Carbon sphere (CS)@ZnO core-shell nanocomposites were successfully prepared through facile low-temperature water-bath method without annealing treatment. The morphology and the microstructure of samples were characterized by transition electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. ZnO nanoparticles with several nanometers in size de...

During their synthesis, multi-walled carbon nanotubes can be aligned and impregnated in a polymer matrix to form an electrically conductive and flexible nanocomposite with high backing density. The material exhibits the highest reported electrical conductivity of CNT-epoxy composites (350 S/m). Here, we show how conductive atomic force microscopy can be used to study the electrical transport me...

The effects of physisorbed polymer molecules on carbon nanotubes dispersed in a soft polymer matrix on the resulting mechanical strength of the nanocomposite are reported. From measurements of the large-strain deformation of the nanocomposites, the shear strength, τ, of the nanotube/matrix interface was determined as a function of the interfacial polymer chain length and the chain density, Σ. T...

Glucose and ATP biosensors have important applications in diagnostics and research. Biosensors based on conventional materials suffer from low sensitivity and low spatial resolution. Our previous work has shown that combining single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with Pt nanoparticles can significantly enhance the performance of electrochemical biosensors. The immobilization of SWCNTs on bios...

In this work, a series of nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNTs) with several weight percentages (0.1, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0 wt.%) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique. The N-MWCNTs were first characterized and then dispersed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymer matrix to form a nanocomposite. The HDPE/N-MWCNT nanocomposite films were prep...

Miniaturization of passive components, while mounting them close to the active devices to form ultrathin high-performance power and RF modules, is a key enabler for next-generation multifunctional miniaturized systems. Traditional microscale materials do not lead to adequate enhancement in volumetric densities to miniaturize passive components as thin films or thin integrated passive devices. W...

Herein, facile synthesis of monodisperse silicon and carbon nanocomposite spheres (MSNSs) is achieved via a simple and scalable surface-protected magnesiothermic reduction with subsequent chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Li-ion batteries (LIBs) were fabricated to test the utility of MSNSs as an anode material. LIB anodes based on MSNSs demonstrate a high reversible capacity of 3207 mAh ...

In this study a series of epoxy/silica nanocomposites were prepared by using nano silica particles which had different surface modifications. The morphology of the nanocomposite coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy SEM. The effects of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic feature of the nano particles on the Tg and anticorrosive properties of nanocomposite coatings were evaluate...

In-situ homogeneous dispersion of noble metals in three-dimensional graphene sheets is a key tactic for producing macroscopic architecture, which is desirable for practical applications, such as electromagnetic interference shielding and catalyst. We report a one-step greener approach for developing porous architecture of 3D-graphene/noble metal (Pt and Ag) nanocomposite monoliths. The resultin...