Thermally reduced graphene nanoplatelets were covalently functionalised via Bingel reaction to improve their dispersion and interfacial bonding with an epoxy resin. Functionalised graphene were characterized by microscopic, thermal and spectroscopic techniques. Thermal analysis of functionalised graphene revealed a significantly higher thermal stability compared to graphene oxide. Inclusion of only 0.1[emsp14]wt% of functionalised graphene in an epoxy resin showed 22% increase in flexural strength and 18% improvement in storage modulus. The improved mechanical properties of nanocomposites is due to the uniform dispersion of functionalised graphene and strong interfacial bonding between modified graphene and epoxy resin as confirmed by microscopy observations.

We studied the photocatalytic properties of rational designed TiO₂-ZnO hybrid nanostructures, which were fabricated by the site-specific deposition of amorphous TiO₂ on the tips of ZnO nanorods. Compared with the pure components of ZnO nanorods and amorphous TiO₂ nanoparticles, these TiO₂-ZnO hybrid nanostructures demonstrated a higher catalytic activity. The strong green emission quenching observed from photoluminescence of TiO₂-ZnO hybrid nanostructures implied an enhanced charge transfer/separation process resulting from the novel type II heterostructures with fine interfaces. The catalytic performance of annealing products with different TiO₂ phase varied with the annealing temperatures. This is attributed to the combinational changes in E_g of the TiO₂ phase, the specific surface area and the quantity of surface hydroxyl groups.

The typical conductive polymer of PEDOT:PSS has recently attracted intensive attention in thermoelectric conversion because of its low cost and low thermal conductivity as well as high electrical conductivity. However, compared to inorganic counterparts, the relatively poor thermoelectric performance of PEDOT:PSS has greatly limited its development and high-tech applications. Here, we report a dramatic enhancement in the thermoelectric performance of PEDOT:PSS by constructing unique composite films with graphene quantum dots (GQDs). At room temperature, the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of PEDOT:PSS/GQDs reached to 7172 S/m and 14.6 μV/K, respectively, which are 30.99% and 113.2% higher than those of pristine PEDOT:PSS. As a result, the power factor of the optimized PEDOT:PSS/GQDs composite is 550% higher than that of pristine PEDOT:PSS. These significant improvements are attributed to the ordered alignment of PEDOT chains on the surface of GQDs, originated from the strong interfacial interaction between PEDOT:PSS and GQDs and the separation of PEDOT and PSS phases. This study evidently provides a promising route for PEDOT:PSS applied in high-efficiency thermoelectric conversion.

Polymer-based materials are extensively used in various applications such as aircrafts, civilian structures, oil and gas platforms and electronics. They are, however, inherently damage prone and over time, the formation of cracks and microscopic damages influences the thermo-mechanical and electrical properties, which eventually results in the total failure of the materials. This paper provides an overview of the principal causes of cracking in polymer and composites and summarizes the recent progress in the development of non-destructive techniques in crack detection. Furthermore, recent progress in the development of bio-inspired self-healing methods in autonomic repair is discussed.

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂), with the first-order metal-insulator phase transition at near room temperature, has attracted increasing attention in the past few decades. With rapid electrical switching, the phase transition in VO₂ also triggers the colossal property changes in various aspects, such as optical properties, magnetic properties, and strain, and, thus, enables a wide range of modern applications. In this review, we present a complete picture of the latest advances of VO₂, including the fabrication strategies, property modulation, and advanced applications. This review summarizes several typical fabrication methods of VO₂ crystals as well as some common problems and their possible solutions. The strategies for the fabrication of single-crystalline VO₂ arrays are also discussed to meet the requirements of the high-performance devices at the macro-scale. This review concerns the typical approaches for the modulation of (metal-insulator transition) MIT and emphasizes on the domain study of VO₂ single crystals at the nanoscale. We aim at a clear explanation of the effect of various inhomogeneities on the MIT behavior of VO₂ and the importance of the accurate control of MIT at the domain level. After summarizing the preparation and modification of VO₂, we focus on the applications of this amazing smart material in various aspects, including strain engineering, optical modulation, electrical switching, and multi-responsive sensing.