Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications

A special issue of C (ISSN 2311-5629).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2016) | Viewed by 70989

Special Issue Editor

1. Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Centre, SRUC, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
2. Enhanced Composites and Structures Center, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: biorefining, chemistry, nanotechnology, biomass, and waste; biomedical engineering; composites; sensors; manufacturing of functional materials; aerospace materials; nanomaterials; renewable energy; smart materials; surface engineering; water science and engineering; additive manufacturing of polymers and composites; multifunctional polymer composites and nanocomposites: self-healing, nanoelectronic materials; hydrogels; membranes; nanofiber; composites for extreme environments and manufacturing technology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Graphene is the current shining star on the horizon of science and engineering disciplines. It is rapidly emerging as one of the most fascinating materials of the 21st Century. Graphene-based nanomaterials possess unique and novel properties, such as remarkable mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, optical, chemical and thermal properties to name a few, due to the unique and intriguing size, structure and chemistry. The exceptional properties of graphene has spurred extensive research efforts around the globe in seeking new innovative ways to leverage the properties of graphene for numerous applications ranging from biomedical to defense.

The present Special Issue is aimed at bringing together the current state-of-the-art research efforts in the synthesis, characterization and diverse applications of graphene. This Special Issue of C—Journal of Carbon Research invites innovative contributions in terms of research articles, reviews, communications, and letters from around the globe. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, synthesis and chemistry of graphene, functionalization, nanocomposites, advanced applications and so on.

Prof. Dr. Vijay Kumar Thakur
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 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

  • synthesis, processing and characterization covalent functionalization
  • structure property relationship
  • mechanical/barrier/membrane/electronic/dielectric properties
  • thermoplastic/thermosetting polymer nanocomposites
  • structural polymer nanocomposites
  • hybrid nanocomposites
  • advanced applications

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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1324 KiB  
Article
Selective Growth of and Electricity Production by Marine Exoelectrogenic Bacteria in Self-Aggregated Hydrogel of Microbially Reduced Graphene Oxide
by Naoko Yoshida, Yuko Goto and Yasushi Miyata
C 2016, 2(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/c2020015 - 20 May 2016
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 9450
Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO) has been shown to be reduced by several microorganisms. Recent studies of the growth of Geobacter species in the presence of GO and electricity production by recovery of electrons on the reduced form of GO (rGO) have indicated substantial benefits [...] Read more.
Graphene oxide (GO) has been shown to be reduced by several microorganisms. Recent studies of the growth of Geobacter species in the presence of GO and electricity production by recovery of electrons on the reduced form of GO (rGO) have indicated substantial benefits of GO and GO-respiring bacteria (GORB) in microbial electrochemical systems. In this study, we enriched GORB from a coastal sample to investigate the distribution and phylogenetic variety of GORB in seawater environments. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and four-terminal probing revealed that the enriched microbial community (designated as CS culture) reduced GO and self-aggregated into a conductive hydrogel complex with rGO (the CS-rGO complex). In the process of GO reduction, certain bacterial populations grew in a manner that was dependent on GO respiration coupled with acetate oxidization. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA as a biomarker revealed the predominance of Desulfomonas species at 92% of the total bacterial population in the CS culture. The CS-rGO complex produced electricity with acetate oxidization, exhibiting less than 1 Ω/cm3 of charge transfer resistance. Thus, these results suggested that Desulfomonas species could grow on rGO and produce electricity via the reduced form of GO. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications)
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2788 KiB  
Article
High Performance of Alkaline Anion-Exchange Membranes Based on Chitosan/Poly (vinyl) Alcohol Doped with Graphene Oxide for the Electrooxidation of Primary Alcohols
by Leticia García-Cruz, Clara Casado-Coterillo, Ángel Irabien, Vicente Montiel and Jesus Iniesta
C 2016, 2(2), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/c2020010 - 01 Apr 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7555
Abstract
Mixed matrix membranes (MMM) based on chitosan (CS) and poly (vinyl) alcohol (PVA) with a 50:50 w/w ratio doped with graphene oxide (GO) are prepared by solution casting and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), [...] Read more.
Mixed matrix membranes (MMM) based on chitosan (CS) and poly (vinyl) alcohol (PVA) with a 50:50 w/w ratio doped with graphene oxide (GO) are prepared by solution casting and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), water uptake, alcohol permeability, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and OH conductivity measurements. The SEM analysis revealed a dense MMM where the GO nanosheets were well dispersed over the entire polymer matrix. The incorporation of GO increased considerably the thermal stability of the CS:PVA membrane. The GO-based MMM exhibited a low conductivity of 0.19 mS·cm−1 in part because the GO sheets did not change the crystallinity of the CS:PVA matrix. The reinforced structure created by the hydrogen bonds between the GO filler and the CS:PVA matrix resulted to be a good physical barrier for alcohol permeability, achieving a coefficient of diffusion of 3.38 × 10−7 and 2.43 × 10−7 cm2·s−1 after 60 and 120 min, respectively, thus avoiding additional alcohol crossover. Finally, the electrochemical performance of the GO-based MMM in the electrooxidation of propargyl alcohol was investigated in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrochemical Reactor (PEMER) under alkaline conditions, through the polarization curve and the electrolysis reactions, showing a performance comparable to anion-exchange commercial membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications)
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3365 KiB  
Article
Probing the Catalytic Activity of Tin-Platinum Decorated Graphene; Liquid Phase Oxidation of Cyclohexane
by Mohammad Sadiq, Saima Sadiq, Muhammad Abid Zia, Muhammad Ali, Khalid Saeed, Muhammad Sohail Ahmad and Rahmat Ali
C 2016, 2(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/c2010008 - 10 Mar 2016
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6181
Abstract
Pt-Sn supported on reduced graphene oxide (Pt-Sn/rGO) was synthesized and characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD. The catalytic activity of Pt-Sn/rGO was tested for the solvent free liquid phase oxidation of cyclohexane to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, also called KA oil, [...] Read more.
Pt-Sn supported on reduced graphene oxide (Pt-Sn/rGO) was synthesized and characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD. The catalytic activity of Pt-Sn/rGO was tested for the solvent free liquid phase oxidation of cyclohexane to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, also called KA oil, under mild reaction conditions. The products were analyzed gravimetrically, by UV spectrophotometer, and GC equipped with FID. The catalyst was found to be fairly active as well as selective for the desired products. The experimental data was analyzed by Freundlich, Temkin, and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The L-H model was found to give a better fit of the data. The catalyst was fully recyclable and truly heterogeneous. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications)
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808 KiB  
Article
On Description of Acceleration of Spinless Electrons in Law of Heat Conduction a capite ad calcem in Temperature
by Kal Renganathan Sharma
C 2016, 2(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/c2010001 - 30 Dec 2015
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4535
Abstract
Acceleration effects of heat flow are included in the law of heat conduction by eliminating the acceleration term between the equation of motion for a spinless electron and the Boltzmann equipartition energy theorem differentiated with respect to time. The resulting law of heat [...] Read more.
Acceleration effects of heat flow are included in the law of heat conduction by eliminating the acceleration term between the equation of motion for a spinless electron and the Boltzmann equipartition energy theorem differentiated with respect to time. The resulting law of heat conduction is a capite ad calcem in temperature as given in Equations (17), (19) and (20). (qz/k)z = -(δT/δz) - 1/vh(δT/δt). Evaluation of use of this equation using the entropy production term reveals that as long as the flux, q, and the temperature accumulation both have the same signs, the law does not violate the second law of thermodynamics. For systems that obey the first law of thermodynamics, this is the case. σ == q/T2(q/k + 1/vh • q(δT/δt)). In the chemical potential Stokes-Einstein formulation, when acceleration of the molecule is accounted for, a law of diffusion a capite ad calcem concentration results. In cartesian one-dimensional heat conduction in semi-infinite coordinates, the governing equation for temperature or concentration was solved for by the method of Laplace transforms. The results are in terms of the modified Bessel composite function in space and time of the first order and first kind. This is when τ > X. X > τ the solution is in terms of the Bessel composite function in space and time of the first order and first kind. The wave temperature is a decaying exponential in time when X = τ. An approximate expression for dimensionless temperature was obtained by expanding the binomial series in the exponent in the Laplace domain and after neglecting fourth- and higher-order terms before inversion from the Laplace domain. The Fourier model, the damped wave model and the a capite ad calcem in temperature/concentration model solutions are compared side by side in the form of a graph. The a capite ad calcem model solution is seen to undergo the convex to concave transition sooner than the damped wave model. The results of the a capite ad calcem temperature model for distances further from the surface are closer to the Fourier model solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications)
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2228 KiB  
Article
Raman Spectra of Carbon-Based Materials (from Graphite to Carbon Black) and of Some Silicone Composites
by Liliane Bokobza, Jean-Luc Bruneel and Michel Couzi
C 2015, 1(1), 77-94; https://doi.org/10.3390/c1010077 - 16 Dec 2015
Cited by 309 | Viewed by 30692
Abstract
Carbon-based nanomaterials have emerged as a subject of enormous scientific attention due to their outstanding mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Incorporated in a polymeric matrix, they are expected to significantly improve physical properties of the host medium at extremely small filler content. In [...] Read more.
Carbon-based nanomaterials have emerged as a subject of enormous scientific attention due to their outstanding mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Incorporated in a polymeric matrix, they are expected to significantly improve physical properties of the host medium at extremely small filler content. In this work, we report a characterization of various carbonaceous materials by Raman spectroscopy that has become a key technique for the analysis of different types of sp2 nanostructures, including one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional graphene and the effect of disorder in their structures. The dispersion behavior of the D and G’ Raman bands, that is, their shift to higher frequencies with increasing laser excitation energy, is used to assess the interfacial properties between the filler and the surrounding polymer in the composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications)
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Review

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3589 KiB  
Review
Graphene-Oxide Nano Composites for Chemical Sensor Applications
by Surajit Kumar Hazra and Sukumar Basu
C 2016, 2(2), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/c2020012 - 12 Apr 2016
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 11189
Abstract
Of late, graphene has occupied the attention of almost all researchers working globally in the area of materials science. Graphene nanocomposites are the latest additions to the wonder applications of graphene. One of the promising applications of the graphene-oxide nanocomposites is chemical sensing [...] Read more.
Of late, graphene has occupied the attention of almost all researchers working globally in the area of materials science. Graphene nanocomposites are the latest additions to the wonder applications of graphene. One of the promising applications of the graphene-oxide nanocomposites is chemical sensing which is useful for monitoring the toxicity, inflammability, and explosive nature of chemicals. Well known binary oxides like ZnO, TiO2, SnO2, WO3, and CuO when combined with graphene in the form of nanocomposites have excellent potential for detecting trace amounts of hazardous gases and chemicals. In this article the preparations, characterizations, and the chemical sensor applications of graphene-oxide nanocomposites are presented in detail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene Nanocomposite for Advanced Applications)
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