Nanocomposite Coatings

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2016) | Viewed by 51673

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, Univerisity of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: films; coatings; icephobic; anti-icing; ice mitigation; composites; nanocomposite; carbon
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: nanomaterials, composite materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanocomposite coatings refer to coatings with the addition of one or more nanoscale phases in coating matrices. Nanocomposite coatings have attracted increasing interest, and are among the most exciting and fastest growing areas of research in the last decade, due to their enormous potentials for offering unique advantages, e.g., super hardness, self-lubrication, erosion resistance, electrical conducting, energy conversion, antibacterial performance, etc. Incorporating nanoscale additions in host matrices to form nanocomposite coatings is not only a key methodology to realize the desirable properties of the nanoscale materials for practical applications, but also an important approach to achieve synergistic effects of the materials in the nanoscale. There is a strong demand to establish better understanding on the fundamentals and applications of nanocomposite coatings.

Contributions including original research and critical review articles are invited in this Special Issue, covering the most recent R&D advances in processing, characterisation, properties and applications of nanocomposite coatings. Both experimental findings and theoretical studies are welcome.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Xianghui Hou
Dr. Fang Xu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanocomposite coatings
  • nanocomposite films
  • surface engineering
  • nanoparticles
  • nanowires
  • nanocrystalline

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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2907 KiB  
Article
The Influence of New Hydrophobic Silica Nanoparticles on the Surface Properties of the Films Obtained from Bilayer Hybrids
by Cristian Petcu, Violeta Purcar, Cătălin-Ilie Spătaru, Elvira Alexandrescu, Raluca Şomoghi, Bogdan Trică, Sabina Georgiana Niţu, Denis Mihaela Panaitescu, Dan Donescu and Maria-Luiza Jecu
Nanomaterials 2017, 7(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano7020047 - 20 Feb 2017
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6773
Abstract
Ultra-hydrophobic bilayer coatings on a glass surface were fabricated by sol–gel process using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (C16TMS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) (1:4 molar ratio) as precursors. After coating, silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) functionalized with different mono-alkoxy derivatives (methoxytrimethylsilane, TMeMS; ethoxydimethylvinylsilane, DMeVES; ethoxydimethylphenylsilane, DMePhES; [...] Read more.
Ultra-hydrophobic bilayer coatings on a glass surface were fabricated by sol–gel process using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (C16TMS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) (1:4 molar ratio) as precursors. After coating, silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) functionalized with different mono-alkoxy derivatives (methoxytrimethylsilane, TMeMS; ethoxydimethylvinylsilane, DMeVES; ethoxydimethylphenylsilane, DMePhES; and methoxydimethyloctylsilane, DMeC8MS) were added, assuring the microscale roughness on the glass surface. Influences of the functionalized SiO2 NPs and surface morphology on the hydrophobicity of the hybrid films were discussed. The successful functionalization of SiO2 NPs with hydrophobic alkyl groups were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal stability of hydrophobic SiO2 NPs showed that the degradation of the alkyl groups takes place in the 200–400 °C range. Bilayer coating with C16TMS/TMOS and SiO2 NPs modified with alkoxysilane substituted with C8 alkyl chain (SiO2 NP-C8) has micro/nano structure. Hydrophobicity of functionalized SiO2 NPs-C8 and its higher degree of nanometer-scale roughness gave rise to ultra-hydrophobicity performance for bilayer coating C16TMS/TMOS + SiO2 NPs-C8 (145°), compared to other similar hybrid structures. Our synthesis method for the functionalization of SiO2 NPs is useful for the modification of surface polarity and roughness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Coatings)
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4195 KiB  
Article
Preparation of g-C3N4/Graphene Composite for Detecting NO2 at Room Temperature
by Shaolin Zhang, Nguyen Thuy Hang, Zhijun Zhang, Hongyan Yue and Woochul Yang
Nanomaterials 2017, 7(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano7010012 - 12 Jan 2017
Cited by 61 | Viewed by 8973
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were exfoliated from bulk g-C3N4 and utilized to improve the sensing performance of a pure graphene sensor for the first time. The role of hydrochloric acid treatment on the exfoliation result [...] Read more.
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were exfoliated from bulk g-C3N4 and utilized to improve the sensing performance of a pure graphene sensor for the first time. The role of hydrochloric acid treatment on the exfoliation result was carefully examined. The exfoliated products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets exhibited a uniform thickness of about 3–5 nm and a lateral size of about 1–2 µm. A g-C3N4/graphene nanocomposite was prepared via a self-assembly process and was demonstrated to be a promising sensing material for detecting nitrogen dioxide gas at room temperature. The nanocomposite sensor exhibited better recovery as well as two-times the response compared to pure graphene sensor. The detailed sensing mechanism was then proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Coatings)
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4273 KiB  
Article
Super-Hydrophobic/Icephobic Coatings Based on Silica Nanoparticles Modified by Self-Assembled Monolayers
by Junpeng Liu, Zaid A. Janjua, Martin Roe, Fang Xu, Barbara Turnbull, Kwing-So Choi and Xianghui Hou
Nanomaterials 2016, 6(12), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano6120232 - 02 Dec 2016
Cited by 75 | Viewed by 17101
Abstract
A super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained from nanocomposite materials based on silica nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) using spin coating and chemical vapor deposition methods. Scanning electron microscope images reveal the porous structure [...] Read more.
A super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained from nanocomposite materials based on silica nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) using spin coating and chemical vapor deposition methods. Scanning electron microscope images reveal the porous structure of the silica nanoparticles, which can trap small-scale air pockets. An average water contact angle of 163° and bouncing off of incoming water droplets suggest that a super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained based on the silica nanoparticles and POTS coating. The monitored water droplet icing test results show that icing is significantly delayed by silica-based nano-coatings compared with bare substrates and commercial icephobic products. Ice adhesion test results show that the ice adhesion strength is reduced remarkably by silica-based nano-coatings. The bouncing phenomenon of water droplets, the icing delay performance and the lower ice adhesion strength suggest that the super-hydrophobic coatings based on a combination of silica and POTS also show icephobicity. An erosion test rig based on pressurized pneumatic water impinging impact was used to evaluate the durability of the super-hydrophobic/icephobic coatings. The results show that durable coatings have been obtained, although improvement will be needed in future work aiming for applications in aerospace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Coatings)
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2613 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical Synthesis of Polypyrrole, Reduced Graphene Oxide, and Gold Nanoparticles Composite and Its Application to Hydrogen Peroxide Biosensor
by Baoyan Wu, Na Zhao, Shihua Hou and Cong Zhang
Nanomaterials 2016, 6(11), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano6110220 - 21 Nov 2016
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 10755
Abstract
Here we report a facile eco-friendly one-step electrochemical approach for the fabrication of a polypyrrole (PPy), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and gold nanoparticles (nanoAu) biocomposite on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrochemical behaviors of PPy–RGO–nanoAu and its application to electrochemical detection of [...] Read more.
Here we report a facile eco-friendly one-step electrochemical approach for the fabrication of a polypyrrole (PPy), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and gold nanoparticles (nanoAu) biocomposite on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrochemical behaviors of PPy–RGO–nanoAu and its application to electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Graphene oxide and pyrrole monomer were first mixed and casted on the surface of a cleaned GCE. After an electrochemical processing consisting of the electrooxidation of pyrrole monomer and simultaneous electroreduction of graphene oxide and auric ions (Au3+) in aqueous solution, a PPy–RGO–nanoAu biocomposite was synthesized on GCE. Each component of PPy–RGO–nanoAu is electroactive without non-electroactive substance. The obtained PPy–RGO–nanoAu/GCE exhibited high electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide, which allows the detection of hydrogen peroxide at a negative potential of about −0.62 V vs. SCE. The amperometric responses of the biosensor displayed a sensitivity of 40 µA/mM, a linear range of 32 µM–2 mM, and a detection limit of 2.7 µM (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) with good stability and acceptable reproducibility and selectivity. The results clearly demonstrate the potential of the as-prepared PPy–RGO–nanoAu biocomposite for use as a highly electroactive matrix for an amperometric biosensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Coatings)
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Review

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1619 KiB  
Review
Recent Prospects in the Inline Monitoring of Nanocomposites and Nanocoatings by Optical Technologies
by Elodie Bugnicourt, Timothy Kehoe, Marcos Latorre, Cristina Serrano, Séverine Philippe and Markus Schmid
Nanomaterials 2016, 6(8), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano6080150 - 19 Aug 2016
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 7318
Abstract
Nanostructured materials have emerged as a key research field in order to confer materials with unique or enhanced properties. The performance of nanocomposites depends on a number of parameters, but the suitable dispersion of nanoparticles remains the key in order to obtain the [...] Read more.
Nanostructured materials have emerged as a key research field in order to confer materials with unique or enhanced properties. The performance of nanocomposites depends on a number of parameters, but the suitable dispersion of nanoparticles remains the key in order to obtain the full nanocomposites’ potential in terms of, e.g., flame retardance, mechanical, barrier, thermal properties, etc. Likewise, the performance of nanocoatings to obtain, for example, tailored surface affinity with selected liquids (e.g., for self-cleaning ability or anti-fog properties), protective effects against flame propagation, ultra violet (UV) radiation or gas permeation, is highly dependent on the nanocoating’s thickness and homogeneity. In terms of recent advances in the monitoring of nanocomposites and nanocoatings, this review discusses commonly-used offline characterization approaches, as well as promising inline systems. All in all, having good control over both the dispersion and thickness of these materials would help with reaching optimal and consistent properties to allow nanocomposites to extend their use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposite Coatings)
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