Graphene has attracted enormous attention owing to its extraordinary properties, while graphene-based nanocomposites hold promise for many applications. In this paper, we present a two-step exploitation method for preparation of graphene oxides and a facile solvothermal route for preparation of few-layer graphene nanosheets and graphene/WO₃ nanocomposites in an ethanol-distilled water medium. T...

The focus of this research is to investigate the potential of using exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets, GNP, as the multifunctional reinforcement in fabricating polymer/GNP nanocomposites and then explore their prospective applications in bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Firstly, high density polyethylene (HDPE)/GNP nanocomposites were fabricated using the conven...

In the pursuit towards the use of sunlight as a sustainable source for energy generation and environmental remediation, photocatalytic water splitting and photocatalytic pollutant degradation have recently gained significant importance. Research in this field is aimed at solving the global energy crisis and environmental issues in an ecologically-friendly way by using two of the most abundant n...

The work described in this paper is focused on evaluating the effect of the processing method and nanoclay (montmorillonite) content on the tensile, compressive, and impact properties of clay-epoxy nanocomposites. Nanocomposites are synthesized by two methods: mechanical mixing and shear mixing. Both these methods are capable of producing bulk quantities of clay-epoxy nanocomposites. X-ray diff...

Self-assembled nanocomposites have been extensively investigated due to the novel properties that can emerge when multiple material phases are combined. Growth of epitaxial nanocomposites using lattice-mismatched constituents also enables strain-engineering, which can be used to further enhance material properties. Here, we report self-assembled growth of highly tensile-strained Ge/In0.52Al0.48...

The enrichment of low-abundance proteins in complex biological samples plays an important role in clinical diagnostics and biomedical research. This work reports a novel one-step method for the synthesis of aptamer-modified graphene oxide (GO/Apt) nanocomposites, without introducing the use of gold, for the rapid and specific separation and enrichment of human α-thrombin from buffer solutions w...

Copolymers consisting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) and their layered silicate nanocomposites were electrospun to form fibers with diameters in the sub-micron range. The presence of MAA increased the glass transition temperature and thermal stability of the copolymers through formation of anhydrides upon heating. Dispersion of layered silicates within the nanocomposite...

In recent years, nanocomposites based on various nano-scale carbon fillers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are increasingly being thought of as a realistic alternative to conventional smart materials, largely due to their superior electrical properties. Great interest has been generated in building highly sensitive strain sensors with these new nanocomposites. This article reviews the recent ...

PMMA/Na-MMT nanocomposites were synthesized through a soap-free emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS). A conventional anionic surfactant, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (DBS-Na), was also used to compare with AMPS in the interaction with pristine Na-MMT. Both surfactants were intercalated into the layers of the pr...

Sulfonated styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene triblock copolymer (SSEBS) was synthesized by reaction of acetyl sulfate with SEBS. SSESB-clay nanocomposites were then prepared from hydrophilic Na-montmorillonite (MT) and organically (quaternary amine) modified hydrophobic nanoclay (OMT) at very low loading. SEBS did not show improvement in properties with MT-based nanocomposites. On sulfonation...