Nanotubes made of boron nitride (BN) and carbon have attracted considerable attention within the literature due to their unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In this work, BN and ...carbon nanotubes, exhibiting high purity (>99%) and similar surface areas (~200 m
/g), were systematically investigated for their thermal stability and oxidation behavior by combining thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry methods at temperatures of up to ~1300 °C under a synthetic air flow environment. The BN nanotubes showed a good resistance to oxidation up to ~900 °C and fully transformed to boron oxide up to ~1100 °C, while the carbon nanotubes were stable up to ~450 °C and almost completely combusted up to ~800 °C. The different oxidation mechanisms are attributed to the different chemical nature of the two types of nanotubes.
We study the thermal coupling potential between a high temperature metal hydride (MH) tank and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) aiming towards the design of an efficient integrated system, where the ...thermal power produced during normal SOFC operation is redirected towards the MH tank in order to maintain H sub(2) desorption without the use of external heating sources. Based on principles of thermodynamics, we calculate the energy balance in the SOFC/MH system and derive analytical expressions for both the thermal power produced during SOFC operation and the corresponding thermal power required for H sub(2) desorption, as a function of the operating temperature, efficiency and fuel utilization ratio in the SOFC, and the MH enthalpy of desorption in the tank. Based on these calculations, we propose an integrated SOFC/MH design where heat is transferred primarily by radiation to the tank in order to maintain steady-state desorption conditions. We develop a mathematical model for this particular design that accounts for heat/mass transfer and desorption kinetics in the tank, and solve for the dynamics of the system assuming MgH sub(2) as a storage material. Our results focus primarily on tank operating conditions, such as pressure, temperature and H sub(2) saturation profiles vs operation time.
Graphene/metal nanocomposites have shown a strong potential for use in electronic applications. In particular, the combination of silver nanowires (AgNWs) with graphene derivatives leads to the ...formation of an efficient conductive network, thus improving the electrical properties of a composite. This work focused on developing highly conductive hydrophilic hybrids of simultaneously functionalized and reduced graphene oxide (f-rGO) and AgNWs in different weight ratios by following two different synthetic routes: (a) the physical mixture of f-rGO and AgNWs, and (b) the in situ reduction of GO in the presence of AgNWs. In addition, the role of AgNWs in improving the electrical properties of graphene derivatives was further examined by mixing AgNWs with a hybrid of few-layered graphene with functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (FLG/MWNT-f-OH). The studied materials showed a remarkable improvement in the overall electrical conductivity due to the synergistic effect of their components, which was proportional to the percentage of Ag and dependent on the procedure of the hybrid formation. One of the f-rGO/AgNWs composites was also selected for the preparation of gravure printing inks that were tested to determine their rheological and printing properties. All of the f-rGO/AgNWs composites were shown to be very promising materials for use as conductive inks for flexible electronics.
Display omitted
•The shelf-life of mesoporous materials in various atmospheres was investigated.•Mesoporous silica is more stable in humid conditions compared to bioactive glasses.•Mesoporous carbons ...are stable in both dry and humid conditions.•Sol-gel synthesized bioactive glasses are more stable compared to spray-dried ones.•Bioactive glasses retain their cytocompatibility when stored in glass vials.
Mesoporous silica- and carbon-based materials, including bioactive glasses, have proven potential as components of medical devices and as drug carriers. From an application perspective, knowledge about the shelf-life stability of these materials under various conditions is vital. Here, mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) synthesized by aerosol-assisted spray-drying and by a batch sol–gel method, mesoporous silicas of SBA-15 type, and mesoporous carbons CMK-1 and CMK-3 have been stored under varying conditions, e.g. at different temperature and relative humidity (RH), and in different storage vessels. The results show that the silica-based materials stored in Eppendorfs are sensitive to humidity. Spray dried MBGs decompose within 1 month at a RH >5%, whilst sol–gel MBGs are more stable up to a RH >60%. Changing the storage vessel to sealed glass flasks increases the MBGs lifetime significantly, with no degradation during 2 months of storage at a RH = 75%. SBA-15 stored in Eppendorfs are more stable compared to MBGs, and addition of F- ions added during the synthesis affects the material degradation rate. Mesoporous carbons are stable under all conditions for all time points. This systematic study clearly demonstrates the importance of storage conditions for mesoporous materials which is crucial knowledge for commercialization of these materials.
This work provides a method for the development of conductive water-based printing inks for gravure, flexography and screen-printing incorporating commercial resins that are already used in the ...printing industry. The development of the respective conductive materials/pigments is based on the simultaneous (in one step) reduction of silver salts and graphene oxide in the presence of 2,5-diaminobenzenesulfonic acid that is used for the first time as the common in-situ reducing agent for these two reactions. The presence of aminophenylsulfonic derivatives is essential for the reduction procedure and in parallel leads to the enrichment of the graphene surface with aminophenylsulfonic groups that provide a high hydrophilicity to the final materials/pigments.
The use of ordered mesoporous matrices, and in particular carbon-based mesoporous nanoparticles has shown great potential towards enhancing the bioavailability of orally administered drugs. ...Nevertheless, elucidation of the in vivo absorption, distribution, and excretion of such carriers is essential for understanding their behaviour, and radiolabelling provides a very useful way to track their occurrence inside the body. In this work, uniform spherical CMK-1-type ordered mesoporous carbon nanoparticles have been radiolabelled with Technetium-99m (
Tc) and traced after oral administration to mice. Ex vivo biodistribution studies showed that the radiolabelled nanoparticles accumulated almost exclusively in the gastrointestinal tract; complete elimination of the radiotracer was observed within 24 h after administration, with practically no uptake into other main organs. These findings along with the results from in vitro stability studies indicate that the spherical carbon nanoparticles examined could be safely used as drug carriers with minimal side effects, but also support the great value of radiolabelling methods for monitoring the particles' behaviour in vivo.
Metal borohydrides have very high hydrogen densities but their poor thermodynamic and kinetic properties hinder their use as solid hydrogen stores. An interesting approach to improve their ...functionality is nano-sizing by confinement in mesoporous materials. In this respect, we used the 0.725 LiBH4–0.275 KBH4 eutectic mixture, and by exploiting its very low melting temperature (378 K) it was possible to successfully melt infiltrate the borohydrides in a mesoporous CMK-3 type carbon (pore diameter ~5 nm). The obtained carbon–borohydride composite appears to partially alleviate the irreversibility of the dehydrogenation reaction when compared with the bulk LiBH4-KBH4, and shows a constant hydrogen uptake of 2.5 wt%–3 wt% for at least five absorption–desorption cycles. Moreover, pore infiltration resulted in a drastic decrease of the decomposition temperature (more than 100 K) compared to the bulk eutectic mixture. The increased reversibility and the improved kinetics may be a combined result of several phenomena such as the catalytic action of the carbon surface, the nano-sizing of the borohydride particles or the reduction of irreversible side-reactions.
The oceans cover more than two-thirds of the planet, representing the vastest part of natural resources. Nevertheless, only a fraction of the ocean depths has been explored. Within this context, this ...article presents the H2020 ENDURUNS project that describes a novel scientific and technological approach for prolonged underwater autonomous operations of seabed survey activities, either in the deep ocean or in coastal areas. The proposed approach combines a hybrid Autonomous Underwater Vehicle capable of moving using either thrusters or as a sea glider, combined with an Unmanned Surface Vehicle equipped with satellite communication facilities for interaction with a land station. Both vehicles are equipped with energy packs that combine hydrogen fuel cells and Li-ion batteries to provide extended duration of the survey operations. The Unmanned Surface Vehicle employs photovoltaic panels to increase the autonomy of the vehicle. Since these missions generate a large amount of data, both vehicles are equipped with onboard Central Processing units capable of executing data analysis and compression algorithms for the semantic classification and transmission of the acquired data.
The high drug loading capacity, cytocompatibility and easy functionalization of ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) make them attractive nanocarriers to treat several pathologies. OMCs’ efficiency ...could be further increased by embedding them into a hydrogel phase for an in loco prolonged drug release. In this work, OMCs were embedded into injectable thermosensitive hydrogels. In detail, rod-like (diameter ca. 250 nm, length ca. 700 nm) and spherical (diameter approximately 120 nm) OMCs were synthesized by nanocasting selected templates and loaded with ibuprofen through a melt infiltration method to achieve complete filling of their pores (100% loading yield). In parallel, an amphiphilic Poloxamer® 407-based poly(ether urethane) was synthesized (Mn¯ 72 kDa) and solubilized at 15 and 20% w/v concentration in saline solution to design thermosensitive hydrogels. OMC incorporation into the hydrogels (10 mg/mL concentration) did not negatively affect their gelation potential. Hybrid systems successfully released ibuprofen at a slower rate compared to control gels (gels embedding ibuprofen as such), but with no significant differences between rod-like and spherical OMC-loaded gels. OMCs can thus work as effective drug reservoirs that progressively release their payload over time and also upon encapsulation in a hydrogel phase, thus opening the way to their application to treat many different pathological states (e.g., as topical medications).
Ordered mesoporous carbons that encapsulate the poorly soluble compounds ibuprofen and indomethacin were systematically studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry ...(DSC) and X-ray photon electron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed marked differences in the release profiles of the two drug molecules in simulated gastric fluids. In vitro toxicity profiles appear to be compatible with potential therapeutic applications bringing them to the forefront as carriers of poorly water soluble drugs.
PDF
