Donghua University

About: Donghua University is a education organization based out in Shanghai, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Fiber & Nanofiber. The organization has 21155 authors who have published 21841 publications receiving 393091 citations. The organization is also known as: Dōnghuá Dàxué & China Textile University.

Morphology-tailored synthesis of vertically aligned 1D WO3 nano-structure films for highly enhanced electrochromic performance

Abstract: We have demonstrated that vertically aligned WO3 nanostructure films can be fabricated on FTO-coated glass substrates using a template-free hydrothermal technique. Detailed mechanistic studies revealed that a variety of WO3 nanostructures—including nano-bricks, 1D nanorods and nanowires, and 3D nanorod-flowers—could be obtained by tuning the composition of the precursor solution, where the urea content and solvent composition played important roles in controlling the shape and size of the WO3 nanostructures, respectively. These nanostructured films exhibited enhanced electrochromic performance, and we drew a map for the correlation between the morphology and the electrochromic performance of the as-synthesized WO3 films. Due to the large tunnels in the hexagonally structured WO3, and the large active surface area available for electrochemical reactions, a large optical modulation of 66% at 632.8 nm and a potential of −2.0 V, fast switching speeds of 6.7 s and 3.4 s for coloration and bleaching, respectively, and a high coloration efficiency of 106.8 cm2 C−1 are achieved for the cylindrical nanorod array film.

Polymer/Carbon-Based Hybrid Aerogels: Preparation, Properties and Applications.

Abstract: Aerogels are synthetic porous materials derived from sol-gel materials in which the liquid component has been replaced with gas to leave intact solid nanostructures without pore collapse. Recently, aerogels based on natural or synthetic polymers, called polymer or organic aerogels, have been widely explored due to their porous structures and unique properties, such as high specific surface area, low density, low thermal conductivity and dielectric constant. This paper gives a comprehensive review about the most recent progresses in preparation, structures and properties of polymer and their derived carbon-based aerogels, as well as their potential applications in various fields including energy storage, adsorption, thermal insulation and flame retardancy. To facilitate further research and development, the technical challenges are discussed, and several future research directions are also suggested in this review.