Richard Liang

Lithium-Air Batteries Using SWNT/CNF Buckypapers as Air Electrodes

Li-air cells based on Li foil as an anode electrode, freestanding carbon nanotube/nanofiber mixed buckypaper as an air (cathode) electrode, and organic electrolyte were assembled. The air electrode was made with single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) and carbon nanofiber (CNF) without any binder. The discharge capacity was strongly dependent on both the discharge current density and the thickness of the air electrode. A discharge capacity as high as 2500 mAh/g was obtained for an air electrode at a thickness of 20 μm with a discharge current density of 0.1 mA/cm 2 ; however, it was reduced to 400 mAh/g when the thickness of the air electrode was increased to 220 μm. For a 66 μm thick air electrode, the discharge capacity decreased from 1600 to 340 mAh/g when the discharge current density increased from 0.1 to 0.5 mA/cm 2 . The scanning electron microscope images on surfaces of the air electrode from a fully discharged cell showed that the voids at the air side were almost fully filled by the solid deposition; however, the voids at the membrane side were still wide open.

Carbon nanotube integrated multifunctional multiscale composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) demonstrate extraordinary properties and show great promise in enhancing out-of-plane properties of traditional polymer composites and enabling functionality, but current manufacturing challenges hinder the realization of their potential. This paper presents a method to fabricate multifunctional multiscale composites through an effective infiltration-based vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM) process. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were infused through and between glass-fibre tows along the through-thickness direction. Both pristine and functionalized MWNTs were used in fabricating multiscale glass-fibre-reinforced epoxy composites. It was demonstrated that the mechanical properties of multiscale composites were remarkably enhanced, especially in the functionalized MWNT multiscale composites. With only 1?wt% loading of functionalized MWNTs, tensile strength was increased by 14% and Youngs modulus by 20%, in comparison with conventional fibre-reinforced composites. Moreover, the shear strength and short-beam modulus were increased by 5% and 8%, respectively, indicating the improved inter-laminar properties. The strain?stress tests also suggested noticeable enhancement in toughness. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization confirmed an enhanced interfacial bonding when functionalized MWNTs were integrated into epoxy/glass-fibre composites. The coefficient thermal expansion (CTE) of functionalized nanocomposites indicated a reduction of 25.2% compared with epoxy/glass-fibre composites. The desired improvement of electrical conductivities was also achieved. The multiscale composites indicated a way to leverage the benefits of CNTs and opened up new opportunities for high-performance multifunctional multiscale composites.

Theoretical Energy Density of Li–Air Batteries

A model for predication of the gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of Li-air batteries using aqueous electrolytes is developed. The theoretical gravimetric/volumetric capacities and energy densities are calculated based on the minimum weight of the electrolyte and volume of air electrode needed for completion of the electrochemical reaction with Li metal as an anode electrode. It was determined that both theoretical gravimetric/volumetric capacities and energy densities are dependent on the porosity of the air electrode. For instance, at a porosity of 70%, the maximum theoretical cell capacities are 435 mAh/g and 509 mAh/cm 3 in basic electrolyte, and 378 mAh/g and 452 mAh/cm 3 in acidic electrolyte. The maximum theoretical cell energy densities are 1300 Wh/kg and 1520 Wh/L in basic electrolyte, and 1400 Wh/kg and 1680 Wh/L in acidic electrolyte. The significant deduction of cell capacity from specific capacity of Li metal is due to the bulky weight requirement from the electrolyte and air electrode materials. In contrast, the Li-air battery using a nonaqueous electrolyte does not consume electrolyte during the discharge process and has high cell energy density. For Li-air batteries using both aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes, the weight increases by 8-13% and the volume decreases by 8-20% after the cell is fully discharged.

α-MnO2/Carbon Nanotube/Carbon Nanofiber Composite Catalytic Air Electrodes for Rechargeable Lithium-air Batteries

Air electrodes, made with a mixture of carbon nanotube (CNT)/carbon nanofiber (CNF) and with/without α-MnO2 nano-rods, were prepared for Li-air cells. The charge capacity and cyclability were found to increase largely for the cells made with the α-MnO2 catalyst; however, the first cycle discharge capacities were no different for the cells made with and without the α-MnO2 catalyst. It was found that the discharge capacity of the Li-air cell was mainly due to oxygen deficiency from the pinch-off of the diffusion channel by the deposition product at the air side of the air electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectra at different cycles demonstrated that the charge transfer resistance was increased and decreased during discharge and charge processes, respectively, due to the change of porosity, oxygen concentration, and rate of coefficient of chemical reaction in the air electrode.

Electromagnetic interference shielding properties of carbon nanotube buckypaper composites

Preformed carbon nanotube thin films (10-20 microm), or buckypapers (BPs), consist of dense and entangled nanotube networks, which demonstrate high electrical conductivity and provide potential lightweight electromagnetic interference (EMI) solutions for composite structures. Nanocomposite laminates consisting of various proportions of single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, having different conductivity, and with different stacking structures, were studied. Single-layer BP composites showed shielding effectiveness (SE) of 20-60 dB, depending on the BP conductivity within a 2-18 GHz frequency range. The effects on EMI SE performance of composite laminate structures made with BPs of different conductivity values and epoxy or polyethylene insulating layer stacking sequences were studied. The results were also compared against the predictions from a modified EMI SE model. The predicted trends of SE value and frequency dependence were consistent with the experimental results, revealing that adjusting the number of BP layers and appropriate arrangement of the BP conducting layers and insulators can increase the EMI SE from 45 dB to close to 100 dB owing to the utilization of the double-shielding effect.

Effects of surfactants and alignment on the physical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube buckypaper

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were dispersed in an aqueous medium using surfactants and filtered to make entangled networks, called buckypaper (BP), and the Raman spectra of BP samples revealed the degree of entanglement and residual surfactant content. The temperature dependence of the G-band peak shift in the BP was found to depend on the reduction in residual surfactant and nanotube oxidation. The electrical conductivity was improved after removing the surfactant and increasing the nanotube alignment, although the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity still followed a variable range hopping conduction behavior. The mechanical properties were affected by the degree of entanglement, alignment, and residual surfactant content, and tensile properties were found to improve with the reduction in surfactant and enhancement of alignment.

Carbon nanotube buckypaper to improve fire retardancy of high-temperature/high-performance polymer composites

Mixed single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotube membrane (buckypaper) was incorporated onto the surface of polyimide/carbon fibre composites via a compression moulding process. Flammability was investigated by cone calorimeter tests under an external radiant heat flux of 50 kW m(-2). The burning residue was analysed with scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The buckypaper survived the burning test and decreased the peak heat release rate by 40%, reduced the total heat release by 26%, produced 82% less smoke release and resulted in 33% less mass loss. The directly mixed carbon nanotubes (5 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes) yielded 38% less peak heat release rate, only 3.7% less total heat release, 28% more smoke release and no change in mass loss. Compared to direct mixing of carbon nanotubes into the resin, the use of buckypaper is more efficient in fire retardancy improvement; it yielded further delay of ignition, lower heat release rate, further reduced heat release, lower mass loss and less smoke release. The buckypaper worked as an excellent physical barrier, obstructing the flow of heat and oxygen to the inner polymer resin. The as-prepared buckypaper greatly improved the fire retardancy of polyimide matrix carbon fibre composites.

Nano-machining of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using conductive atomic force microscope tips and carbon nanotubes

Sub-100 nm holes were made on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface using a metal-coated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip and carbon nanotube. HOPG was used as a substrate (work piece) and a metal-coated (10 nm Cr/30 nm Au) Si AFM tip served as the other electrode. A negative voltage pulse was applied to the AFM tip to fabricate holes as small as 10 nm in diameter on the HOPG surface with a depth of 0.34 nm, which corresponds to a single layer of graphene. We also explored an individual multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) attached to the AFM tip for nanoscale machining. Unlike the pyramidal shape of the AFM tip, the high aspect ratio of a carbon nanotube can make it possible to form deeper holes at even smaller surface diameter. The hole-formation mechanism is related to the chemical reaction of graphite with adsorbed water and tunneling electrons from the tip to substrate.

Durability Study on SWNT/Nanofiber Buckypaper Catalyst Support for PEMFCs

Due to their unique microstructure, buckypaper-supported platinum (Pt) catalysts derived from carbon nanotube and carbon nanofiber have demonstrated a high Pt utilization in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). [SWNT means single-walled carbon nanotube.] The durability of a buckypaper-supported Pt catalyst was investigated using an accelerated degradation test (ADT) in a mimic cathode environment of PEMFC. Compared to commercial carbon black-supported Pt, Pt/buckypaper showed a better catalyst durability after holding at 1.2 V for 400 h; specifically, almost 80% of the Pt electrochemical surface area was lost for Pt/carbon black, with only a 43% loss for Pt/buckypaper. Transmission electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry were used to study the Pt degradation mechanism. It was concluded that Pt coarsening and Pt detachment from buckypaper support due to carbon corrosion make the major contribution to the Pt surface area loss under this condition. The Pt loss via detachment from supports after the ADT was calculated as 18% in Pt/buckypaper, while the Pt loss was 69% in Pt/C. It is supposedly due to the higher corrosion resistance of buckypaper because of its high graphitization degree, which is indicated by a slower formation rate of surface oxides in buckypaper than in carbon black. Further durability improvement of the Pt/buckypaper is expected by improving the dispersion of Pt on the buckypaper to reduce Pt sintering.

Analysis of a laser post-process on a buckypaper field emitter for high and uniform electron emission

This study reports a laser irradiation process to enhance the field emission properties of buckypaper, which is a thin sheet of high-loading carbon nanotube networks. The scanning laser treated the selected regions of buckypaper to activate carbon nanotube (CNT) emitters. This post-process causes a decrease in turn-on field and increases the field enhancement factor (beta), luminance intensity, and uniformity of buckypaper emitters. The phosphorescence luminance intensity and uniformity of buckypaper emitters are measured and characterized. The low turn-on field of 0.56 V microm(-1), highest average luminance intensity of 235.9/255, and uniformity of 99.8% are achieved by adjusting the machining parameters of laser power, laser lens motion speed, laser resolution, laser beam size, and pattern orientation. Those parameters relate to the field emission properties of beta, turn-on electric field, luminance intensity, and uniformity. Using design of experiment (DOE) methodology, the optimal parameter settings for high and uniform electron emission of a buckypaper emitter are obtained within fewer experimental runs.