Luoxin Wang

Preparation and characterization of monodisperse solvent-free silica nanofluids

ABSTRACT A series of solvent-free ionic silica (SiO2) nanofluids of 12.3–17.3 nm in diameter were synthesized by surface functionalizing nanoscale SiO2 with a charged corona and ionically tethering with oligomeric chains as canopy. The structure and properties of the nanofluids were systematically characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and rheology tests. The resultant nanofluids with low-molecular-weight oligomeric as canopy are homogeneous, stable yellow-like fluids with no evidence of phase separation at room temperature, while other nanofluids containing high-molecular-weight as canopy behave like a soft glassy, and they exhibit fluidity with still high modulus and viscosity above 60°C. For deeper understanding of the nature of SiO2 nanofluids, the rheological behavior, thermal stability, as well as morphology of SiO2 nanofluids were investigated in details. The flow properties of nanofluids could be easily regulated from soft glassy to free flowing liquids by varying the molecule weight of canopy. Most importantly, the thermal stability, rheological behavior, as well as morphology can be also regulated through varying molecule weight and thickness of canopy, which will guide our future work on synthesis of nanofluids with controllable physical properties. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Enhanced wettability and moisture retention of cotton fabrics coated with self-suspended chitosan derivative

From the industrial viewpoint, it would be desirable to use neutral aqueous solution when applying chitosan coatings for textile treatment. However, in most cases, chitosan only dissolves in acid solvents. In this work, a self-suspended chitosan derivative with liquid-like behavior was prepared by decorating chitosan with a quaternary ammonium salt followed by ion exchange with nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether sodium sulfate (NPES). The chitosan derivative with higher NPES content dissolved in neutral aqueous solution, and even exhibited liquid-like viscous behavior without water at room temperature. The morphology, structure, composition, and rheological behavior of the chitosan derivative were systematically characterized using various methods. It was found that incorporation of NPES into the chitosan structure could greatly enhance its dispersion, while the modulus and viscosity of the derivative gradually decreased with increasing temperature. Moreover, the novel chitosan derivative not only directly coated cotton fabric via hydrogen-bonding interaction without removing water but also improved the long-term wettability and moisture retention because of the dual-layer ion structure of the chitosan derivative. The results showed that cotton fabrics coated with such chitosan derivatives could be developed as wound dressing materials in future work.

A facile and green approach to prepare monodispersion nanonickel nanofluids

ABSTRACT This paper first develops a novel approach to prepare solvent-free nanonickel (Ni) nanofluids via hydrogen bonding between poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) and 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)-1-propanethiol-modified Ni powder with average diameter of 80 nm to solve the problem of nanoparticles agglomerating due to the anisotropic dipolar attraction. It is interestingly found that Ni nanofluid is solid at room temperature while it undergoes solid–liquid transition without solvent at 50.7°C. The content of Ni is up to 12.1 wt%. The average diameter of core-shell structure of Ni nanofluids is 182 nm without agglomerations. It is worth noting that incorporation of Ni powder can elevate remarkably initial decomposition temperature of block copolymer due to high dispersity of Ni powder after modification. In addition, the viscosity of Ni nanofluids is found to be less than 10 Pa · s at 100°C, which is between that of water and honey, 0.001 and 10 Pa · s, respectively, at 20°C. More importantly, the Ni nanofluids exhibit excellent dispersion in water and other organic solvents for 2 months due to amphiphilic properties of the modifier molecule. These unique properties of Ni nanofluids may offer new scientific and technical opportunities for application of Ni powder in the form of liquid-like status.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic polybenzoxazine-based cotton fabric for oil–water separation

Superhydrophobic material involves the fabrication of appropriate roughness and low surface energy. Studies concerning enhancing the attachment between substrates and low surface energy material have been reported. Hence, it might also be feasible to make low surface energy material as an interface binder to enhance the attachment. In our work, the simple dip-coating method was used to fabricate polybenzoxazine (PBZ)/SiO2-coating cotton (PBZSC) fabric for rapid oil–water separation. The surface morphology and wettability of the PBZSC fabric as well as the properties of the separation were explored using various methods. These results demonstrated that PBZSC fabric not only had excellent thermal properties, but also maintained excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA > 150°) under various harsh conditions which was mainly attributed to higher surface roughness contributed by SiO2 and lower surface energy, heat resistance as well as acid and alkali resistance from PBZ resin, respectively. More importantly, the separation conducted by the PBZSC fabric not only showed great recycle property, but also separated a series of oil and water mixtures with up to 96% separation efficiency. Therefore, it is anticipated that this low-cost PBZSC fabric will be readily and widely utilized in designing multifunctional membrane for large-area oil-spill cleanup without using fluoropolymers or silicones.Graphical abstract

A novel approach to prepare solvent-free cerium dioxide nanofluids

ABSTRACT This paper develops a novel approach to prepare solvent-free cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanofluids through N,N-didecyl-N-methyl-N-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl) ammonium chloride covalently grafted on the surface of CeO2 nanoparticles as core, and then poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylpheny 13-sulfopropyl ether sodium salt was grafted on the surface of CeO2 nanoparticles through ion exchange reaction. It is obviously observed that CeO2 nanofluids exhibited a solid state at room temperature, whereas they behave as liquid-like when being heated to above 45°C. To detect the properties of CeO2 nanofluids, the morphology, thermal stability, dispersibility, and rheological behavior of CeO2 nanofluids are mainly investigated. It is found that CeO2 nanofluids can flow without solvent existence. Meantime, it shows good dispersion and stability in water and other organic solvents for weeks due to amphiphilic properties of the modifier molecules.