Carbon foam composites containing hollow microspheres, reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and montmorillonite (MMT), have been developed as the thermal insulation and EMI shielding layer. The effects of additive amounts of CNTs/ MMT on microstructure and properties of the carbon foam composites were investigated. Results showed that carbon foam composites had hierarchical porous structure, with CNTs and MMT being relatively uniformly dispersed in the composites. The addition of multiscale additives improved the mechanical, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and thermal insulation properties of carbon foam composites. The composites containing 0.2 wt.% CNTs and 5 wt.% MMT, showed outstanding compressive strength, up to 8.54 MPa, increased by 116% to pure carbon foam. Their electromagnetic shielding effectiveness was as high as 65 dB, increased by 75%. Due to the hierarchical porous structure and MMT’s heat barrier effect, carbon foam composites presented remarkable thermal insulation properties. The minimum thermal conductivity was 0.45 W·m−1·K−1 at 800 °C. Their exceptional thermal protection can also be evidenced by ablation resistance under flame at 1000 °C. Therefore, such multifunctional carbon-based composites are ideal for use in thermal protection.

In this paper, the formation and characterization of Pt2, Pt3 as well as Pt4 atomic clusters in cup-stacked carbon nanotubes (CSCNTs) are evaluated by DFT to examine the adsorption capacity under the clusters. The results show that the Pt clusters move toward the bottom edge or form rings in the optimized stable structure. Pt far from the carbon substrate possesses more active electrons and adsorption advantages. The three clusters can adsorb up to 17, 18, and 16 hydrogen molecules. Loading metal clusters at the bottom edge maintains a relatively good adsorption property despite the low binding energy through comparative studies. The adsorption capacity does not increase with the number of Pt for metal aggregation reducing the hydrogen adsorption area thus impacting the hydrogen storage ability and the aggregation phenomenon limiting the action of Pt metal. During adsorption, chemisorption occurs only in the Pt2 cluster, while multiple hydrogen molecules achieve physiochemical adsorption in the Pt3 and Pt4 clusters. Compared with the atomic loading of the dispersion system in equal quantities, the dispersion system features higher molecular stability and can significantly reduce the energy of the carbon substrates, providing more sites for hydrogen adsorption in space.

This paper explores the potential application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the construction industry, as CNTs can effectively serve as nano-fillers, bridging the voids and holes in cement structures. However, the limited dispersibility of CNTs in water necessitates the use of dispersing agents for achieving uniform dispersion. In this study, two kinds of cement superplasticizers, polycarboxylate ether (PCE) and sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde (SNF) were employed as dispersing agents to improve the interfacial affinity between CNTs and cement, and to enhance the strength of the cement nanocomposites. Contact angle experiments revealed that the utilization of PCE and SNF effectively addressed the interface issues between CNTs and cement. As a result, the cement nanocomposite with a CNT to PCE ratio of 1:2 exhibited an approximately 6.6% increase in compressive strength (73.05 MPa), while the CNT:SNF 1:2 cement composite showed a 4.7% increase (71.72 MPa) compared to plain cement (68.52 MPa). In addition, the rate of crack generation in cement nanocomposites with CNTs and dispersing agents was found to be slower than that of plain cement. The resulting cement nanocomposites, characterized by enhanced strength and durability, can be utilized as safer materials in the construction industry.

The interface area of the face sheet and core of the sandwich composite is seen as a weakness due to its low de-bonding toughness. To overcome this concern, it is critical to develop a suitable modification strategy to enhance the de-bonding toughness of the face sheet/core interface. In the present study, the corrugated core reinforced sandwich composite was prepared through co-curing and secondary bonding approaches. The MWCNTs reinforced adhesive was induced in the face sheet/core interface in different weight concentrations. The MWCNT-reinforced adhesive was prepared using the sonication technique, and its dispersion was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The three-point bending test revealed that sandwich composite prepared using the co-cure method has higher flexural strength than secondary bonded samples due to better bonding face sheet and corrugated core. Compared with MWCNT-free corrugated core reinforced co-cured sandwich composites (CCSC), the flexural strength of 1 wt.% MWWCNT-induced sandwich composite was increased by 101.28%. The microstructural study showed that secondary bonded samples had extensive fibre breakage at the face plate due to early de-bonding of the face sheet and corrugated core. Furthermore, the free vibrational analysis was performed to evaluate the natural frequency and damping values of the corrugated core reinforced sandwich composite. The modal test results indicated that inducing 1wt.% MWCNTs in the face sheet/core interface had enhanced the natural frequencies of co-cured sandwich composites. The present study provides a suitable method to address the weaker de-bonding toughness concerns of face sheet/core interface region of sandwich structures.

교량, 터널 등 콘크리트 구조물의 건설 또는 사용 중 사고는 심각한 재산 및 인명 피해를 야기하기 때문에, 콘크리트 구조물의 증가와 동시에 Structural health monitoring(SHM)의 중요성 또한 높아졌 다. 하지만 현재까지 콘크리트 구조물의 안전 관리 및 유지관리는 주로 인력에 의한 육안 점검이 주를 이루고 있으며, 이는 주관적이고 정성적인 관리 수준에 머무르고 있어 안전성 평가 결과에 대한 신뢰 성 및 실시간 상태 파악과 대응 측면에 한계가 존재한다. 이에 본 연구에서는 현재 활발하게 연구되고 있는 탄소나노튜브를 활용하여 기다란 바 형태의 Carbon nanotube reinforced polymer(CNRP) Bar를 개발하였으며, 이를 콘크리트 구조물에 적용하였다. 구조물 변형에 따른 CNRP Bar의 센싱 성능을 파 악하기 위해 3점 굽힘 시험을 진행하였고, 동시에 콘크리트 구조물 내 CNRP Bar의 전기적 변화를 분석하였다. 실험 결과 콘크리트 구조물에 균열 발생 전 굽힘 응력에 의해 CNRP Bar의 저항이 감소 하였고, 균열 발생 후 균열이 커짐에 따라 저항이 증가하는 거동을 보였다. 이를 통해 CNRP Bar는 콘크리트 구조물에 용이하게 적용할 수 있는 매립형 센서로써 사용 가능하고, 이는 콘크리트 구조물의 안전성을 효율적으로 모니터링하는 시스템으로 발전 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

구조물 보수 부위의 손상, 재 박리 등의 2차 피해가 이어지며, 보수 부위의 새로운 거동 평가 기법 에 대한 연구의 필요성이 대두되고 있다. 현재 구조물 보수 부위의 거동을 알기 위해서 주로 인력 중 심의 구조물 외관 검사를 진행하고 있으나, 단편적인 검사 결과를 얻게 되어 지속적이고 세밀한 점검 이 어려운 실정이다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 탄소나노튜브 기반 폴리머 콘크리트를 활용해 압축과 같 은 외부 응력에 대한 탄소나노튜브 함량별 전기적 변화를 분석하였으며, 균열이 발생한 콘크리트 구조 물을 보수 후 응력을 가해 거동에 따른 전기적 변화를 평가하였다. 압축 시험 결과, 응력에 따른 탄소 나노튜브 기반 폴리머 콘크리트의 전기 저항이 감소하며, 탄소나노튜브 함량이 낮을수록 응력에 대한 저항 감소 폭이 넓게 나타나며 민감도가 증가하였다. 균열 보수 시험 결과, 보수 부위에 응력이 가해 졌을 때 전기 저항이 감소해 앞서 진행된 실험 결과와 동일한 경향을 보였으며, 또한 응력이 가해지지 않을 때 초기 저항으로 회복하는 경향을 보여 구조물 보수 부위 거동에 대한 평가가 가능한 것으로 검 증되었다. 이를 통해, 탄소나노튜브 기반 폴리머 콘크리트는 구조물에 적용이 가능하며, 구조물 보수 후에도 가해지는 응력에 대한 지속적인 감지가 가능해 보수 부위 거동 평가가 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

Sulforaphane is a naturally occurring active substance found in vegetables that is known for its potential in preventing and treating cancer. This compound has demonstrated promising effects in inhibiting the growth of various types of cancer, including esophageal, lung, colon, breast, and liver cancer. However, its instability towards pH and heat limits its application in the medical and food industries. To address this challenge, novel drug delivery systems have been developed to improve the stability and efficacy of sulforaphane, making it a more suitable candidate for clinical use in cancer research. In this study, nanocomposite materials were prepared using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and chitosan (CS) as base materials, with polydopamine (PDA) acting as a bridge material. The synthesized composite materials were used as drug carriers for the release of sulforaphane. The results of the study showed that the drug loading increased with an increase in the concentration of sulforaphane, indicating that the nanocomposite materials were effective in delivering and releasing the drug. Moreover, a positive correlation was observed between the drug loading and the thickness of the PDA layer. These findings suggest that the use of MWCNTs, CS, and PDA in the development of drug delivery systems can enhance the stability and efficacy of sulforaphane, potentially leading to improved cancer treatment outcomes.

The coatings based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly developed for their applications, among others, in medicine, in particular for implants in implantology, cardiology, and neurology. The present review paper aims at a detailed demonstration of different preparation methods for such coatings, their performance, and relationships between deposition parameters and microstructure and material, mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological properties. The thermal and electrostatic spraying, electrophoretic and electrocathodic deposition, and laser methods are presented. Characterization of microstructure of coatings, topography, morphology, adhesion of CNTs to a substrate, mechanical behavior, corrosion resistance, wettability, cytotoxicity, bioactivity, and antibacterial protection are reviewed for different deposition methods and parameters. The state-of-the-art in the field of carbon nanotubes shows a considerable number of research performed on CNTs coatings. The different forms of CNTs, deposition methods, parameters, and substrates were applied as process variables. The microstructures and surface homogeneity, chemical and phase compositions, mechanical properties at the micro- and nanoscale such as coating Young`s modulus and hardness, interface adhesion strength and delaminating force, open corrosion potential and corrosion current density, contact angle in wettability assessment, and bioactivity, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial efficiency among biological properties were determined. The summary of so far achievements, strengths and weaknesses, and important future research necessary for clarification of some weak points, development of non-toxic, mechanically and chemically resistant, bioactive, and antibacterial multicomponent coatings based on functionalized CNTs are proposed.

In this study, the refinement of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) derived from chemical vapor decomposition is investigated. An ultrasonic pretreatment method is employed to disentangle carbon and metal impurities intertwined with MWCNTs. The pretreated MWCNTs exhibit a marginal decrease in C–O/C = O content from 8.9 to 8.8%, accompanied by a 2.5% increase in sp3 carbon content, indicating a mildly destructive pretreatment approach. Subsequently, selective oxidation by CO2 and hydrochloric acid etching are utilized to selectively remove carbon impurities and residual metal, respectively. The resulting yield of intact MWCNTs is approximately 85.65 wt.%, signifying a 19.91% enhancement in the one-way yield of pristine MWCNTs. Notably, the residual metal content experiences a substantial reduction from 9.95 ± 2.42 wt.% to 1.34 ± 0.06 wt.%, representing a 15.68% increase in the removal rate. These compelling findings highlight the potential of employing a mild purification process for MWCNTs production, demonstrating promising application prospects.

Metals are recognized as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials owing to their high electrical conductivity. However, the need for light and flexible EMI shielding materials has emerged, owing to the heavyweight and inflexible nature of metals. Carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer composites have been studied as promising flexible EMI shielding materials because of their lightweight nature due to the low density of CNTs and their high electrical conductivity. CNTs evenly dispersed in the polymer form an electrically conductive network, and the aspect ratio of the CNTs, which are one-dimensional nanofillers, is an important factor affecting electrical conductivity. In this study, we prepared three types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with different aspect ratios and fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/MWNT composites. Subsequently, the electrical conductivities and electrical percolation thresholds of the three PDMS/MWNT composites with different MWNT aspect ratios were measured to analyze the behavior of electrically conducting network formation according to the aspect ratio. Furthermore, the total EMI shielding effectiveness of each composite was determined to evaluate the effect of the MWNT aspect ratio on the EMI shielding. Reflection and absorption of electromagnetic wave were measured for the PDMS/MWNT composite with the largest aspect ratio to analyze the EMI shielding mechanism of the composite. Additionally, the effects of the MWNT content on the conductivity and EMI shielding performance were examined. The results provide valuable guidance for designing polymer MWNT composites with good electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance under different aspect ratios of MWNTs.

A glassy carbon electrode modified with a composite consisting of electrodeposited chitosan and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (e-CS/MWCNTs/GCE) was used as a working electrode for simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and melatonin (MT), which were related to circadian rhythms. The electrochemical characterizations of the working electrode were carried out via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronocoulometry. It was found that electrochemical modification method, that was cyclic voltammetry, may can cause continuous CS polymerization on MWCNTs surface to form a dense membrane with more active sites on the electrode, and the electrochemically active surface area of e-CS/MWCNTs/GCE obtained was about 7 times that of GCE. The electrochemical behaviour of DA, 5-HT and MT on working electrode were carried out via differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. The results showed that e-CS/MWCNTs/GCE solved the problem that the bare electrode could not detect three substances simultaneously, and can catalyze oxidation potential difference as low as 0.17 V of two substances reaction at the same time, indicating very good electrocatalytic activity. By optimizing the detection conditions, the sensor showed a good linear response to DA, 5-HT and MT in the range of 20-1000 μmol/L, 9-1000 μmol/L and 20-1000 μmol/L, and the detection limits were 12 μmol/L, 10 μmol/L and 22 μmol/L (S/N = 3), respectively. In addition, the proposed sensor was successfully applied to the simultaneous detection of DA, 5-HT and MT in human saliva samples.

본 논문에서는 시멘트에 탄소나노튜브를 혼입하여 전기 전도성을 향상시킨 복합재료의 압저항 특성을 딥러닝 기반 트랜스포머 알 고리즘을 적용하여 분석하였다. 훈련 데이터 확보를 위한 실험수행을 병행하였으며, 기존 연구문헌을 참조하여 배합설정, 시편제작, 화학조성 분석, 압저항 성능측정 실험을 수행하였다. 특히 본 연구에서는 탄소나노튜브 혼입 시편뿐 아니라 플라이애시를 바인더 대 비 50% 대체한 시편에 대한 제작 및 성능평가를 함께 수행하여, 전도성 시멘트 복합재료의 압저항 특성 향상 가능성을 탐구하였다. 실 험결과, 플라이애시 대체 바인더의 경우 보다 안정적인 압저항 특성결과가 관찰되었으며, 측정된 데이터의 80%를 이용하여 트랜스 포머 모델을 훈련시키고 나머지 20%를 통해 검증하였다. 해석 결과는 실험적 측정과 대체로 부합하였으며, 평균 절대 오차 및 평균 제 곱근 오차는 각각 0.069~0.074와 0.124~0.132을 나타내었다.

In this study, we successfully grafted chitosan (CS) onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to enhance their properties and potential applications in the biomedical field. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the successful covalent bonding of CS onto MWCNTs, indicated by the new absorption peak of the amide bond (–CONH–). Thermal analysis showed that the modified MWCNTs (MWCNT-CS) had significant weight loss around 260 °C, suggesting the decomposition of hydroxypropyl chitosan, and confirming its presence in the nanocomposite. SEM images revealed that CS grafting improved the dispersibility of MWCNTs, a property crucial for their use as nanofillers in polymers. Moreover, the micro-tensile bond strength of dentin surface increased with increasing MWCNT-CS concentrations, indicating the potential of MWCNT-CS as a pretreatment for dentin bonding. After simulated aging, the bond strength remained significantly higher for MWCNT-CS groups compared to those without pretreatment. In biocompatibility assessment using the MTT assay, MWCNT-CS showed higher cell viability than MWCNT, suggesting improved biocompatibility after CS modification. The results of this study suggest that CS-modified MWCNTs could be promising materials for applications in dentin bonding, dentin mineralization, bone scaffolding, implants, and drug delivery systems.

Flexible supercapacitors (FS) are ideal as power backups for upcoming stretchable electronics due to their high power density and good mechanical compliance. However, lacking technology for FS mass manufacturing is still a significant obstacle. The present study describes a novel method for preparing FS based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using the N+ plasma technique, in which N+ reduces graphene oxide on the surface of a cotton/polyester substrate. The effect of aloe vera (AV) as a natural reducing & capping agent and carbon nanotubes (CNT) as nanoconductors on the electrochemical performance of the electrodes is studied. FESEM and XPS were employed to investigate the electrodes' structural and chemical composition of electrodes. The galvanostatic charge–discharge curves of electrodes revealed the enhancement of the electrochemical activity of the as-prepared electrode upon additions of AV and CNT. The areal capacitance of the RGO, RGO/AV, and RGO/ AV/CNT supercapacitors at 5 mV/s was 511, 1244.5, and 1879 mF/cm2, respectively. The RGO electrode showed capacitive retention of 80.9% after 2000 cycles enhanced to 89.7% and 92% for RGO/AV and RGO/AV/CNT electrodes, respectively. The equivalent series resistance of the RGO electrode was 126.28 Ω, decreased to 56.62 and 40.06 Ω for RGO/AV and RGO/ AV/CNT electrodes, respectively.

Nitrogen and phosphorous dual-doped carbon nanotubes (N,P/CNT) have been grown in a single-step direct synthesis process by CVD method using iron-loaded mesoporous SBA-15 support, as an electrode material for the energy storage device. For comparison, pristine nanotubes, nitrogen and phosphorous individually doped nanotubes were also prepared. The basic characterization studies clarify the formation of nanotubes and the elemental mapping tells about the presence of the dopant. Under three-electrode investigations, N,P/CNT produced a maximum specific capacitance of about 358.2 F/g at 0.5 A/g current density. The electrochemical performance of N,P/CNT was further extended by fabricating as a symmetric supercapacitor device, which delivers 108.6 F/g of specific capacitance for 0.5 A/g with 15 Wh/kg energy density and 250 W/kg power density. The observed energy efficiency of the device was 92.3%. The capacitance retention and coulombic efficiency were 96.2% and 90.6%, respectively, calculated over 5000 charge–discharge cycles.

In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesised using green chemistry to decorate multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) made from walnut shells transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy and fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy were used to diagnose MWCNTs and AuNPs. MWCNT-COOAu, MWCNT-COO and MWCNT-Au were diagnosed by Raman, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and FESEM. The effect of AuNPs, MWCNT-COO, MWCNT-COOAu and MWCNT-Au on pure and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity was studied in vitro using the enzyme-substrate 4-nitrophenyl disodium orthophosphate. For pure enzymes, Vmax slightly increased as the concentration of MWCNT-Au, MWCNT-COOAu and MWCNTCOO increased, whereas the Vmax values decreased as the concentration of AuNPs increased. The inhibition type for all NPs varied. For serum ALP enzyme, the Vmax values for Au-based NPs decreased as the concentration of NPs increased. The Vmax values exceeded the standard value at the concentrations of 25, 50 and 75 ppm for MWCNT-Au and MWCNT-COOAu, whereas the Vmax values increased over the standard value for all concentrations of AuNPs.

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) has gained significant interest as a transducer in various electrochemical sensing devices due to their unique structure, compatibility with biomolecules, and excellent electronic properties. As-prepared SWNTs are usually a mixture of semiconducting and metallic ones. Despite of the higher content of semiconducting components in mixed SWNTs, metallic properties are predominantly expressed due to the bundling issue of the SWNT during the fabrication process, limiting the applicability to bio-transistor application. Here, we present a multi-scale semiconducting electronic film of SWNTs as a transducing platform for electrochemical field-effect-transistor (eFET) suitable for the sensitive detection of subtle biological modulation. A genetically engineered filamentous M13 phage showing strong binding affinity toward SWNTs on its body surface was used as a biological material, allowing us to fabricate a large-scale transparent semiconducting nanocomposite. As the relative ratio of SWNT to M13 phage decreases, the on–off ratio of SWNT electronic film increases by 1200%. To show broad applicability, the multi-scale SWNT nanomesh-based eFET is applied for monitoring a variety of biological reactions in association with enzymes, aptamers, and even cyanobacteria. The biomimetic electronic material system with the capability of transducing biological responses at a large scale over a broad dynamic range holds excellent promise for biosensors, biofuel cells, and environment monitoring.

Mass production of high-quality carbon nanotubes (CNTs) remains a challenge, requiring the development of new wetimpregnated catalyst suitable for the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) of CNTs in a fluidized bed reactor. For the successful development of a new catalyst, a highly robust system to synthesize CNTs must be established. Here, we systematically investigated the robustness of CNT synthesis by CCVD using a wet-impregnated catalyst. We statistically tested four factors that could potentially affect the robustness of CNT synthesis system, focusing on carbon yield and IG/ID. First, we tested the effect of vacuum baking before CNT growth. F test and CV equality test concluded that vacuum baking recipe did not significantly reduce the variability of the CNT synthesis. Second, we tested the batch-to-batch variation of catalysts. The results of t test and one-way analysis of variance indicate that there is significant difference in carbon yield and IG/ID among catalysts from different batches. Third, we confirmed that there is spatial non-uniformity of wet-impregnated catalysts within a batch when they are produced in large scale. Finally, we developed a multi-step heating recipe to mitigate the temperature overshooting during the CNT synthesis. The multi-step recipe increased the mean of carbon yield, but did not influence the variability of CNT synthesis. We believe that our research can contribute to the establishment of a robust CNT synthesis system and development of new wet-impregnated catalysts.