Cost reduction and improved durability are the two major targets for accelerating the commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEFCs). To achieve these goals, the development of a novel method to fabricate platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts with a high mass activity, deposited on durable conductive support materials, is necessary. In this study, we describe a facile appro...

Thin film membranes of space environmentally stable polymeric materials possessing low color/solar absorptivity (α) are of interest for potential applications on Gossamer spacecraft. In addition to these properties, sufficient electrical conductivity is required in order to dissipate electrostatic charge (ESC) build-up brought about by the charged orbital environment. One approach to achieve su...

Silicon has a high specific capacity of 4200 mAh/g as lithium-ion battery anodes, but its rapid capacity fading due to >300% volume expansion and pulverization presents a significant challenge for practical applications. Here we report a core-shell TiC/C/Si inactive/active nanocomposite for Si anodes demonstrating high specific capacity and excellent electrochemical cycling. The amorphous silic...

Harmonious developments of electrical and mechanical performances are crucial for stretchable sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM) of flexible aircraft such as aerostats and morphing aircrafts. In this study, we prepared a highly durable ternary conductive nanocomposite made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), carbon black (CB) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to fabricate stretc...

Multiwalled carbon nanotube-supported Pt (Pt/MWNT) nanocomposites were prepared by both the aqueous solution reduction of a Pt salt (HCHO reduction) and the reduction of a Pt ion salt in ethylene glycol solution. For comparison, a Pt/XC-72 nanocomposite was also prepared by the EG method. The Pt/MWNT catalyst prepared by the EG method has a high and homogeneous dispersion of spherical Pt metal ...

Amphiphilic polystyrene-block-polyethylene oxide (PS-b-PEO) block copolymers (BCPs) have been demonstrated to be effective in directing organization of colloidal Au nanoparticles (NPs). Au NPs have been incorporated into the polymer and the different chemical affinity between the NP surface and the two blocks of the BCP has been used as a driving force of the assembling procedure. The morpholog...

The synthesis procedure and dopant are crucial to the electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and solubility properties of polyaniline (PANI). In this paper, high-performance PANI was synthesized by means of chemical oxidative polymerization using anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (ASPB) as dopant. The bonding structure, crystallographic structure, morphology, and thermal stability ...

A mesoporous Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C nanocomposite is synthesized by a nanocasting technique using the porous carbon material CMK-3 as a hard template. Modifi ed CMK-3 template is impregnated with Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 precursor, followed by heat treatment at 750 ° C for 6 h under N 2 . Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 nanocrystals of up to several tens of nanometers are successfully synthesized in micrometer-sized porous ca...

Manganese dioxide nanosheet arrays with interconnected arrangements are easily synthesized on vapor grown carbon fibers (MnO2 NSAs@VCFs) by a simple wet-chemical method at low temperature. The conductive nature of the VCFs serves as a scaffold and easily reduces potassium permanganate species for the formation of hierarchical MnO2 NSAs@VCFs. When utilized as an electroactive material for pseudo...