Search

In the present era, different allotropes of carbon have been discovered, and graphene is the one among them that has contributed to many breakthroughs in research. It has been considered a promising candidate in the research and academic fields, as well as in industries, over the last decade. It has many properties to be explored, such as an enhanced specific surface area and beneficial thermal and electrical conductivities. Graphene is arranged as a 2D structure by organizing sp2 hybridized C with alternative single and double bonds, providing an extended conjugation combining hexagonal ring structures to form a honeycomb structure. The precious structure and outstanding characteristics are the major reason that modern industry relies heavily on graphene, and it is predominantly applied in electronic devices. Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) foremostly utilize graphene as an anode or a cathode, and are combined with polymers to use them as polymer electrolytes. After three decades of commercialization of the lithium-ion battery, it still leads in consumer electronic society due to its higher energy density, wider operating voltages, low self-discharge, noble high-temperature performance, and fewer maintenance requirements. In this review, we aim to give a brief review of the domination of graphene and its applications in LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of polyarylates (PARs) containing pendent biphenyl moiety was synthesized via interfacial polycondensation polymerization from a mixture of three aromatic diols (4,4′-[1-(4-biphenylyl)ethylidene] bisphenol (BBP), 4,4′-[1-(4-biphenylyl)ethylidene]-bis,3-methyphenol (oBBP) and 4,4′-[1-(4-biphenylyl)ethylidene]bis,3,5-dimethylphenol (dmBBP)) with molar equivalent of terephthaloyl chloride (TC). The synthesized PARs (coded as BBP-TC, oBBP-TC, and dmBBP-TC) showed excellent thermal properties and solubility in common organic solvents as the incorporation of pendent biphenyl moiety. The inherent viscosity of PARs was in the range of 0.50–0.71 dl/g, while the number average molecular weights (Mn) were found in the range of 30,213–35,112 g/mol. All the PARs showed glass transition temperatures (Tgs) between 201 °C to 278 °C. The oBBP-TC observed low Tg as containing asymmetric dimethyl substitution, while other BBP-TC and dmBBP-TC were found normal Tgs due to symmetrical structure with and without methyl substitution. The 10 % weight loss degradation temperatures of PARs were found to be in the range of 395–423 °C. X-ray diffraction studies of polyesters showed that all the PARs were amorphous. The mechanical and optical properties of films were also analyzed to understand the desirability of PARs in further applicability. With regards to its solubility, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and optical properties, these PARs may be considered as a promising material in the field of processable high-performance engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal wurtzite crystal structured zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) having flower-like morphology are synthesized by a simple wet chemical method. The high purity ZnO NPs is further used to prepare maleic anhydride (MA) grafted ABS [MA-g-ABS] polymer nanocomposites via melt mixing technique. Polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) has been added to the matrix as a toughening agent. The degree of MA grafting in MA-g-ABS was calculated by a back-titration method. The composites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The ZnO content in the polymer nanocomposite is optimized by evaluating the modified ABS's physicochemical, thermal, and anti-bacterial properties. The loading of ZnO NPs increased the tensile and flexural strength of the samples. However, the impact strength is significantly reduced, and thermal stability remained intact. The incorporation of ZnO NPs imparts the anti-bacterial activity to the MA-g-ABS matrix against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which promises it as a good candidate for anti-bacterial thermoplastic engineering materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]