Search results for "OTU"

Halloysite nanotubes/pluronic nanocomposites for waterlogged archeological wood: thermal stability and X-ray microtomography

2020

Filling a polymer with halloysite nanotubes is considered a promising strategy to generate nanocomposites with tailored physicochemical properties. We have focused our attention on pluronic block copolymer/halloysite nanocomposites prepared by melt blending. The effect of composition on thermal stability and polymer crystallinity was investigated by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Electron microscopy was used to monitor the nanoparticle distribution in the polymeric matrix. The pluronic thermal stability is reduced by the clay nanoparticles. Concerning the polymer crystallinity, it is slightly decreased even if the melting temperature is lowered by halloysite. Furthe…

Mixed finite element-tight-binding electromechanical analysis of carbon nanotubes

2004

Electrical transport properties of carbon nanotubes can be dramatically changed by mechanical deformations that alter tube shape and the corresponding positions of the atoms comprising the tube wall. In principle, detailed atomic/electronic calculations can provide both the deformed configuration and the resulting electrical transport behavior of the tube. Here we simplify the process by refining a previously-developed nonlinear structural mechanics finite-element-based procedure for modeling mechanical behavior of carbon nanotubes to account explicitly for tube chirality. A quadrilateral element overlay procedure provides an isotropic finite element model of hexagonal cells within a graphe…

Carbon nanotubes under electron irradiation: Stability of the tubes and their action as pipes for atom transport

2005

The production and migration of carbon interstitials in carbon nanotubes under electron irradiation is studied experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the threshold for displacing carbon atoms and the defect production rate strongly depend on the diameter of the nanotubes. Multiwalled nanotubes shrink by a loss of atoms and by diffusion of interstitials through the inner hollow in the axial direction. Thus, experimental evidence is given that nanotubes can act as nanoscale pipes for the transport of atoms.

A Meshless Approach for Electromagnetic Simulation of Metallic Carbon Nanotubes

2009

In this paper, a study on the electromagnetic behaviour of a single wall carbon nanotube model is described. The electrons available for conduction are treated as a thin cylindrical layer fluid and their motion is described by means of classical hydrodynamics equations in linearized form. These equations are solved in time domain using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method. The method suitably handled runs on GRID environment.

Improvement in the performance of low temperature H2-O2 fuel cell with chitosanephosphotungstic acid composite membranes

2016

Abstract Free-standing chitosan/phosphotungstic acid polyelectrolyte membranes, prepared by ionotropic gelation on alumina porous supports, were employed as proton conductor in low temperature H 2 –O 2 fuel cell. A drying step on glass substrate was introduced in the fabrication procedure to reduce shrinkage and consequent corrugation. Membranes were tested with electrodes prepared according to different procedures and with two different Pt loadings, namely 0.5 and 1 mg cm −2 . Both the investigated kinds of electrodes allowed to get very promising power peaks of 550 mW cm −2 in spite of the different Pt content. The polarization curves and the electrochemical impedance spectra suggest that…

Improvement of mechanical and dielectric properties of ethylene–octene copolymer by multi‐walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with poly(2,2′‐bithi…

2019

Gas sensing properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with rhodium nanoparticles

2011

International audience; In the present work, multiwalled carbon nanotubes were decorated with rhodium nanoparticles using a colloidal solution in the post-discharge of an RF atmospheric plasma of argon (Ar) or argon/oxygen (Ar:O 2). The properties of these hybrid materials towards the room temperature detection of NO 2 , C 2 H 4 , CO, C 6 H 6 and moisture were investigated and discussed in view of compositional and morphological studies. It was found that the presence of oxygen in the plasma treatment is essential to significantly enhance the gas response of Rh-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes and to avoid response saturation even at low gas/vapor concentrations. These desirable effec…

Solution and on-surface synthesis of structurally defined graphene nanoribbons as a new family of semiconductors.

2018

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with various structures and properties can be synthesized in solution or on surface.

Optimal ferromagnetically-coated carbon nanotube tips for ultra-high resolution magnetic force microscopy

2013

Using single-walled carbon nanotubes homogeneously coated with ferromagnetic metal as ultra-high resolution magnetic force microscopy probes, we investigate the key image formation parameters and their dependence on coating thickness. The crucial step of introducing molecular beam epitaxy for deposition of the magnetic coating allows highly controlled fabrication of tips with small magnetic volume, while retaining high magnetic anisotropy and prolonged lifetime characteristics. Calculating the interaction between the tips and a magnetic sample, including hitherto neglected thermal noise effects, we show that optimal imaging is achieved for a finite, intermediate-thickness magnetic coating, …

Photoelectrochemical characterization of Cu2O-nanowire arrays electrodeposited into anodic alumina membranes

2007

Perfectly aligned nanowire arrays of polycrystalline Cu2O were grown by template-pulsed electrodeposition from a cupric acetate-sodium acetate bath into anodic alumina membranes (AAM). The photoelectrochemical behavior of arrays with different nanowire lengths (0.5 mu m and 2 mu m) was investigated in neutral solution, and the results compared to those pertaining to Cu2O films grown with the same procedure. Although all samples displayed the same indirect bandgap (similar to 1.9 eV), differences were observed both in photocurrent intensity and sign. The latter changed with potential and wavelength in different ways for nanowires and films, revealing a different defect concentration in the t…