Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vass. Constantinou Avenue, 116 35 Athens, Greece, Institut de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, UPR9021 CNRS, Immunologie et Chimie Therapeutiques, 67084 Strasbourg, France, and Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Universita di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy

Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes

Graphene based materials: Past, present and future

Chemical vapour deposition of coatings

The emergence of graphene nanosheet (GN, 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics) has recently opened up an exciting new field in the science and technology of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials with continuously growing academic and technological impetus. GN exhibits unique electronic, optical, magnetic, thermal and mechanical properties arising from its strictly 2D structure and thus has many important technical applications. Actually, GN-based materials have enormous potential to rival or even surpass the performance of carbon nanotube-based counterparts, given that cheap, large-scale production and processing methods for high-quality GN become available. Therefore, the studies on GN in the aspects of chemistry, physical, materials, biology and interdisciplinary science have been in full flow in the past five years. In this critical review, from the viewpoint of chemistry and materials, we will cover recent significant advances in synthesis, molecular engineering, thin film, hybrids, and energy and analytical applications of the “star-material” GN together with discussion on its major challenges and opportunities for future GN research (315 references).

Graphene nanosheet: synthesis, molecular engineering, thin film, hybrids, and energy and analytical applications

Graphene-based materials are gaining heightened attention as novel materials for environmental applications The unique physicochemical properties of graphene, notably its exceptionally high surface area, electron mobility, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength, can lead to novel or improved technologies to address the pressing global environmental challenges This critical review assesses the recent developments in the use of graphene-based materials as sorbent or photocatalytic materials for environmental decontamination, as building blocks for next generation water treatment and desalination membranes, and as electrode materials for contaminant monitoring or removal The most promising areas of research are highlighted, with a discussion of the main challenges that we need to overcome in order to fully realize the exceptional properties of graphene in environmental applications

Environmental applications of graphene-based nanomaterials.

Recent statistics indicate a declining population of undergraduate engineering students that continue toward advanced engineering degrees. This steady downturn in the number of graduate engineering students has fueled fears that the future of the nation's manufacturing and high technology industry is damaged by a severe shortage of skilled engineers unless urgent steps are taken to halt and reverse the decline. In response, The College of Engineering (CoE) at the University of South Florida implemented an internal research experience for undergraduates (REU) initiative designed to provide the student with a valuable research encounter. What has resulted is an important retention in the number of engineering undergraduate students enrolling in our graduate program following their REU experience and a systematic approach to integrate a large number of undergraduate students into the research efforts of the college. In this paper we describe our experience and provide guidance for other interested institutions to implement this initiative. Our initial results show that 64% of our graduates continued toward graduate engineering degrees as a direct result of their research experience.

A research initiative to close the gap between undergraduate and graduate school in engineering

Utilizing a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, silver-copper (Ag-Cu) nanoparticles have been synthesized by changing the surface area ratio of the target (SR = SCu/(SAg + SCu)) from 0 to 30%. The peak absorption attributed to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) increased when increasing SR up to 15%, above which it decreased. The peak shifts seem to be induced by the changes in the conductivity and morphology of the Ag-Cu nanoparticles. Additionally, the interplanar spacings of the Ag-Cu nanoparticles prepared at SR = 15% corresponded to the Ag {111}, {200}, {220}, and Cu {111} planes. However, since the interplanar spacings attributed to the Cu {200} and {220} planes were not detected, the Ag-Cu nanoparticles were believed to possess a lattice constant (a) close not to the Cu phase (a = 3.615 A) but to the Ag phase (a = 4.086 A). Moreover, confirming the presence of Cu atoms in the nanoparticles using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectra, Ag-Cu nanoparticles may be a solid solution in which Cu atoms partially replace Ag atoms in the fcc structure.

Optical Properties and Microstructure of Silver-Copper Nanoparticles Synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Thin film coatings of titanium carbide (TiC) and titanium- carbo-nitride (TiCN) were deposited on Si(100) substrates using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The PLD method is a unique process for depositing high-quality thin films with novel microstructure and properties. Mechanical properties of TiCN are found to be dependent on the nitrogen ambient during deposition. For nitrogen ambient pressure of 20 mTorr the TiCN has hardness values close to TiN hardness values, whereas for nitrogen ambient pressure of 5 mTorr the hardness values of the TiCN films are comparable to the hardness values of the TiC films.

Ashok Kumar

Papers

A research initiative to close the gap between undergraduate and graduate school in engineering

Optical Properties and Microstructure of Silver-Copper Nanoparticles Synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Synthesis and characterization of TiC and TiCN coatings

Amperometric Detection of Glucose Using a Modified Nitrogen-Doped Nanocrystalline Diamond Electrode

Nanocrystalline diamond microspikes increase the efficiency of ultrasonic cell lysis in a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip