Recent studies on supercapacitors have focused on the development of hierarchical nanostructured carbons by combining two-dimensional graphene and other conductive sp(2) carbons, which differ in dimensionality, to improve their electrochemical performance. Herein, we report a strategy for synthesizing a hierarchical graphene-based carbon material, which we shall refer to as spine-like nanostruc...

The rapid heating of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites leads to complex thermophysical interactions which not only are dependent on the thermal properties of the constituents and microstructure but are also dependent on the thermal transport between the fiber and resin interfaces. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, the thermal conductance across the interface betwee...

Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/activated carbon hybrid supercapacitor can combine the advantages of both lithium-ion battery and supercapacitor, which may meet the requirements for developing high-performance hybrid electric vehicles. Here we proposed a novel "core-shell" porous graphitic carbon (PGC) to replace conventional activated carbon for achieving excellent cell performance. In this PGC structure made from ...

The shortage of nitrogen active sites and relatively low nitrogen content result in unsatisfying eletrocatalytic activity and durability of nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here we report a novel approach to substantially enhance electrocatalytic oxygen reduction on NG electrode by the implantation of nitrogen active sites with mesoporous graphitic carbon nitrid...

Carbon nanotubes are being widely studied as a reinforcing element in high-performance composites and fibers at high volume fractions. However, problems with nanotube processing, alignment, and non-optimal stress transfer between the nanotubes and surrounding matrix have so far prevented full utilization of their superb mechanical properties in composites. Here, we present an alternative use of...

We have established a facile and generalizable "silica-assisted" synthesis for diverse carbon spheres-a category that covers mesoporous carbon nanospheres, hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres, and yolk-shell mesoporous carbon nanospheres-by using phenolic resols as a polymer precursor, silicate oligomers as an inorganic precursor, and hexadecyl trimethylammoniumchloride as a template. The part...

Ordered mesoporous carbon/iron oxide composites were prepared by cooperative self-assembly of poly(tbutyl acrylate)-block-polyacrylonitrile (PtBA-b-PAN), which contains both a carbon precursor block and a porogen block, and phenol-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs). Because of the selective hydrogen bonding between the phenol-functionalized iron oxide NPs and PAN, the NPs were prefer...

Successful synthesis of the stable metal-free two-dimensional polymer graphitic carbon-nitride with remarkable properties has made it as one of the most promising nanostructures in many novel nanodevices, especially photocatalytic ones. Understanding the mechanical properties of nanostructures is of crucial importance. Thus, this study employs density functional theory (DFT) to obtain the mecha...

Graphitic carbon nanotubes (GCNTs) were fabricated from in situ produced graphitic carbon by calcining biomass/melamine/Ni(NO3)2·6H2O. Ni-based hybrids (NiOx@GCNTs) displayed superior catalytic capacity in direct dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. The specific reaction rate can reach up to 8.1 μmol m(-2) h(-1), and unprecedented stability was obtained over 165 h without any activation process.