Hydrogels offer an electrochemical route to adhesion control for robot climbers.

In order to develop a multi-element, synergistic, flame-retardant system, the combination of DOPO, POM and POSS was achieved using the classical Kabachnik–Fields reaction. The as-designed POSS-bisDOPO was characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ³¹P NMR, 2D NMR, and MS. POSS-bisDOPO was introduced into epoxy resins to obtain flame-retardant materials. The LOI value can reach 34.5% when the content of POSS-bisDOPO is 20 wt%. The TGA results showed that the char yield was significantly improved in cured POSS-bisDOPO/EP. The ATR-FTIR results, optical images and SEM analyses indicated that the residual char had a compact and coherent appearance in the inner layer, while the outer structure was intumescent and multi-porous. Therefore, by isolating heat and oxygen more efficiently, the char played an important role in improving the thermal stability and flame retardancy of cured POSS-bisDOPO/EP. The three-point bending test results showed that the mechanical strength of POSS-bisDOPO/EP was higher than those of pure EP and POSS–NH₂/EP due to the outstanding reinforcement effect of the unique nanostructure of POSS-bisDOPO assembled in the EP matrix. These data indicated that POSS-bisDOPO not only obviously enhances the flame retardancy, but also improves the mechanical properties of epoxy resins.

An improved approach to assemble ultrathin and thickness-tunable polypyrrole (PPy) films onto multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been investigated. A facile procedure is demonstrated for controlling the morphology and thickness of PPy film by adding ethanol in the reaction system and a possible mechanism of the coating formation process is proposed. The coated PPy films can be easily tuned by adding ethanol and adjusting a mass ratio of pyrrole to MWCNTs. Moreover, the thickness of PPy significantly influences the electronic conductivity and capacitive behavior of the PPy/MWCNT composites. The method may provide a facile strategy for tailoring the polymer coating on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for carbon-based device applications.