Effects of special nanoparticles on fuel cell properties of sulfonated polyethersulfone membrane

Polyethersulfone was sulfonated by changing the reaction time with sulfuric acid. The degree of sulfonation and ion exchange capacity were determined. Sulfonation of polyethersulfone was confirmed by FT-IR analysis and a new peak at 1025 cm^?1. Inorganic materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and kaolinite nanoparticles were synthesized. The effects of three nanoparticles on thermal stability and water uptake of sulfonated polyethersulfone were investigated. The morphology of membranes were also altered due to the addition of inorganic materials. The proton conductivity of the modified membranes increased with respect to increase in relative humidity.     

Effect of Synthesis Technique and Carbonate Content on the Crystallinity and Morphology of Carbonated Hydroxyapatite

The syntheses of nanosized carbonated hydroxyapatite（CHA） were performed by comparing dropwise and direct pouring of acetone solution of Ca（N0₃）₂-4H₂0 into mixture of（NH₄）₂HP0₄ and NH₄HCO₃ at room temperature controlled at pH 11.Direct pouring method was later applied to study the increment of carbonate content in syntheses.The as-synthesized powders were characterized by various characterization techniques.The crystallographic results of the produced powders were obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis,whilst the carbonate content in the produced powders was determined by the CHNS/O elemental analyzer.Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed that the CHA powders formed were B-type.Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the powders were highly agglomerated in nanosized range and hence energy filtered transmission electron microscopy was employed to show elongated particles which decreased with increasing carbonate content.     

Analytical performance of 3?m and 3?m +1 armchair graphene nanoribbons under uniaxial strain

The electronic band structure and carrier density of strained armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) with widths of n =3 m and n =3 m +1 were examined using tight-binding approximation. The current-voltage (I-V) model of uniaxial strained n =3 m AGNRs incorporating quantum confinement effects is also presented in this paper. The derivation originates from energy dispersion throughout the entire Brillouin zone of uniaxial strained AGNRs based on a tight-binding approximation. Our results reveal the modification of the energy bandgap, carrier density, and drain current upon strain. Unlike the two-dimensional graphene, whose bandgap remains near to zero even when a large strain is applied, the bandgap and carrier density of AGNRs are shown to be sensitive to the magnitude of uniaxial strain. Discrepancies between the classical calculation and quantum calculation were also measured. It has been found that as much as 19% of the drive current loss is due to the quantum confinement. These analytical models which agree well with the experimental and numerical results provide physical insights into the characterizations of uniaxial strained AGNRs.     

Improved protein resistance of silicone hydrogels by grafting short peptides for ophthalmological application

A simple and facile approach to impart the antifouling properties of silicone hydrogels was developed in this report. Short peptides were first tethered to silicone hydrogels through terminal amino group-induced epoxy ring-opening click reaction. The modified silicone hydrogels have improved hydrophilicity and protein adsorption resistance because of the formation of zwitterionic structure of the grafted peptides. Furthermore, glycylglycine and diglycyl glycine-modified silicone hydrogel contact lenses were fabricated. They exhibited favorable antifouling property and no damage to rabbits’ eyes after continuous wearing. The short peptide modified silicone hydrogel contact lenses have potential application in ophthalmology.