Worldwide commercial interest in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is reflected in a production capacity that presently exceeds several thousand tons per year. Currently, bulk CNT powders are incorporated in diverse commercial products ranging from rechargeable batteries, automotive parts, and sporting goods to boat hulls and water filters. Advances in CNT synthesis, purification, and chemical modification are enabling integration of CNTs in thin-film electronics and large-area coatings. Although not yet providing compelling mechanical strength or electrical or thermal conductivities for many applications, CNT yarns and sheets already have promising performance for applications including supercapacitors, actuators, and lightweight electromagnetic shields.

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Carbon Nanotubes: Present and Future Commercial Applications

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

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hold the promise of delivering exceptional mechanical properties and multi-functional characteristics. Ever-increasing interest in applying CNTs in many different fields has led to continued efforts to develop dispersion and functionalization techniques. To employ CNTs as effective reinforcement in polymer nanocomposites, proper dispersion and appropriate interfacial adhesion between the CNTs and polymer matrix have to be guaranteed. This paper reviews the current understanding of CNTs and CNT/polymer nanocomposites with two particular topics: (i) the principles and techniques for CNT dispersion and functionalization and (ii) the effects of CNT dispersion and functionalization on the properties of CNT/polymer nanocomposites. The fabrication techniques and potential applications of CNT/polymer nanocomposites are also highlighted.

Dispersion and functionalization of carbon nanotubes for polymer-based nanocomposites: a review

Tissue engineering aims at developing functional substitutes for damaged tissues and organs. Before transplantation, cells are generally seeded on biomaterial scaffolds that recapitulate the extracellular matrix and provide cells with information that is important for tissue development. Here we review the nanocomposite nature of the extracellular matrix, describe the design considerations for different tissues and discuss the impact of nanostructures on the properties of scaffolds and their uses in monitoring the behaviour of engineered tissues. We also examine the different nanodevices used to trigger certain processes for tissue development, and offer our view on the principal challenges and prospects of applying nanotechnology in tissue engineering.

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Nanotechnological strategies for engineering complex tissues.

Chemically converted graphene aerogels with ultralight density and high compressibility are prepared by diamine-mediated functionalization and assembly, followed by microwave irradiation. The resulting graphene aerogels with density as low as 3 mg cm(-3) show excellent resilience and can completely recover after more than 90% compression. The ultralight graphene aerogels possessing high elasticity are promising as compliant and energy-absorbing materials.

Ultralight and Highly Compressible Graphene Aerogels

Effect of temperature on interfacial sliding in single‐walled carbon nanotube polycarbonate composites is investigated experimentally. We show that interfacial slip at the tube‐polymer interfaces can be activated at relatively low dynamic strain levels (∼0.35%) by raising temperature to ∼90°C. We attribute this to increased mobility of the polymer chain backbones at elevated temperatures and thermal relaxation of the radial compressive stresses at the tube‐polymer interfaces. These results show the potential of polymer nano‐composites as high temperature damping materials for vibration and acoustic suppression in a variety of dynamic systems.

Temperature activated interfacial friction damping in carbon nanotube polymer composites.

A nanoclustered ceria abrasives with low crystallinity and high Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio for scratch reduction and high oxide removal rates in the chemical mechanical planarization

The development of microstrain sensors offers significant prospects in diverse applications, such as microrobots, intelligent human-computer interaction, health monitoring, and medical rehabilitation. Among strain sensor materials, vertical graphene (VG) has demonstrated considerable potential as a resistive material; however, VG-based strain sensors with high resolution are yet to be developed. In addition, the detection mechanism of VG has not been extensively investigated. Herein, we developed a VG canal mesh (VGCM) to fabricate a flexible strain sensor for ultralow strain sensing, achieving an accurate response to strains as low as 0.1‰ within a total strain range of 0%-4%. The detection of such low strains is due to the rigorous structural design and strain concentration effect of the three-dimensional micronano structure of the VGCM. Through experimental results and theoretical simulation, the evolution of microcracks in VG and the sensing mechanism of VG and VGCM are elaborated, and the unique advantages of VGCM are revealed. Finally, the VGCM-based strain sensors are proposed as portable breathing test equipment for rapid breathing detection.

Vertical Graphene Canal Mesh for Strain Sensing with a Supereminent Resolution.

Ti3C2Tx MXene/graphene oxide/Co3O4 nanorods aerogels with tunable and broadband electromagnetic wave absorption

In wearable and microelectronic devices, there is a rising need for ultrathin electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding films with multifunction, such as Joule heating and photothermal conversion. MXene has shown promising applications in EMI shielding due to its excellent electrical conductivity, abundant surface functional groups, and layered structures. However, the self-stacking, poor mechanical strength and hydrophilicity of MXene hinder its applications. In this study, MXene/holey graphene (MX/HG) composite film is fabricated in a layered structure. The hydrogen bonds between HG and MXene improve the mechanical properties and prevent the self-stacking of MXene sheets. EMI shielding performances are investigated according to the monolayer MXene sheets' size and HG's mass ratio. As a result, the large lamella-based MX/HG composite film shows outstanding EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of 56.15 dB, excellent low-voltage-driven Joule heating (up to 100 °C at 3 V within 4 s), and high-efficiency photothermal conversion (up to 49.8 °C under 1000 W m−2 within 30 s) at a thickness of 5 μm. The multifunctional film achieves impressive EMI shielding, Joule heating, and photothermal conversion performances at a low thickness, showing great prospects in wearable and microelectronic device applications. 

Jonghwan Suhr

Papers

Temperature activated interfacial friction damping in carbon nanotube polymer composites.

A nanoclustered ceria abrasives with low crystallinity and high Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio for scratch reduction and high oxide removal rates in the chemical mechanical planarization

Vertical Graphene Canal Mesh for Strain Sensing with a Supereminent Resolution.

Ti3C2Tx MXene/graphene oxide/Co3O4 nanorods aerogels with tunable and broadband electromagnetic wave absorption

Multifunctional MXene/holey graphene films for electromagnetic interference shielding, Joule heating, and photothermal conversion