanical strength, degradation ability and antimicrobial properties, which are beneficial in food packaging. The aim of the current work is to develop the biodegradable multifunctional nanocomposite film for fruit (i.e., Pear) packaging applications. Bionanocomposite film was prepared by solvent casting method using CH-SA and various concentrations of TiO2. The multifunctional properties such as UV barrier, thermal, water retention, mechanical, chemical, …

Fabrication And Comparative Study Of Horizontal And Vertical Electrospun Protein-Polysaccharide Nanofiber Biomaterials, Ashley Rivera-Galleti

Theses and Dissertations

The use of biocompatible and biodegradable composite materials for biomedical applications has attracted the attention of many researchers in the past few years. In this study, we fabricated nanofibers of silk fibroin and cellulose and its derivatives to amalgamate their unique properties into a single material. The production of these nanofibers via electrospinning is of particular interest, and whereas several studies have been done on normal nanofibers, the formation of branched nanofibers is an exciting area not currently explored. Blend solutions are formed by dissolving silk and cellulose/cellulose acetate in formic acid separately and mixing to achieve the desired ratios. …

Mechanical Properties And Characterization Of Epoxy Composites Containing Highly Entangled As-Received And Acid Treated Carbon Nanotubes, Aaron Krieg, Julia A. King, Gregory M. Odegard, Timothy Leftwich, Leif K. Odegard, Paul D. Fraley, Ibrahim Miskioglu, Claire Jolowsky, Matthew Lundblad, Jin Gyu Park, Richard Liang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Huntsman–Merrimack MIRALON® carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel, highly entan-gled, commercially available, and scalable format of nanotubes. As-received and acid-treated CNTs were added to aerospace grade epoxy (CYCOM® 977-3), and the composites were characterized. The epoxy resin is expected to infiltrate the network of the CNTs and could improve mechanical properties. Epoxy composites were tested for flexural and viscoelastic properties and the as-re-ceived and acid treated CNTs were characterized using Field-Emission Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Composites containing 0.4 wt% as-received CNTs showed an increase in flexural strength, from 136.9 MPa for neat epoxy …

Excited-State Lifetimes Of Dna-Templated Cyanine Dimer, Trimer, And Tetramer Aggregates: The Role Of Exciton Delocalization, Dye Separation, And Dna Heterogeneity, Jonathan S. Huff, Daniel B. Turner, Olga A. Mass, Lance K. Patten, Christopher K. Wilson, Simon K. Roy, Matthew S. Barclay, Bernard Yurke, William B. Knowlton, Paul H. Davis, Ryan D. Pensack

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

DNA-templated molecular (dye) aggregates are a novel class of materials that have garnered attention in a broad range of areas including light harvesting, sensing, and computing. Using DNA to template dye aggregation is attractive due to the relative ease with which DNA nanostructures can be assembled in solution, the diverse array of nanostructures that can be assembled, and the ability to precisely position dyes to within a few Angstroms of one another. These factors, combined with the programmability of DNA, raise the prospect of designer materials custom tailored for specific applications. Although considerable progress has been made in characterizing the …

First-Principles Magnetic Treatment Of The Uranium Nitride (100) Surface And Effect On Corrosion Initiation, Ember L. Sikorski, Brian J. Jaques, Lan Li

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The magnetic properties of uranium nitride (UN) surfaces are not well understood experimentally or computationally but they have a significant effect on UN performance as a nuclear fuel. We investigated ferromagnetic (FM), antiferromagnetic (AFM), nonmagnetic (NM), and three hybrid magnetic structures of the most stable UN surface (100). To account for electron correlation and metastability, a U-ramp was performed to an effective Hubbard U-term of 2.0 eV. FM was found to be the most energetically favorable magnetic structure. Type 1 AFM slab was optimized to a new magnetic structure consisting of (100) planes with either all spin-up electrons, all spin-down …

Seaweed Polysaccharide In Food Contact Materials (Active Packaging, Intelligent Packaging, Edible Films, And Coatings), Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Food contact materials (FCMs) are materials that come in contact with food products such as food packaging which play a significant role in the food quality and safety. Plastic, which is a major food packaging material, harms the eco-system, wildlife, and the environment. As a result, numerous researches have been in progress on alternative polymers, which has similar properties as plastic but is also environmentally friendly (biodegradable). In recent years, the utilization of seaweed polysaccharides has piqued interest due to its biodegradability, non-toxicity, antioxidant capabilities, and excellent film formation ability. However, it has a number of drawbacks such as low …

Effect Of Crystal Quality On Twinning Stress In Ni–Mn–Ga Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys, Andrew Armstrong, Peter Müllner

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Low twinning stress (TS) is a prerequisite for magnetic shape memory functionality in ferromagnetic martensites. We compare Ni₅₀Mn₂₈Ga₂₂ (nominal at.%) single crystals from four different producers to reveal the effect of crystal quality on the TS. Near the reverse martensite transformation, the TS is generally low, about 1 MPa, regardless of mosaicity of up to 1.7° and chemical composition deviations of up to 2 at.% of Mn. Pure type I and type II twin boundaries occur in crystals with smooth chemical composition gradients. The corresponding temperature dependences of TS follow universal linear trends with the …

Impact Behavior Of Laminated Composites Built With Fique Fibers And Epoxy Resin: A Mechanical Analysis Using Impact And Flexural Behavior, Julian Rua, Mario F. Buchely, Sergio Neves Monteiro, Gloria I. Echeverri, Henry A. Colorado

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This research analyzes the behavior of natural fiber reinforced laminated polymer composites (NFRPC) under mechanical solicitations. Samples were fabricated with epoxy resin matrix reinforced with a multilayer natural fique fiber in a bi-directional commercial fabric configuration. Different reinforcement contents without additives were prepared taking in the account the simplicity in processing, fabrication cost, and applications in which this material might be used with high performance standards. Charpy notched impact and 3-point bending test were carried out to evaluate the mechanical behavior and the work of fracture, which was improved significatively with the fibers, showing an increase from 5 to 30 …

Tools And Strategies For The Patterning Of Bioactive Molecules And Macromolecules, Daniel J. Valles

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Hypersurface Photolithography (HP) is a printing method for fabricating structures and patterns composed of soft materials bound to solid surfaces and with ~1 micrometer resolution in the x, y, and z dimensions. This platform leverages benign, low intensity light to perform photochemical surface reactions with spatial and temporal control of irradiation, and, as a result, is particularly useful for patterning delicate organic and biological material. In particular, surface- initiated controlled radical polymerizations can be leveraged to create arbitrary polymer and block- copolymer brush patterns. Chapter 1 will review the advances in instrumentation architectures from our group that have made these …

Laser-Defined Graphene Strain Sensor Directly Fabricated On 3d-Printed Structure, Tyler M. Webb, Twinkle Pandhi, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A direct-write method to fabricate a strain sensor directly on a structure of interest is reported. In this method, a commercial graphene ink is printed as a square patch (6 mm square) on the structure. The patch is dried at 100 °C for 30 min to remove residual solvents but the printed graphene remains in an insulative state. By scanning a focused laser (830 nm, 100 mW), the graphene becomes electrically conductive and exhibits a piezoresistive effect and a low temperature coefficient of resistance of −0.0006 °C⁻¹. Using this approach, the laser defines a strain sensor pattern on …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Self-Assemblies In Nature And Nanotechnology, Phu Khanh Tang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nature usually divides complex systems into smaller building blocks specializing in a few tasks since one entity cannot achieve everything. Therefore, self-assembly is a robust tool exploited by Nature to build hierarchical systems that accomplish unique functions. The cell membrane distinguishes itself as an example of Nature’s self-assembly, defining and protecting the cell. By mimicking Nature’s designs using synthetically designed self-assemblies, researchers with advanced nanotechnological comprehension can manipulate these synthetic self-assemblies to improve many aspects of modern medicine and materials science. Understanding the competing underlying molecular interactions in self-assembly is always of interest to the academic scientific community and industry. …

Electrostatic Flocking Of Salt-Treated Microfibers And Nanofiber Yarns For Regenerative Engineering, Alec Mccarthy, Kossi Loic M. Avegnon, Phil A. Holubeck, Demi Brown, Anik Karan, Navatha Shree Sharma, Johnson V. John, Shelbie Weihs, Jazmin Ley, Jingwei Xie

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Electrostatic flocking is a textile technology that employs a Coulombic driving force to launch short fibers from a charging source towards an adhesive-covered substrate, resulting in a dense array of aligned fibers perpendicular to the substrate. However, electrostatic flocking of insulative polymeric fibers remains a challenge due to their insufficient charge accumulation. We report a facile method to flock electrostatically insulative poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfibers (MFs) and electrospun PCL nanofiber yarns (NFYs) by incorporating NaCl during pre-flock processing. Both MF and NFY were evaluated for flock functionality, mechanical properties, and biological responses. To demonstrate this platform's diverse applications, standalone flocked NFY …

Improvements To Emissive Plume And Shock Wave Diagnostics And Interpretation During Pulsed Laser Ablation Of Graphite, Timothy I. Calver

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation covers nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of graphite for 4-5.7 J/cm² fluences with 248 nm and 532 nm lasers in 1-180 Torr helium, argon, nitrogen, air, and mixed gas. Three experiments were performed to improve the interpretation of common diagnostics used to characterize pulsed laser ablation, find simple but universal scaling relationships for comparing dynamics across different materials and ablation conditions, and provide a systematic analysis of graphite emissive plume and shock wave dynamics. A scaling of the Sedov-Taylor energy ratio was developed and validated for a range of studies despite differences in wavelength, pulse duration, fluence, and …

Atomistic Simulation Of Desalination, Ian David Durr

Symposium of Student Scholars

Atomistic Simulation of Desalination

Ian Durr, Matheus Prates, and Jungkyu Park

Kennesaw State University

In this research, we investigate the desalination capacity of three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanostructures using molecular dynamics simulations. 3D carbon nanostructures proposed here will filter seawater efficiently because of their multiple layers with holes of tunable sizes. The structure is designed to be flexible, allowing mechanical deformation during daily use. The 3D carbon nanostructure will still possess high thermal conductivity, enabling easy recycle through a simple heating process. Here, we employ LAMMPS, Large-scale Atomic/MolecularMassively Parallel Simulator distributed by Sandia National Laboratories to measure salt ion flux through …

Feedstock Powders For Reactive Structural Materials, Daniel Hastings

Dissertations

Metals as fuels have higher energy density per unit mass or volume compared to any hydrocarbon. At the same time, metals are common structural materials. Exploring metals as reactive structural materials may combine their high energy density with attractive mechanical properties. Preparing such materials, however, is challenging. Requirements that need to be met for applications include density, strength, and stability enabling the component to sustain the structure during its desired operation; added requirements are the amount and rate of the energy release upon impact or shock. Powder technology and additive manufacturing are approaches considered for design of reactive structural materials. …

Towards Quality By Design (Qbd) Of Pharmaceutical Oral Films Loaded With Poorly Watersoluble Drugs, Eylul Cetindag

Dissertations

Oral films are an emerging drug delivery dosage form with numerous advantages such as ease of handling, the possibility to circumvent the first-pass metabolism, better patient compliance, capability for continuous manufacturing, and as a platform for personalized medicine. As films are different from other final dosages by their dimensions and their matrix form, further research is required to better understand the impact of excipient and drug on product performance to assure a consistent and good quality product. Therefore, this dissertation aims to contribute towards the processability and manufacturability of films by examining the impact of the materials and processes. First, …

Effect Of Conductive Additives On Electrochemical Performance Of All-Solid-State Li-S Batteries, Dong-Hao Wang, He-Feng Yan, Zheng-Liang Gong

Journal of Electrochemistry

All-solid-state lithium sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) with inorganic solid electrolytes offer an opportunity to realize both high energy density (lithium metal ~ 3860 mAh·g^-1, sulfur ~ 1675 mAh·g^-1), safety and reliability, via eliminating the polysulfides shuttle effect and flammable liquid electrolyte. However, it still remains a huge challenge for ASSLSBs to achieve high areal active mass loading, high utilization efficiency of the active materials and good cycle stability simultaneously due to the insulating nature of sulfur and Li₂S (conductivities of sulfur and Li₂S are 5×10^-30 S·cm^-1 and 3.6×10^-7 S·cm^{-1 …}

Preparation And Characterization Of Thermoplastic Polyurethane-Based Polymer Electrolyte, Li Zhou, Lie Wu, Zhao-Ming Xue

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrolyte still has to be improved to satisfy the increasingly rigid demands of lithium ion batteries that have higher energy densities. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has two phase structures of soft segments and hard segments, which can guarantee the electrochemical and physical performances of electrolyte for lithium ion battery. It is now creatively applied to the gel polymer electrolyte matrix of lithium ion batteries. In this paper, a novel polymer membrane based on thermoplastic polyurethane/cellulose acetate (TPU/CA) was prepared by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. Further, the TPU/CA blending gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) was prepared by absorbing liquid electrolyte. The …

Preparation Of Coo/Rgo@Ni Foam Electrode And Its Electrocatalytic Reduction Of Co2, Qian Guo, Jia-Long Fu, Cheng-Yan Zhang, Chao-Yue Cai, Cheng Wang, Li-Hua Zhou, Rui-Bo Xu, Ming-Yan Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The worldwide extensive release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) has caused serious environmental pollution and unprecedented climate change problems. Thus, for the sustainable development of human society, it is very necessary to convert CO₂ to renewable fuels through clean and economical processes. The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is regarded as a promising approach for the recycling of carbon resource and the generation of sustainable fuels. However, the slow kinetics and formation of multiple products in CO₂RR hinder its large-scale application. Hence, great research efforts are made to develop electrocatalysts with high product …

Dft Study Of NiM@Pt1AuN-M-1 (N=19, 38, 55, 79; M = 1, 6, 13, 19) Core-Shell Orr Catalyst, Wen-Jie Li, Dong-Xu Tian, Hong Du, Xi-Qiang Yan

Journal of Electrochemistry

The slow kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) limits the performance of low temperature fuel cells. Thus, it needs to design effective catalysts with low cost. Core-shell clusters (CSNCs) show promising activity because of their size-dependent geometric and electronic effects. The ORR activity trend of Ni_m@Pt₁Au_n-m-1(n = 19, 38, 55, 79; m = 1, 6, 13, 19) was studied using the GGA-PBE-PAW methods. The adsorption configurations of *O, *OH and *OOH were optimized and the reaction free energies of four proton electron (H⁺ + e^-) transfer steps …

One-Pot Synthesis Of Fe2O3@Fe-N-C Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst And Its Performance For Zinc-Air Battery, Hua Lin, Yi-Jin Wu, Jun-Tao Li, Yao Zhou

Journal of Electrochemistry

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a profound role in determining cathode performance in metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Owing to its inherently sluggish kinetics, high-performance ORR catalysts which favors the scissoring of O-O bond and formation of O-H bond are a requisite. In this regard, Pt has been explored as the most efficient ORR electrocatalysts. Nevertheless, due to its expensiveness, the usage of Pt catalysts represents one of the major sources of cost in those energy conversion devices. Thus, the development of alternative ORR electrocatalysts with minimized Pt utilization has been widely pursued over the past few decades. Metal-nitrogen-carbon catalysts …

Study On Mxene-Carbon Black/Sulfur Composite In Integrated Electrode Of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, Ye-Peng Fan, Ye-Qiang Luo, Pei-Kang Shen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as a promising energy storage device due to their ultrahigh theoretical energy density of 2500 Wh·kg^-1 and low cost. However, the practical application of Li-S batteries is seriously limited by their low actual energy density, the shuttle effect of polysulfides (LiPSs), and the insulating nature of sulfur and lithium sulfides. Carbon materials have been developed in the design of sulfur hosts due to their adjustable pore structure and high electrical conductivity, but their non-polar surfaces have weak interactions with LiPSs. Herein, MXene-carbon black/sulfur (Ti₃C₂T_x-CB/S) composites were prepared and …

Preparation Of 3d Semi-Interpenetrated Polymer Networks Polymer Electrolyte For Lithium Metal Battery, Yun-Feng Zhang, Jia-Ying Wang, Xiao-Jie Li, Shi-Yu Zhao, Yang He, Shi-Kang Huo, Ya-Ying Wang, Chang Tan

Journal of Electrochemistry

As the next generation high-energy batteries, lithium metal battery has attracted more and more attention due to its highest specific capacity (3860 mA·h·g^-1) and the lowest anode potential (-3.04 V versus the standard hydrogen electrode, SHE). However, the safety problem caused by lithium dendrite growth is one of the biggest challenges for the commercialization of lithium metal batteries. Single ion conducting polymer electrolytes, which deliver high lithium ion transference number, represent one of the important strategies to inhibit lithium dendrite growth. However, the poor compatibility with electrodes and low ionic conductivity largely limit their practical application. In the …

Preparation And Electrochemical Evaluation Of Mos2/Graphene Quantum Dots As A Catalyst For Hydrogen Evolution In Microbial Electrolysis Cell, Hong-Yan Dai, Hui-Min Yang, Xian Liu, Xiu-Li Song, Zhen-Hai Liang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a relatively new bioelectrochemical technology that produces H₂ and meanwhile treats organic wastewater. Cathode hydrogen evolution catalyst plays a key role in MEC. The doping of Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) into MoS₂ nanosheets can improve the catalytic activity of MoS₂ by creating abundant defect sites both in the edge plane and the basal plane, as well as enhancing the electrical conductivity. In this paper, using Na₂MoO₄ , cysteine and GQDs as raw materials, a series of MoS₂/GQDs composites were firstly synthesized via hydrothermal method, and then loaded …

Study On Inhibition Of Lithium Dendrite Growth By Mg(No3)2 Additive In Carbonate Electrolyte, Biao Zhang, Yi Shuai, Yu Wang, Na-Chuan Yang, Kang-Hua Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

In the lithium-sulfurized polyacrylonitrile battery system, the formation and growth of lithium dendrites in the negative electrode seriously deteriorate the charge and discharge performance of the battery. If the growth of lithium dendrites pierces the separator and causes thermal runaway, it will also bring serious damage to the battery, causing potential safety risks. In the carbonate electrolyte that is more conducive to stabilizing the positive electrode sulfurized polyacrylonitrile material, the growth of lithium dendrites is particularly serious. In this paper, magnesium nitrate was added to the carbonate electrolyte to investigate the combined effect of nitrate and magnesium ions on the …

A Comparison In Structural Transformation Of Li[NiXCoYMnZ]O2 (X = 0.6, 0.85) Cathode Materials In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Li-Juan Li, Zhen-Dong Zhu, Juan Dai, Rong-Rong Wang, Wen Peng

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, the phase transformation voltage ranges of two layered oxide ternary cathode materials, namely, Li(Ni_0.85Co_0.10Mn_0.05)O₂ (referred to Ni85, presenting high Ni content) and Li(Ni_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2)O₂ (referred to Ni60, presenting common low Ni content), were classified and determined. The structural differences between high Ni and common low Ni ternary materials were studied in order to understand the structure instability of high nickel material during the charging process. At the same time, the differential capacity (dQ·dV^-1) curves of Ni85 and Ni60 positive …

A Preliminary Study On Graphene Film-Metal Composites Prepared By Electrodeposition, Shuang-Juan Liu, Hai-Jing Wang, Jing Guo, Peng-Cheng Wang, Hao Zhou, Cai Meng, Han-Jie Guo

Journal of Electrochemistry

Graphene film (GF) has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, but low strength and hardness. In order to obtain good comprehensive mechanical properties to improve the practical value of GF, the concept of preparing GF-metal composite materials was proposed. This work was conducted to preliminarily study the feasibility of using electrodeposition method to prepare GF-metal composites. Two kinds of composites, GF-Cu and GF-Cr, were successfully prepared by using GF as the cathode, and pure Cu and DSA (Dimensionally Stable Anode) as the anodes, respectively, with applying DC power externally. Employing certain electrochemical parameters, the cation in the electrolyte moved towards the …

Storage Performance And Mechanism Of Mose2 Nanospheres In Lithium And Magnesium Ion Batteries, Yi Peng, Wei Zhang, Fang-Zhen Zuo, Hao-Ying Lv, Kai-Jun Hong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) is a two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material, attracting wide attention in lithium ion battery (LIB) and exhibiting great potential in next-generation magnesium ion battery (MIB) due to its unique layered structure with fast ion mobility and weak van der Waals interlayer interaction. However, the reported literatures related to MoSe₂ mainly focus on the enhancement of performance in LIB without deep storage mechanisms investigations. Meanwhile,the magnesium storage capacity and mechanisms have not been explored. In this work, MoSe₂ nanospheres were synthesized via wet chemical route and followed by annealing treatment. When used …

High Depth-Of-Discharge Zinc Rechargeability Enabled By A Self-Assembled Polymeric Coating, David J. Arnot, Matthew B. Lim, Nelson S. Bell, Noah B. Schorr, Ryan C. Hill, Andrew Meyer, Yang-Tse Cheng, Timothy N. Lambert

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Zinc has the potential for widespread use as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective anode material pending the resolution of rechargeability issues caused by active material loss and shape change. Here, a self-assembled Nafion-coated Celgard 3501 (NC-Celgard) separator is shown to enable unprecedented cycle life of a Zn anode in alkaline electrolyte at high depth-of-discharge (DOD_Zn). Using commercially relevant energy-dense electrodes with high areal capacities of 60 mAh cm^–2, Zn–Ni cells tested at 20% DOD_Zn cells achieve over 200 cycles while 50% DOD_Zn cells achieve over 100 cycles before failure. The 20% and 50% DOD …

Engineering The Surface Of Fe3o4 Nanoparticles For Catalytic And Magnetic Applications, Natalia Da Silva Moura

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the rapid depletion of the U.S. energy resources coupled with population growth, heat management technologies must be improved to sustain our quality of life. Precisely, in catalysis, it is estimated that only ~50% of the energy supplied to the reactor is used for product conversion due to dissipation losses. Among the emerging technologies with a promising reduction in heat losses is induction heating, offering targeted heat delivery with magnetic nanoparticles. Under alternating magnetic fields (AMF), these nanoparticles can absorb the energy from Radio-Frequency (RF) fields and dissipate it as heat on the nanoparticle surface. This in situ heat generation …