Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanofiber Composite Membrane Coated with Perfluorinated Sulfuric Acid for Microbial Fuel Cell Application.

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is bioelectrochemical system that enables the biochemical activities of bacteria to generate electricity. A composite membrane was prepared from polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber coated with perfluorinated sulfuric acid ionomer (PVDF-PFSA) and evaluated as a replacement for the commercially available Nafion membrane, which is commonly used in MFC reactors. The power density obtained with the PVDF-PFSA composite membrane was higher than that obtained with the Nafion membrane in MFC reactors. The PVDF-PFSA composite membrane produced a maximum power density of 548 mW/m². Hence, the PVDF-PFSA composite reported here is a promising candidate for use as a proton exchange membrane in energy devices and water treatment systems.

Surface Modification of Sulfonated Poly(phenylene oxide) Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Sulfonated poly(phenylene) oxide (sPPO) polymer is coated in a dopamine hydrochloride solution to prepare a highly durable, low-price polymer membrane for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The polydopamine (PDA) coating on the sPPO membrane is confirmed using SEM and EDX analysis. sPPO coated with PDA exhibits decreased proton conductivity due to high resistance. However, VO+2 reducibility tests shows that the chemical stability is improved due to the introduction of the PDA coating layer on the sPPO membrane, which has a chemical structure with poor durability in VO+2 solution under the operating conditions of a VRFB. These results show that this polymer electrolyte membrane based on PDA-coated sPPO is a candidate for application in the long-term operation of VRFBs.

Low Permeable Hydrocarbon Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery.

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) confirms the life span of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Products from Dupont, Nafion membrane, is mainly used for PEM in VRFB. However, permeation of vanadium ion occurs because of Nafion's high permeability. Therefore, the efficiency of VRFB decreases and the prices becomes higher, which hinders VRFB's commercialization. In order to solve this problem, poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) is sulfonated for the preparation of low-priced hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte membrane. sPPO membrane is characterized by fundamental properties and VRFB cell test.

The Effect of Nano-Morphology Modification Using an Amphiphilic Polymer on the Proton Conductivity of Composite Membrane for a Polymer Membrane-Based Fuel Cell.

The effect of morphology modification using an amphiphilic polymer on the proton conductivity of composite membrane for a polymer membrane-based fuel cell was investigated. The proton conductivity of each composite membrane was analyzed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The morphological change was confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the composite membrane, the proton conductive component was sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK), while the nonconductive component was poly(vinylidenedifluoride) and the amphiphilic polymer as a compatibilizer was urethane acrylate non-ionomer (UAN). UAN as a compatibilizer improved the interfacial stability between sPEEK and PVdF polymers, even though two polymers were apparently immiscible. The homogeneous distribution of sPEEK and PVdF domains in the composite membrane was obtained with the introduction of UAN due to the amphiphilicity. Therefore, it was found that the proton conductivity of the composite membrane increased with the incorporation of UAN as a compatibilizer.

Electricity Generation from Microbial Fuel Cell with Polypyrrole-Coated Carbon Nanofiber Composite.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, with and without embedded carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated by the electrospinning process. Polypyrrole (PPy) was coated on the activated PAN/CNT nanofiber by in-situ chemical polymerization in order to improve the electrochemical performance. The electrocatalytic behaviors of the PPy-PAN/CNT composite anode were investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry to evaluate as the anode for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) application. In comparison with unmodified carbon cloth (CC) anodes, PPy-PAN/CNT nanofiber composite showed the improvement of the maximum power density by 40%. The PPy-PAN/CNT nanofiber composite electrode therefore offers good prospects for application in MFCs.

Formation and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticle Composite with Poly(p-Br/F-phenylsilane).

The one-pot production and structural characterization of composites of silver nanoparticles with poly(p-Br/F-phenylsilane), Br/F-PPS, have been performed. The conversion of Ag+ ions to stable Ag0 nanoparticles is mediated by the copolymer Br/F-PPS having both possibly reactive Si-H bonds in the polymer backbone and C-Br bonds in the substituents along with relatively inert C-F bonds. Transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy analyses show the formation of the composites where silver nanoparticles (less than 30 nm of size) are well dispersed over the Br/F-PPS matrix. X-ray diffraction patterns are consistent with that for face-centered-cubic typed silver. The polymer solubility in toluene implys that the cleavage of C-Br bond and the Si-F dative bonding may not be occurred appreciably at ambient temperature. Nonetheless, thermogravimetric analysis data suggest that some sort of cross-linking could take place at high temperature. Most of the silver particles undergo macroscopic aggregation without Br/F-PPS, which indicates that the polysilane is necessary for stabilizing the silver nanoparticles.

Carbon Nanotube Composite Electrode Coated with Polypyrrole for Microbial Fuel Cell Application.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio-electrochemical system that can convert biomass spontaneously into electricity through the metabolic activity of microorganisms. We constructed MFCs of polypyrrole (PPy) coated carbon nanotube (CNT) composite as an electrode material and Shewanella oneidensis as the biocatalyst to increase power density. The PPy-coated CNT were synthesized by the in-situ chemical polymerization of pyrrole on CNT, and the electrochemical properties and performance of the modified electrode as an anode in MFC were then investigated. Treatment with 0.1 wt% Ge-132 on the acid-treated MWNTs helped to form better PPy-MWNT composite. The PPy-CNT/CF anode showed a noteworthy 38% power production improvement when compared to plain CF anode. The PPy-CNT composite could be a very efficient and promising electrode material for electricity generation of MFC.

Easy Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(alkoxysilane)s Promoted by Silver-Platinum Mixed Complexes.

One-pot Si-Si/Si-O dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes with alcohols (1:1.5 mole ratio), promoted by a mixture of AgNO3-H2PtCl6 (150/1 mole ratio) readily gave poly(alkoxysilane)s in good yield (62-91%). The addition of small amount of platinum complex to form nanoparticles facilitated the silicon polymer formation when compared to the reaction rate with AgNO3 alone. The primary/secondary hydrosilanes [p-X-C6H4SiH3 (X = H, CH3, OCH3, F), PhCH2SiH3, and (PhSiH2)2] and alcohols [MeOH, EtOH, (i)PrOH, PhOH, and CF3(CF2)2CH2OH] were used for the reaction. The weight average molecular weight and polydispersity of the poly(alkoxysilane)s were in the range of 1,690-7,100 Dalton and 1.44-3.49, respectively. The reaction of phenylsilane with ethanol (1:3 mole ratio) using the Ag-Pt complexes produced triethoxyphenylsilane only, as expected. The reaction of phenylsilane with Ge-132 produced an insoluble cross-linked gel.

Synthesis and characterization of phosphine/borane-terminated poly(silole-co-germole) for the evaluation of luminescent polymer light-emitting diode.

Codehydrocoupling (using Red-Al) followed by borane/phosphine-capping (with Ph2BCl and Ph2PCl) of 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylsilole (1) and 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylgermole (2) (9:1 mole ratio) gave electroluminescent poly(silole-co-germole)s containing borane/phosphine-ends (3, 4) in high yield. The borane-terminated copolymer 3 emits at 522 nm and are electroluminescent at 521 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield of 3 in toluene is (1.60±0.30) x 10(-2). The phosphine-terminated copolymer 4 emits at 520 nm and are electroluminescent at 520 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield of 4 in toluene is (1.60±0.20) x 10(-2). 3 and 4 were then mixed in 1:1 ratio. The emission color of 3/4 mixture is green and the maximum brightness of the device is 2,760 cd/m2 with a luminous efficiency of 0.67 lm/W. The borane/phosphine end groups in the 1:1 mixture of 3 and 4 exhibited no appreciable effect on the luminescent properties in spite of possible B-P dative bonding. Ge-132 helped to increase the B-P dative bonding. The electroluminescent copolymers 3 and 4 are good candidates for PLED (polymer light-emitting diode) fabrication.

Layer-by-layer self-assembled carbon nanotube electrode for microbial fuel cells application.

Anodic material is usually a limiting factor in power generation in microbial fuel cell (MFC). A meditatorless two-chambered MFC was constructed using new type of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based electrode architecture by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly to increase power density. Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) and polyeletrolyte polyethyleneimine (PEI) were employed to modify carbon paper (CP) electrode utilizing a LBL self-assembly technique, and the electrochemical properties and performance of the modified electrode as an anode in MFC were investigated. The CNT-based LBL self-assembled electrode showed a better electrochemical performance than that of unmodified CP electrode. The self-assembled MWNT/PEI onto CP produced the maximum power density of 480 mW/m2, which was 48% larger than that of the plain CP anode. The CNT-based LBL self-assembled electrode therefore offers good prospects for application in MFCs.

Facile synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticle/bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone composites using a gold catalyst.

The generation of silver nanoparticle/bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone composites have been facilitated by the addition of sodium tetrachloroaurate or gold(Ill) chloride (< 1 wt% of NaAuCl4 or AuCl3) to the reaction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) with bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone [BPPS, (o-phenolpropyl)2(SiMe2O)n, n = 2,3,8,236]. TEM and FE-SEM data showed that the silver nanoparticles having the size of < 20 nm are well dispersed throughout the BPPS silicone matrix in the composites. XRD patterns are consistent with those for polycrystalline silver. The size of silver nanoparticles augmented with increasing the relative molar concentration of AgNO3 added with respect to BPPS. The addition of gold complexes (1-3 wt%) did not affect the size distribution of silver nanoparticles appreciably. In the absence of BPPS, the macroscopic precipitation of silver by agglomeration, indicating that BPPS is necessary to stabilize the silver nanoparticles surrounded by coordination.

One-pot synthesis and structural characterization of poly(alkoxysilane)s catalyzed by silver-gold complexes.

Combinative one-pot Si-Si/Si-O dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes with alcohols (1:1.5 mole ratio), mediated by a mixture of AgNO3-AuCl3 (100/1 mole ratio) rapidly produced poly(alkoxysilane)s in reasonably high yield. The addition of small amount of gold complex to the reaction mixture effectively accelerated the coupling reaction compared to the reaction rate with AgNO3 alone. The hydrosilanes include p-X-C6H4SiH3 (X = H, CH3, OCH3, F), PhCH2SiH3, and (PhSiH2)2. The alcohols include MeOH, EtOH, iPrOH, PhOH, and CF3(CF2)2CH2OH. The weight average molecular weight and polydispersity of the poly(alkoxysilane)s were in the range of 1,600-8,000 Dalton and 1.4-3.5, respectively. The dehydrocoupling reactions of phenylsilane with ethanol (1:3 mole ratio) in the presence of the Ag-Au complexes gave only triethoxyphenylsilane.

Construction and performance evaluation of mediator-less microbial fuel cell using carbon nanotubes as an anode material.

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy using the catalytic reaction of microorganisms. We investigated the performance of mediator-less MFC with carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/graphite felt composite electrodes. The addition of CNTs to a graphite felt electrode increases the specific surface area of the electrode and enhances the charge transfer capability so as to cause considerable improvement of the electrochemical activity for the anode reaction in a MFC. The performance of the MFC using CNTs/graphite felt electrode has been compared against a plain graphite felt electrode based MFC. A CNTs/graphite felt electrode showed as high as 15% increase in the power density (252 mW/m2) compared to graphite felt electrode (214 mW/m2). The CNTs/graphite felt anode therefore offers good prospects for application in MFCs.

Synthesis and characterization of stannane-terminated poly(silole-co-germole) for the evaluation of luminescent polymeric light-emitting diode.

Codehydrocoupling (with various inorganic hydrides) followed by stannane-capping (with Ph2SnHCI) of 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylsilole (1) and 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylgermole (2) (9:1 mol ratio) produces electroluminescent stannane-terminated poly(silole-co-germole)s (3) in high yield. The polymerization yield and molecular weight with Selectride increase in the order L-Selectride < N-Selectride < K-Selectride. The molecular weights increase in the order L-Selectride < Red-Al < N-Selectride < K-Selectride < Super-Hydride. The copolymer 3, a good candidate for PLED fabrication, emits at 523 nm and are electroluminescent at 521 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield of 3 in toluene is (1.61 +/- 0.29) x 10(-2). The emission color is green. The maximum brightness of the device is 3,750 cd/m2 with a luminous power efficiency of 0.67 Im/W.

Performance of polyacrylonitrile-carbon nanotubes composite on carbon cloth as electrode material for microbial fuel cells.

The performance of carbon nanotubes composite-modified carbon cloth electrodes in two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) was investigated. The electrode modified with polyacrylonitrile-carbon nanotubes (PAN-CNTs) composite showed better electrochemical performance than that of plain carbon cloth. The MFC with the composite-modified anode containing 5 mg/cm2 PAN-CNTs exhibited a maximum power density of 480 mW/m2.

Efficient synthesis and structural characterization of silver nanoparticle/ bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone composites.

Silver nanoparticle/bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone composites have been synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate with bis(o-phenolpropyl)silicone BPPS [(o-phenolpropyl)2(SiMe2O)n, n = 2, 3, 8, 236]. TEM and FE-SEM data clearly show that the silver nanoparticles with the size of < 20 nm are well dispersed throughout the BPPS matrix in the composites. XRD patterns are consistent with those for multicrystalline silver. The size of silver nanoparticles increased with increasing the relative molar concentration of silver salts added. It was found that in the absence of BPPS, most of the silver nanoparticles undergo macroscopic precipitation by agglomeration, indicating that BPPS is essential to stabilize the silver nanoparticles.

One-pot synthesis and characterization of poly(alkoxysilane)s promoted by silver colloidal nanoparticles.

Si-Si/Si-O dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes with alcohols (1:1.5 mole ratio), catalyzed by AgNO3 which converted to Ag(0) colloidal nanoparticles, gave poly(alkoxysilane)s in one-pot in moderate to high yield. The hydrosilanes include p-X-C6H4SiH3 (X = H, CH3, OCH3, F), PhCH2SiH3, and (PhSiH2)2. The alcohols include MeOH, EtOH, (i)PrOH, PhOH, and CF3(CF2)2CH2OH. The weight average molecular weight and polydispersity of the poly(alkoxysilane)s were in the range of 1,600 approximately 8,000 Dalton and 1.4 approximately 3.5. The dehydrocoupling reactions of phenylsilane with ethanol (1:3 mole ratio) in the presence of the silver nanocolloid catalyst produced only triethoxyphenylsilane as product.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyarcylonitrile composite as anode material for microbial fuel cells application.

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an electrochemical device that can directly convert the chemical energy stored in organic matter into electricity using microorganisms as a biocatalyst. The performance of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polyarcylonitrile (PAN) composite modified carbon paper electrodes in two-chambered MFC was investigated. The electrocatalytic behaviors of the MWCNT/PAN composite anode were examined by using cyclic voltammetry. The MWCNT/PAN composite anode showed better electrochemical performance than that of PAN anode without MWCNT and the electricity generation of the MFC increased along with the increase of the MWCNT composite loading. The 5 wt% MWCNT/PAN composite anode has the highest electrochemical activity and its maximum power density is found to be 45 mW/m2 with acetate.

Multi-amine-grafted SBA-15 spherical nanoparticles for the adsorption of proteins.

Mesoporous silica spheres (SBA-15) have been obtained via a two-step synthesis process by using a triblock copolymer as a template in combination with a co-surfactant and co-solvent. Multi-amine-grafted mesoporous silicas were prepared by attaching 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, N-2(-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and (3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)diethylenetriamine via a post-synthetic method. The proteins used in adsorption experiments include Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), Lysozyme (LYS) and Myoglobin (MYO). The protein adsorption properties such as equilibrium and kinetics were investigated. The results show that the original SBA-15 samples have the highest adsorption capacity for all proteins due to their largest pore size and internal surface area.

Releasing properties of proteins on SBA-15 spherical nanoparticles functionalized with aminosilanes.

Based on morphology of SBA-15 particles, each has its own synthetic procedure and characteristics, resulting in different adsorption capacity as well as application in drug delivery system. This study focused on the synthesis mesoporous material SBA-15 with spherical morphology. The synthesized mesoporous silica SBA-15 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and BET analysis. The release study of original and modified samples were carried out to assess application for controlled drug delivery system. The adsorbed proteins can be readily desorbed on amine-modified samples. Especially, the diamine-modified sample has the highest release amount for two proteins, Lysozyme (LYS) and Myoglobin (MYO).