Enhancement in Heat Transfer Performance of Water Vapor Condensation on Graphene-Coated Copper Surfaces: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

The condensation of water vapor plays a crucial role in various applications, including combating water scarcity. In this study, by employing molecular dynamics simulations, we delved into the impact of graphene coatings on water vapor condensation on copper surfaces. Unique to this work was the exploration of various levels of graphene coverage and distribution, a facet largely unexplored in prior investigations. The findings demonstrated a notable increase in the rate of water vapor condensation and heat transfer performance as the graphene coverage was reduced. Using graphene coverages of 84%, 68%, and 52%, the numbers of condensed water molecules were 664, 735, and 880 molecules/ns, respectively. One of the most important findings was that when using the same graphene coverage of 68%, the rate of water vapor condensation and heat transfer performance increased as the graphene coating became more distributed. The overall performance of the water condensation correlated well with the energy and vibrational interaction between the graphene and the copper. This phenomenon suggests how a hybrid surface can enhance the nucleation and growth of a droplet, which might be beneficial for tailoring graphene-coated copper surfaces for applications demanding efficient water vapor condensation.

Nanoscale Analysis of Frozen Water by Atom Probe Tomography Using Graphene Encapsulation and Cryo-Workflows.

There has been an increasing interest in atom probe tomography (APT) to characterize hydrated and biological materials. A major benefit of APT compared to microscopy techniques more commonly used in biology is its combination of outstanding three-dimensional (3D) spatial resolution and mass sensitivity. APT has already been successfully used to characterize biominerals, revealing key structural information at the atomic scale, however there are many challenges inherent to the analysis of soft hydrated materials. New preparation protocols, often involving specimen preparation and transfer at cryogenic temperature, enable APT analysis of hydrated materials and have the potential to enable 3D atomic scale characterization of biological materials in the near-native hydrated state. In this study, samples of pure water at the tips of tungsten needle specimens were prepared at room temperature by graphene encapsulation. A comparative study was conducted where specimens were transferred at either room temperature or cryo-temperature and analyzed by APT by varying the flight path and pulsing mode. The differences between the analysis workflows are presented along with recommendations for future studies, and the compatibility between graphene coating and cryogenic workflows is demonstrated.

Application of Graphene Oxide in Oral Surgery: A Systematic Review.

The current review aims to provide an overview of the most recent research in the last 10 years on the potentials of graphene in the dental surgery field, focusing on the potential of graphene oxide (GO) applied to implant surfaces and prosthetic abutment surfaces, as well as to the membranes and scaffolds used in Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) procedures. "Graphene oxide" and "dental surgery" and "dentistry" were the search terms utilized on the databases Scopus, Web of Science, and Pubmed, with the Boolean operator "AND" and "OR". Reviewers worked in pairs to select studies based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. They included animal studies, clinical studies, or case reports, and in vitro and in vivo studies. However, they excluded systematic reviews, narrative reviews, and meta-analyses. Results: Of these 293 studies, 19 publications were included in this review. The field of graphene-based engineered nanomaterials in dentistry is expanding. Aside from its superior mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability, graphene and its derivatives may be functionalized with a variety of bioactive compounds, allowing them to be introduced into and improved upon various scaffolds used in regenerative dentistry. This review presents state-of-the-art graphene-based dental surgery applications. Even if further studies and investigations are still needed, the GO coating could improve clinical results in the examined dental surgery fields. Better osseointegration, as well as increased antibacterial and cytocompatible qualities, can benefit GO-coated implant surgery. On bacterially contaminated implant abutment surfaces, the CO coating may provide the optimum prospects for soft tissue sealing to occur. GBR proves to be a safe and stable material, improving both bone regeneration when using GO-enhanced graft materials as well as biocompatibility and mechanical properties of GO-incorporated membranes.

Osseointegration, antimicrobial capacity and cytotoxicity of implant materials coated with graphene compounds: A systematic review.

The use of graphecs excellent mechanical properties. However, it is necessary to evaluate the biological effects of this material. This systematic review aimed to observe and understand through studies the current state of the art regarding osseointegration, antimicrobial capacity, and the cytotoxicity of graphene coating applied to the surface of dental implant materials. Searches in PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were conducted between June and July 2021 and updated in May 2022 using the keywords: graphene, graphene oxide, dental implants, zirconium, titanium, peek, aluminum, disilicate, methyl-methacrylate, cytotoxicity, osseointegration, and bone regeneration. The criteria included in vivo and in vitro studies that evaluated antimicrobial capacity and/or osseointegration and/or cytotoxicity of dental implant materials coated with graphene compounds. The risk of bias for in vitro studies was assessed by the JBI tool, and for in vivo studies, Syrcle's risk of bias tool for animal studies was used. The database search resulted in 176 articles. Of the 18 articles selected for full reading, 16 remained in this systematic review. The use of graphene compounds as coatings on the surface of implant materials is promising because it promotes osseointegration and has antimicrobial capacity. However, further studies are needed to ensure its cytotoxic potential.

Remarkably Corrosion Resistant Graphene Coating on Steel Enabled Through Metallurgical Tailoring.

Graphene coatings developed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) that possess extraordinary/unique characteristics as barrier against aggressive environment can improve the corrosion resistance of Ni and Cu by up to two orders of magnitude. However, because of some compelling technical reasons, it has thus far been a nontrivial challenge to develop graphene coatings on the most commonly used engineering alloy, mild steel (MS). To circumvent the challenge simply by first electroplating MS with a Ni layer is attempted, and then developing CVD graphene over the Ni layer. However, this approach proved too simplistic and does not work. This necessitated an innovative surface modification of MS (based on basic metallurgical principles) that enabled successful CVD of graphene coating on MS. The graphene coating thus developed is demonstrated to improve the corrosion resistance of mild steel by two orders of magnitude in an aggressive chloride solution, through electrochemical testing. This improvement was not only sustained for the entire test duration of >1000 h; but there is a clear trend for the resistance to be possibly everlasting. The optimized surface modification that enabled development of CVD graphene coating on mild steel is generic in nature, and it should enable graphene coating on other alloy systems, which would otherwise not be possible.

Interface engineering with porous graphene as deposition regulator of stable Zn metal anode for long-life Zn-ion capacitor.

The zinc (Zn) dendrite accumulation leads to poor Coulombic efficiency, continuously failing life and severe safety risks, which seriously impede the commercial application of Zn ion capacitors (ZICs). Herein, an interface engineering is proposed for the Zn metal anode to restrain the dendrite by using porous flame reduced graphene oxide (FRGO) as the ex-situ protective and regulated layer to induce the Zn crystal growth and restricts the side reactions. The FRGO possesses extensive nanoscale pores and zincophilic oxygen-containing functional groups, which can absorb Zn2+ and nucleate preferentially on the surface of FRGO, then induce the growth of Zn parallel to the graphene sheet by matching the basal (002) plane of metallic Zn to minimize lattice strain. As a result, it eliminates the tip effect and achieves the deposited Zn with a uniform and flat surface. Therefore, The FRGO on the Zn (FRGO@Zn) anode significantly reduces the nucleation overpotential and improves the cycling life during the plating/stripping process. Notably, FRGO@Zn based ZIC can achieve 91.0% capacity retention after more than 20,000 cycles at 5 A g-1, and its capacity and maximum energy density are 150.6 mAh g-1 and 118.8 Wh kg-1, respectively. This interface engineering of FRGO for the Zn metal anode has excellent application potential and theoretical guidance in the ZICs field.

Carbon and Graphene Coatings for the Thermal Management of Sustainable LMP Batteries for Automotive Applications.

The increment of battery temperature during the operation caused by internal heat generation is one of the main issues to face in the management of storage systems for automotive and power generation applications. The temperature strongly affects the battery efficiency, granting the best performance in a limited range. The investigation and testing of materials for the improvement of heat dissipation are crucial for modern battery systems that must provide high power and energy density. This study presents an analysis of the thermal behavior of a lithium-polymer cell, which can be stacked in a battery pack for electric vehicles. The cell is sheltered with layers of two different materials: carbon and graphene, used in turn, to dissipate the heat generated during the operation in natural convection. Optical diagnostics in the infrared band is used to evaluate the battery surface temperature and the effect of the coatings. Experiments are performed in two operating conditions varying the current demand. Moreover, two theoretical correlations are used to estimate the thermal parameters of the battery with a reverse-logic approach. The convective heat transfer coefficient h and the specific heat capacity cp of the battery are evaluated and provided for the Li-ion battery under investigation for different coatings' conductivity. The results highlight the advantage of using a coating and the effect of the coating properties to reduce the battery temperature under operation. In particular, graphene is preferable because it provides the lowest battery temperature in the most intense operating condition.

Influence of Graphene Type and Content on Friction and Wear of Silicon Carbide/Graphene Nanocomposites in Aqueous Environment.

Two different types of graphene materials were used as functional nanofillers for the mechanical and tribological improvement of silicon carbide/graphene nanocomposites. On the one hand is thermally reduced graphite oxide (TRGO) reduced at three different temperatures, and on the other hand is graphene made of three different organic precursors, which were directly coated on silicon carbide (SiC) platelets (GSiC). Additionally, benchmark materials were also used as carbon fillers. The SiC/graphene nanocomposites with 2 wt% filler content were manufactured by pressureless sintering (PLS). Some composites were produced with higher graphene contents of 4% and 8% and sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Microstructural analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Underwater lubrication, the SP sintered TRGO and GSiC materials with high graphene content have shown the most promising tribological performance. Furthermore, the reduced size of the homogeneously distributed nanoparticles promotes the formation of surface states, which improve the friction and wear properties.

Graphene-Encapsulated Silver Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Vapor Sensing.

Graphene-covered silver nanoparticles were prepared directly on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrates and characterized by atomic force microscopy. UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy was used to measure the shift in the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) upon exposure to acetone, ethanol, 2-propanol, toluene, and water vapor. The optical responses were found to be substance-specific, as also demonstrated by principal component analysis. Point defects were introduced in the structure of the graphene overlayer by O2 plasma. The LSPR was affected by the plasma treatment, but it was completely recovered using subsequent annealing. It was found that the presence of defects increased the response for toluene and water while decreasing it for acetone.

Elucidating and Mitigating High-Voltage Degradation Cascades in Cobalt-Free LiNiO2 Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes.

LiNiO2 (LNO) is a promising cathode material for next-generation Li-ion batteries due to its exceptionally high capacity and cobalt-free composition that enables more sustainable and ethical large-scale manufacturing. However, its poor cycle life at high operating voltages over 4.1 V impedes its practical use, thus motivating efforts to elucidate and mitigate LiNiO2 degradation mechanisms at high states of charge. Here, a multiscale exploration of high-voltage degradation cascades associated with oxygen stacking chemistry in cobalt-free LiNiO2 , is presented. Lattice oxygen loss is found to play a critical role in the local O3-O1 stacking transition at high states of charge, which subsequently leads to Ni-ion migration and irreversible stacking faults during cycling. This undesirable atomic-scale structural evolution accelerates microscale electrochemical creep, cracking, and even bending of layers, ultimately resulting in macroscopic mechanical degradation of LNO particles. By employing a graphene-based hermetic surface coating, oxygen loss is attenuated in LNO at high states of charge, which suppresses the initiation of the degradation cascade and thus substantially improves the high-voltage capacity retention of LNO. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insight into the high-voltage degradation of LNO, which will inform ongoing efforts to employ cobalt-free cathodes in Li-ion battery technology.

Gradual Edge Contact between Mo and MoS2 Formed by Graphene-Masked Sulfurization for High-Performance Field-Effect Transistors.

Two-dimensional materials have attracted great attention for their outstanding electronic properties. In particular, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) shows great potential as a next-generation semiconductor due to its tunable direct bandgap with a high on-off ratio and extraordinary stability. However, the performance of MoS2 synthesized by physical vapor deposition has been limited by contact resistance between an electrode and MoS2, which determines overall device characteristics. Here, in order to reduce the contact resistance, we use in situ sulfurization of Mo by H2S gas treatment masked by a patterned graphene gas barrier, so that the Mo channel area can be selectively formed, resulting in a gradual edge contact between Mo and MoS2. Compared with field-effect transistors with a top contact between the Au/Ti electrode and the MoS2 channel, a gradual edge contact between the Mo electrode and the MoS2 channel provides a considerably enhanced electrical performance.

Carbonaceous Materials Coated Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites.

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites have high mechanical properties that make them exemplary engineered materials to carry loads and stresses. Coupling fibre and matrix together require good understanding of not only fibre morphology but also matrix rheology. One way of having a strongly coupled fibre and matrix interface is to size the reinforcing fibres by means of micro- or nanocarbon materials coating on the fibre surface. Common coating materials used are carbon nanotubes and nanofibres and graphene, and more recently carbon black (colloidal particles of virtually pure elemental carbon) and graphite. There are several chemical, thermal, and electrochemical processes that are used for coating the carbonous materials onto a carbon fibre surface. Sizing of fibres provides higher interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix and allows better fibre wetting by the surrounded matrix material. This review paper goes over numerous techniques that are used for engineering the interface between both fibre and matrix systems, which is eventually the key to better mechanical properties of the composite systems.

Graphene Coating Obtained in a Cold-Wall CVD Process on the Co-Cr Alloy (L-605) for Medical Applications.

Graphene coating on the cobalt-chromium alloy was optimized and successfully carried out by a cold-wall chemical vapor deposition (CW-CVD) method. A uniform layer of graphene for a large area of the Co-Cr alloy (discs of 10 mm diameter) was confirmed by Raman mapping coated area and analyzing specific G and 2D bands; in particular, the intensity ratio and the number of layers were calculated. The effect of the CW-CVD process on the microstructure and the morphology of the Co-Cr surface was investigated by scanning X-ray photoelectron microscope (SPEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Nanoindentation and scratch tests were performed to determine mechanical properties of Co-Cr disks. The results of microbiological tests indicate that the studied Co-Cr alloys covered with a graphene layer did not show a pro-coagulant effect. The obtained results confirm the possibility of using the developed coating method in medical applications, in particular in the field of cardiovascular diseases.

Graphene-Modified Titanium Surface Enhances Local Growth Factor Adsorption and Promotes Osteogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells.

Graphene coating exhibits excellent abilities of protein adsorption and cell adhesion, which might expand the osteogenic activity of titanium implant surface to adapt to the environment of low bone mass and poor bone quality. In this paper, we designed and explored the graphene-coated titanium sheet, through the surface modification of oxygen-containing functional groups, to optimize the adsorption capacity of material by improving the electrostatic interactions, and successfully adsorbed and sustained-released a variety of osteogenic related growth factors in the autologous concentrated growth factors. Compared with the pure titanium, we observed that the bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on the graphene-coated titanium with concentrated growth factors showed a flat shape and expressed osteogenic related genes and proteins, while the coating surfaces promoted and accelerated the osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs. The results suggested that it might be a feasible alternative to improve the osteogenesis of dental implant in the early stage.

Activation of peroxymonosulfate system by copper-based catalyst for degradation of naproxen: Mechanisms and pathways.

Organic degradation by zero-valent metal (ZVM)-activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) systems has drawn great attention in water treatment. Among various types of ZVM, zero-valent copper (ZVC) showed greatest activating capacity. However, the disadvantages of the released Cu2+ limit the practical utilization of ZVC. In this study, the activation capacity of four normal-sized copper catalysts, namely, copper sheet, graphene-copper sheet, copper foam, and graphene-copper foam, for PMS was investigated using Naproxen (NPX) as the probe compound. Results showed that the degradation efficiency of NPX increased by 10%, while the release of Cu2+ decreased by 30% by coating the copper with graphene. Stability tests showed that all of the four catalysts exhibited considerable stability in PMS activation. Furthermore, we found for the first time that the hydroxyl radical was the dominant species in the degradation of NPX rather than the sulfate radical, which was proved by ESR and radical scavenging experiments. Finally, six intermediates were identified by HPLC-MS/MS, and the degradation pathways were proposed. This study confirmed the feasibility of graphene coating on metals to achieve the enhancement of PMS activation.

Extrinsic Two-Dimensional Flux Pinning Centers in MgB2 Superconductors Induced by Graphene-Coated Boron.

Extrinsic two-dimensional flux pinning centers, via graphene-encapsulated boron powder as precursors, have been introduced into MgB2 superconductors by means of in situ and diffusion sintering methods. Uniform graphene encapsulation of the boron powders was achieved by the hydrothermal method with highly dispersed graphene oxide as the precursor. The graphene coating layers induce remaining graphene layers and other defects acting as flux pinning centers in the matrix as well as improved connectivity in between grains. The increased critical current density ( Jc) is attributed to the enhanced flux pinning force and improved connectivity. Two-dimensional flux pinning centers provided by thin graphene layers and grain boundaries in MgB2 possess high flux pinning efficiency without suppressing the connectivity of the MgB2 superconductor.

Suppressing Nanoscale Wear by Graphene/Graphene Interfacial Contact Architecture: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

Nanoscale wear is one of the key factors hindering the performance and lifetime of micro- and nanosystems, such as the scanning tip wear in atomic force microscopy (AFM), the head-disk interface in magnetic storage system, and the moving components in micro- or nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). Here, we propose to construct the graphene/graphene interfacial architecture to suppress the nanoscale wear. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the atomic roughness of the sliding surfaces with either stepped or amorphous structure can lead to strong inhomogeneity of the local contact pressure distribution. By coating graphene on both sides of the frictional surfaces, the local contact pressure fluctuations due to the atomic roughness are suppressed. Moreover, this trend is more evident with the increasing layer number of the graphene coating. Furthermore, the nanoscratching simulation suggests that the rupture of graphene is driven by the inhomogeneous pressure distribution-induced lateral atomic interlocking between the rough tip and substrate and the consequent in-plane lattice deformation and C-C bond breaking during sliding. By coating graphene on the rough amorphous carbon tip, the critical normal load for wear failure of graphene is significantly increased, due to the weakening effect of the atomic interlocking by improving the contact conditions with atomically smooth graphene/graphene sliding interface. This investigation reveals a strategy for reducing nanowear by suppressing the local contact pressure fluctuations via graphene/graphene sliding interface architecture, which provides a theoretical guidance for designing wear-resistant coatings for the longevity of AFM probes and MEMS/NEMS systems.

Mechanism of Capacity Fade in Sodium Storage and the Strategies of Improvement for FeS2 Anode.

Pyrite FeS2 has attracted extensive interest as anode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its high capacity, low cost, and abundant resource. However, the micron-sized FeS2 usually suffers from poor cyclability, which stems from structure collapse, exfoliation of active materials, and sulfur dissolution. Here, we use a synergistic approach to enhance the sodium storage performance of the micron-sized FeS2 through voltage control (0.5-3 V), binder choice, and graphene coating. The FeS2 electrode with the synergistic approach exhibits high specific capacity (524 mA h g-1), long cycle life (87.8% capacity retention after 800 cycles), and excellent rate capability (323 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1). The results prove that a synergistic approach can be applied in the micron-sized sulfides to achieve high electrochemical performance.

Suppressing bacterial interaction with copper surfaces through graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride coatings.

Understanding biological interaction with graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) membranes has become essential for the incorporation of these unique materials in contact with living organisms. Previous reports show contradictions regarding the bacterial interaction with graphene sheets on metals. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the interaction of bacteria with copper substrates coated with single-layer graphene and h-BN. Our results demonstrate that such graphitic coatings substantially suppress interaction between bacteria and underlying Cu substrates, acting as an effective barrier to prevent physical contact. Bacteria do not "feel" the strong antibacterial effect of Cu, and the substrate does not suffer biocorrosion due to bacteria contact. Effectiveness of these systems as barriers can be understood in terms of graphene and h-BN impermeability to transfer Cu(2+) ions, even when graphene and h-BN domain boundary defects are present. Our results seem to indicate that as-grown graphene and h-BN films could successfully protect metals, preventing their corrosion in biological and medical applications.

Embedded into graphene Ge nanoparticles highly dispersed on vertically aligned graphene with excellent electrochemical performance for lithium storage.

Decreasing particle size has always been reported to be an efficient way to improve cyclability of Li-alloying based LIBs. However, nanoparticles (NPs) tend to agglomerate and evolve into lumps, which in turn limits the cycling performance. In this report, we prepared a unique nanostructure, graphene-coated Ge NPs are highly dispersed on vertically aligned graphene (Ge@graphene/VAGN), to avoid particle agglomeration and pulverization. Remarkable structure stability of the sample leads to excellent cycling stability. Upon cycling, the anode exhibits a high capacity of 1014 mAh g(-1), with nearly no capacity loss in 90 cycles. Rate performance shows that even at the high current density of 13 A g(-1), the anode could still deliver a higher capacity than that of graphite.