Advanced Nanocomposites最新文献

Advances in polymer nanocomposites presentmany opportunities for tuning material properties. In comparison to utilising zero-dimensional and one-dimensional filler materials, the advent of 2D materials with inherently unique properties allows further fine-tuning of the nanomaterial composite. Additive Manufacturing, or 3D printing, provides an advantage in the production of advanced polymer nanocomposites, enabling rapid-prototyping and facilitating increased design flexibility and optimisation that would not be possible to achieve otherwise. Of particular interest is the ability to utilise multiple materials in the manufacture of a single component or a functional assembled device. This review specifically details the recent advances in multifunctional 3D printing of polymer/2D nanomaterial composites, focusing on the widely commercialised technique of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and the highly versatile technique of Direct Ink Writing (DIW). We will also highlight potential applications of these materials, processing techniques and resulting properties for various applications, including circuits, sensors, energy storage devices and electromagnetic interference shielding.

Recent advancements in flexible and stretchable electronics have underscored the critical importance of maintaining essential electrical properties under stretching conditions, especially in wearable technology. The integration of stretchable conductors into wearable devices, such as soft sensors and stretchable batteries, highlights efforts to enhance durability and performance. Despite extensive studies into the development of stretchable conductors, the impedance characteristics of stretchable electrodes have largely evaded in-depth examination within existing literature. This review paper aims to bridge this gap by offering a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in both material and structural designs tailored for impedance property of stretchable electrodes. It delves into the exploration of various conductive materials, including metals, liquid metals, conducting polymers, hydrogels, and textiles, each offering unique properties suited for specific applications. Moreover, it discusses the diverse fabrication methods employed, such as direct mixing, surface coating/deposition, printing, and specialized techniques for creating electrically conductive networks. Beyond material and fabrication strategies, the review also explores innovative structural concepts capable of accommodating large deformations, such as serpentine, coiled, Kirigami, and open-mesh structures. These designs not only enhance the mechanical resilience of stretchable electronics but also contribute to their electrical performance, particularly in low impedance electronic applications. Finally, the paper provides insights into the emerging applications of conductive nanocomposites with low impedance for wearable electronics, addressing key challenges and discussing future research directions.

Wearable tensile strain sensors are of great importance in both motion monitoring and next-generation, personalized health diagnostics. The accuracy, reliability and stability of the signals obtained from these sensors are significantly dependent on the conformal contact between the flexible sensor and the skin surface. In this study, we have developed a flexible double-layer film as a wearable tensile strain sensor by a simple solution-blending method and a layer-by-layer spraying method. D-sorbitol was incorporated into a waterborne polyurethane (WPU) emulsion to enhance film adhesion, achieving a strength of 7.91 N/m, and to disrupt hydrogen bonds between the WPU chains. This disruption facilitates more straightforward conformational changes of the chains under stress, thereby substantially enhancing the mechanical flexibility of the film. The sensing layer was subsequently constructed by spraying silver microparticles, exhibiting extremely high sensitivity (gauge factor = 103.01) over a 19.3% strain range. This sensor can effectively monitor joint motions and subtle muscle movements as tensile strain sensors.

Lithium metal batteries have gained significant attention due to their high energy density, making them a promising candidate for various applications, including electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage. Nevertheless, the practical development of lithium metal batteries faces challenges related to dendrite formation, low cycling efficiency, and poor safety due to the use of liquid electrolytes. Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are the most attractive alternatives for next-generation safe and high-energy density energy storage systems. However, conventional SSEs fail to meet the simultaneous demands of high ionic conductivity and mechanical properties, due to their intrinsic solid-state chemical properties. Among numerous modifying strategies for SSE chemistry, composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) with advanced nanocomposite design display suitable processability, wettability, high flexibility, low density, and low cost of production. This review comprehensively outlines the merits and functions of advanced nanocomposite designs in CPEs. This review provides valuable insights into the recent progress in nanocomposite designs of solid-state electrolytes, offering guidance for future research and development efforts in this field.

MXenes, a novel group of two-dimensional (2D) materials, have garnered significant attention due to their unique properties, including exceptional mechanical strength and electrical and thermal conductivity. During their synthesis, MXene nanosheets are functionalized with negatively charged terminal groups such as =O, –OH, and –F, which enhance their dispersibility in both water and various organic solvents. Thanks to these characteristics, MXenes have been widely investigated and they demonstrated superior performance in batteries, supercapacitors, membrane separation and electromagnetic interference shielding. More recently, MXenes also attracted much attention in nanofluidic energy conversion from renewable energy sources, such as mechanical force, osmotic energy, solar energy and so on. MXene-based nanocomposites, boasting diverse structures and enhanced properties, show great potential for nanofluidic energy harvesting. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a review to recap recent developments in MXene nanocomposites for nanofluidic energy harvesting. This review will focus on the development of 2D MXene-based nanocomposites for nanofluidic ion transport and energy conversion. Firstly, the fundamental physicochemical properties and synthesis of MXenes will be presented. Furthermore, this review will provide an overview of the design of MXene nanocomposites and their various applications. Finally, this review will explore the promising potential and challenges of MXene-based nanocomposites in nanofluidic energy harvesting.

In the quest for innovative construction materials that enhance sustainability and performance, cementitious composites incorporating nanocellulose (NC) have unveiled a new chapter. NC-reinforced composites have been successfully applied in areas such as medical, food, paper, and electrochemical industries. However, their application within civil engineering remains in its infancy, despite their unparalleled reinforcing capabilities for cementitious composites. This study examines the influence of NC as both a standalone and a hybrid reinforcement in cementitious composite materials, systematically summarizing the research and key findings. Concurrently, it critically assesses the constraints and challenges identified in literatures, proposing viable avenues for future research. It is expected that this comprehensive review will provide insights for future research and promote applications of NC as a reinforcement in cementitious composites.

Due to the energy crisis and global warming, personal passive radiative cooling has gained increasingly more attention. However, the development of radiative cooling films with high performance and durability is still facing crucial challenges. Herein, a SiO₂ microspheres-decorated shish-kebab film composite (SSKFC) has been developed in this work by a spraying technique, which not only has high emissivity within the atmospheric window (8–13 μm), but also possesses transparency in the remaining mid-infrared band and high reflectivity towards solar radiation (0.3–2.5 μm). As a result, SSKFC is capable of achieving effective personal radiative cooling both outdoors (under different weather) and indoors (lowering the temperature by ∼ 4.1 °C compared to the cotton). Additionally, the film design shows excellent superhydrophobicity under various solvents. Given the spectral selectivity, personal cooling performance and self-cleaning property, SSKFC present substantial advantages for personal thermal management.

The rapid advancement of high-performance microelectronic devices highlights the critical need for developing materials with superior thermal conductivity to efficiently dissipate heat in advanced electronics. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is renowned for its remarkable thermal conductivity, exceptional electrical insulation capabilities and minimal thermal expansion coefficient, making it an ideal nanofiller to augment the thermal conductivity of polymers in heat transfer and dissipation applications. However, the inherent anisotropy in the thermal conductivity of h-BN and its polymer nanocomposites poses a challenge, as it restricts the uniformity of multi-directional heat transfer and dissipation. Over the past decade, significant efforts have been devoted to improving the isotropy of the thermal conductivity of h-BN/polymer nanocomposites. This review provides an overview of h-BN/polymer nanocomposites with isotropic thermal conductivity, beginning with an introduction to the significance of thermal management and the properties of h-BN. It then addresses the challenges faced by h-BN/polymer nanocomposites, highlighting approaches to construct h-BN materials and nanocomposites with isotropic thermal conductivity, along with the mechanisms of thermal conductivity enhancement. Finally, the review discusses challenges and perspectives, outlining deficiencies and potential future developments in the field.