Yoshio Sakka

Direct Synthesis of MOF‐Derived Nanoporous Carbon with Magnetic Co Nanoparticles toward Efficient Water Treatment

Nanoporous carbon particles with magnetic Co nanoparticles (Co/NPC particles) are synthesized by one-step carbonization of zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) crystals. After the carbonization, the original ZIF-67 shapes are preserved well. Fine magnetic Co nanoparticles are well dispersed in the nanoporous carbon matrix, with the result that the Co/NPC particles show a strong magnetic response. The obtained nanoporous carbons show a high surface area and well-developed graphitized wall, thereby realizing fast molecular diffusion of methylene blue (MB) molecules with excellent adsorption performance. The Co/NPC possesses an impressive saturation capacity for MB dye compared with the commercial activated carbon. Also, the dispersed magnetic Co nanoparticles facilitate easy magnetic separation.

Electric current activated/assisted sintering (ECAS): a review of patents 1906?2008

Abstract The electric current activated/assisted sintering (ECAS) is an ever growing class of versatile techniques for sintering particulate materials. Despite the tremendous advances over the last two decades in ECASed materials and products there is a lack of comprehensive reviews on ECAS apparatuses and methods. This paper fills the gap by tracing the progress of ECAS technology from 1906 to 2008 and surveys 642 ECAS patents published over more than a century. It is found that the ECAS technology was pioneered by Bloxam (1906 GB Patent No. 9020) who developed the first resistive sintering apparatus. The patents were searched by keywords or by cross-links and were withdrawn from the Japanese Patent Office (342 patents), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (175 patents), the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office of P.R.C. (69 patents) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (12 patents). A subset of 119 (out of 642) ECAS patents on methods and apparatuses was selected and described in detail with respect to their fundamental concepts, physical principles and importance in either present ECAS apparatuses or future ECAS technologies for enhancing efficiency, reliability, repeatability, controllability and productivity. The paper is divided into two parts, the first deals with the basic concepts, features and definitions of basic ECAS and the second analyzes the auxiliary devices/peripherals. The basic ECAS is classified with reference to discharge time (fast and ultrafast ECAS). The fundamental principles and definitions of ECAS are outlined in accordance with the scientific and patent literature.

Electric Double‐Layer Capacitors Based on Highly Graphitized Nanoporous Carbons Derived from ZIF‐67

Nanoporous carbons (NPCs) have large specific surface areas, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and both chemical and mechanical stability, which facilitate their use in energy storage device applications. In the present study, highly graphitized NPCs are synthesized by one-step direct carbonization of cobalt-containing zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67). After chemical etching, the deposited Co content can be completely removed to prepare pure NPCs with high specific surface area, large pore volume, and intrinsic electrical conductivity (high content of sp(2) -bonded carbons). A detailed electrochemical study is performed using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. Our NPC is very promising for efficient electrodes for high-performance supercapacitor applications. A maximum specific capacitance of 238 F g(-1) is observed at a scan rate of 20 mV s(-1) . This value is very high compared to previous works on carbon-based electric double layer capacitors.

A high-strain-rate superplastic ceramic.

High-strain-rate superplasticity describes the ability of a material to sustain large plastic deformation in tension at high strain rates of the order of 10-2 to 10-1 s-1 and is of great technological interest for the shape-forming of engineering materials. High-strain-rate superplasticity has been observed in aluminium-based and magnesium-based alloys. But for ceramic materials, superplastic deformation has been restricted to low strain rates of the order of 10-5 to 10-4 s-1 for most oxides and nitrides with the presence of intergranular cavities leading to premature failure. Here we show that a composite ceramic material consisting of tetragonal zirconium oxide, magnesium aluminate spinel and α-alumina phases exhibits superplasticity at strain rates up to 1 s-1. The composite also exhibits a large tensile elongation, exceeding 1,050 per cent for a strain rate of 0.4 s-1. The tensile flow behaviour and deformed microstructure of the material indicate that superplasticity is due to a combination of limited grain growth in the constitutive phases and the intervention of dislocation-induced plasticity in the zirconium oxide phase. We suggest that the present results hold promise for the application of shape-forming technologies to ceramic materials.

Luminescent metal nanoclusters: controlled synthesis and functional applications

Abstract Luminescent metal nanoclusters that consist of only several, to tens of, metal atoms and which possess sizes comparable to the Fermi wavelength of electrons have recently attracted significant attention. This new class of luminescent materials not only provides the missing link between atomic and nanoparticle behaviors in metals but also they present abundant novel information for the development of new applicable material systems to meet urgent needs in many areas (such as ultrasensitive sensors for heavy metals, bioimaging, as well as information technology) mainly because of their attractive characteristics, including ultra-small size, good dispersibility, excellent biocompatibility and photostability. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the controlled synthesis and application of luminescent metal nanoclusters, with a particular emphasis on Pt, Mo, Bi and alloy clusters. We also speculate on their future and discuss potential developments for their use in sensors, bioimaging and energy harvesting and conversion.

Orientation amplification of alumina by colloidal filtration in a strong magnetic field and sintering

The controlled development of texture in ceramics is a growing focus of interest in connection with processing because it leads to improved electrical, piezoelectric, mechanical, and other properties. We demonstrate in this communication, that the highly textured microstructure of pure dense alumina can be manipulated by a strong magnetic field applied to alumina powder in a suspension, followed by heating. Macroscopic interaction between the agglomerated particles in a suspension prevents the powder in the suspension from rotating when a magnetic field is applied, so it is necessary to disperse the powder in the suspension to allow the magnetic field to exert its effects. Colloidal processing using repulsive surface forces was used in this study to prevent heterogeneous agglomerates from forming.

Preparation of porous materials with controlled pore size and porosity

Well-defined porous ceramics with controllable pore size and porosity were fabricated via a hetero-coagulation of template/ceramic particle colloidal processing. Monodispersed polymer spheres were used as template and ceramic nanoparticles as inorganic building blocks to create porous structures. The preparation of well-dispersed suspensions of polymers and ceramics is essential for the fabrication of uniformly porous materials. Core-shell composites of polymer/ceramic could be obtained by mixing the oppositely charged two suspensions via electrostatic attraction following by filtration and calcination to produce macroporous ceramic materials. SEM images and pore size distribution results revealed that various materials, such as Al2O3, TiO2 and ZrO2, with ordered and uniform macropores have been obtained by this simple procedure. The pore size could be controlled readily by varying the polymer size and the porosity could be manipulated by modifying the volume ratio of polymer/ceramic particles

Dielectrophoretically aligned carbon nanotubes to control electrical and mechanical properties of hydrogels to fabricate contractile muscle myofibers.

Dielectrophoresis is used to align carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels in a facile and rapid manner. Aligned GelMA-CNT hydrogels show higher electrical properties compared with pristine and randomly distributed CNTs in GelMA hydrogels. The muscle cells cultured on these materials demonstrate higher maturation compared with cells cultured on pristine and randomly distributed CNTs in GelMA hydrogels.

Hybrid hydrogels containing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes with anisotropic electrical conductivity for muscle myofiber fabrication

Biological scaffolds with tunable electrical and mechanical properties are of great interest in many different fields, such as regenerative medicine, biorobotics, and biosensing. In this study, dielectrophoresis (DEP) was used to vertically align carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) hydrogels in a robust, simple, and rapid manner. GelMA-aligned CNT hydrogels showed anisotropic electrical conductivity and superior mechanical properties compared with pristine GelMA hydrogels and GelMA hydrogels containing randomly distributed CNTs. Skeletal muscle cells grown on vertically aligned CNTs in GelMA hydrogels yielded a higher number of functional myofibers than cells that were cultured on hydrogels with randomly distributed CNTs and horizontally aligned CNTs, as confirmed by the expression of myogenic genes and proteins. In addition, the myogenic gene and protein expression increased more profoundly after applying electrical stimulation along the direction of the aligned CNTs due to the anisotropic conductivity of the hybrid GelMA-vertically aligned CNT hydrogels. We believe that platform could attract great attention in other biomedical applications, such as biosensing, bioelectronics, and creating functional biomedical devices.

Textured silicon nitride: processing and anisotropic properties

Abstract Textured silicon nitride (Si3N4) has been intensively studied over the past 15 years because of its use for achieving its superthermal and mechanical properties. In this review we present the fundamental aspects of the processing and anisotropic properties of textured Si3N4, with emphasis on the anisotropic and abnormal grain growth of β-Si3N4, texture structure and texture analysis, processing methods and anisotropic properties. On the basis of the texturing mechanisms, the processing methods described in this article have been classified into two types: hot-working (HW) and templated grain growth (TGG). The HW method includes the hot-pressing, hot-forging and sinter-forging techniques, and the TGG method includes the cold-pressing, extrusion, tape-casting and strong magnetic field alignment techniques for β-Si3N4 seed crystals. Each processing technique is thoroughly discussed in terms of theoretical models and experimental data, including the texturing mechanisms and the factors affecting texture development. Also, methods of synthesizing the rodlike β-Si3N4 single crystals are presented. Various anisotropic properties of textured Si3 N4 and their origins are thoroughly described and discussed, such as hardness, elastic modulus, bending strength, fracture toughness, fracture energy, creep behavior, tribological and wear behavior, erosion behavior, contact damage behavior and thermal conductivity. Models are analyzed to determine the thermal anisotropy by considering the intrinsic thermal anisotropy, degree of orientation and various microstructure factors. Textured porous Si3N4 with a unique microstructure composed of oriented elongated β-Si3N4 and anisotropic pores is also described for the first time, with emphasis on its unique mechanical and thermal-mechanical properties. Moreover, as an important related material, textured α-Sialon is also reviewed, because the presence of elongated α-Sialon grains allows the production of textured α-Sialon using the same methods as those used for textured β-Si3N4 and β-Sialon.