@article { ISI:000316637200009, title = {Effect of organic modification on the intercalation and the properties of poly(phenylene oxide)/polystyrene blend-clay nanocomposites}, journal = {Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials}, volume = {26}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {392-415}, publisher = {SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON EC1Y 1SP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocomposites prepared by the dispersion of unmodified and organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) clay into poly(2,6-dimethyl phenylene oxide)/polystyrene miscible blend in the range of 2-10 wt\% clay were investigated by wide-angle x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and tensile mechanical tests. The systems based on unmodified sodium MMT (Na+MMT) as well as Cloisite 20A, Cloisite 30B and Cloisite 10A organically modified clays showed polymer intercalation. The glass transition temperature (T-g) value was not affected by the volume fraction of clay and chemical nature of the organoclay. The thermal degradation stability of nanocomposites is found to be only slightly better than that of the blend matrix. A percolation threshold of around 4 wt\% organoclay loading is observed. An improvement of 35\% relative to unfilled polymer blend matrix is observed for the modulus, for Cloisite 20A nanocomposite containing 2 wt\% organoclay. The observed modulus improvement with significant retention of elongational tensile strength and tensile ductility in case of unmodified Na-MMT and Cloisite 30B nanocomposites appears promising. The modulus prediction using Halpin-Tsai model is found to be closer to the experimental data when MMT volume fraction rather than the organoclay volume fraction is used.

}, keywords = {filler, interface, interphase, mechanical properties, Nanostructures, Polymer-matrix composites}, issn = {0892-7057}, doi = {10.1177/0892705712439559}, author = {Tiwari, Rajkiran R. and Natarajan, Upendra} } @article { ISI:000346692500016, title = {Method to form semiconductor quantum dot (QD) thin films by igniting a flame at air-liquid interface: CdS and WO3}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {439}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {121-128}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

We reveal an easy, inexpensive, efficient one step flame synthesis of semiconductor/metal oxide thin films at air-liquid interface, subsequently, transferred on suitable substrate. The method has been illustrated by the formation of CdS and Wo(3) QDs thin films. The features of the present method are (1) Growth of thin films consisting of 0.5-2.0 nm sized Quantum Dots (QDs)/(ultra-small nanoparticles) in a short time, at the air-liquid interface which can be suitably transferred by a well-known Blodgett technique to an appropriate substrate, (2) The method is suitable to apply layer by layer (LbL) technique to increase the film thickness as well as forming various compositions as revealed by AFM measurements. The films are characterized for their structure (SAED), morphology (TEM), optical properties (UV-Vis.) and photoluminescence (PL). Possible mechanism of formation of QDs thin film and effect of capping in case of COS QDs is discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CdS, Flame synthesis, interface, Quantum Dots (QDs), thin film, WO3}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2014.10.029}, author = {Jadhav, Aarti H. and Patil, Sagar H. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000368651100021, title = {High-Performance flexible solid-state supercapacitor with an extended nanoregime interface through in situ polymer electrolyte generation}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1233-1241}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Here, we report an efficient strategy by which a significantly enhanced electrodeelectrolyte interface in an electrode for supercapacitor application could be accomplished by allowing in situ polymer gel electrolyte generation inside the nanopores of the electrodes. This unique and highly efficient strategy could be conceived by judiciously maintaining ultraviolet-triggered polymerization of a monomer mixture in the presence of a high-surface-area porous carbon. The method is very simple and scalable, and a prototype, flexible solid-state supercapacitor could even be demonstrated in an encapsulation-free condition by using the commercial-grade electrodes (thickness = 150 mu m

}, keywords = {cyclic voltametry, impedance analysis, in situ polymer generation, interface, polymer electrolyte, supercapacitor}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b09677}, author = {Anothumakkool, Bihag and Torris, Arun A. T. and Veeliyath, Sajna and Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Badiger, Manohar V. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {46813, title = {Electronic structure evolution of Pd@Co nanocatalysts under oxidation and reduction conditions and preferential CO oxidation}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {12}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, pages = {4176-4184}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we present the surface electronic structure and morphological evolution under reduction and oxidation conditions for Pd@Co (PC) core-shell nanoparticles with different Pd : Co ratio (PC=2 : 1, 1 : 1 and 1 : 2). Extensive measurements have been made with NAPXPS (near ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) under oxidising and reducing conditions, and ex-situ HRTEM. It has been demonstrated that PC catalysts are thermally stable towards morphological changes, at least up to 575 K. Nonetheless, it shows a significant surface electronic structure changes under reaction environments, which are highly relevant to heterogeneous catalysis. As expected, high (low) population of metallic (oxidised) Co was observed, while retaining core shell structure under reduction (H(2)and vacuum annealing) environment. Interestingly, the Pd-Co metallic interface helps to overcome the pyrophoric nature of cobalt and stabilised a significant amount of metallic Co at Pd-Co interface even in the presence of 0.1 mbar O(2)up to 575 K. The presence of Pd-Co and Pd-Co@Co(3)O(4)interfaces in reaction environment makes the catalyst dual functional. The proof of concept has been explored in terms of oxidation of CO in the presence of H(2)or O-2.

}, keywords = {Core-Shell morphology, Electronic Structure, heterogeneous catalysis, interface, XPS}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.202000644, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Jain, Ruchi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {47754, title = {In-situ experimental and computational approach to investigate the nature of active site in low-temperature CO-PROX over CuOx-CeO2 catalyst}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {624}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {118305}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Preferential oxidation (PROX) of carbon monoxide (CO) in presence of excess hydrogen is a necessity to prevent poisoning of the Pt-anode by CO in PEMFCs (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell). A highly active catalyst, 5 wt\% Cu-CeO2 showed 100 \% CO conversion at 65 degrees C without any undesirable oxidation of H-2. The catalyst showed no deactivation even after 100 h on stream, making it viable for practical fuel cell application. Operando EPR in the PROX reaction condition revealed highly dispersed mixed valent cations with oxygen vacancies, responsible for the low-temperature PROX activity. At the active site, both Cu and Ce ions were shown to reversibly change their valence states to facilitate the abstraction of bridging lattice oxygen for CO oxidation to CO2. This surface oxygen mediated CO oxidation was found to be much faster than that of H-2 to H2O, which could explain the complete selectivity of oxygen for CO2 formation.}, keywords = {CuOx-CeO2, interface, Oxygen vacancy, PROX, Synergistic}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2021.118305}, author = {Adak, Shubhadeep and Rabeah, Jabor and Ranjan, Ravi and Khan, Tuhin Suvra and Poddar, Mukesh Kumar and Gupta, Rishi Kumar and Sasaki, Takehiko and Kumar, Sagar and Bordoloi, Ankur and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bruckner, Angelika and Bal, Rajaram} } @article {49119, title = {Durable and stable bifunctional Co3O4-based nanocatalyst for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {7}, year = {2024}, month = {FEB }, pages = {3620-3630}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are recognized as the core reaction processes in regenerative energy storage and conversion systems. The design of cost-effective and high-performance bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts (ECs) is very important for their substantial commercialization. Herein, sponge-like Co3O4 nanoparticles anchored on carbon (Sp-Co3O4/C) are successfully fabricated by a facile two-step solvothermal strategy for ORR/OER in an alkaline electrolyte. The Sp-Co3O4/C EC exhibits promising bifunctional ORR/OER activity with ORR onset potential (E onset = 0.88 V vs RHE), half-wave potential (E (1/2) = 0.75 V), limiting current density (j = -6.60 mA cm(-2)), OER onset potential (E-onset = 1.26 V), and OER overpotential for 10\% energy conversion (eta(10) = 0.38 V) in 0.1 M KOH. It demonstrates a significantly lower reversibility index (Delta E = E- j10 - E 1/2 = 0.86 V), comparable to standard Pt/C and RuO2 ECs. The superior ORR/OER performances of Sp-Co3O4/C EC can be ascribed to the synergistic contribution of a high electrochemically active surface area (48.33 m(2) g(-1)), BET surface area (131 m(2) g(-1)), the rich interfacial structure of the crystal facets (111), (220), and (311), and the abundant oxygen vacancies in the sponge-like morphology. Besides the methanol tolerance, accelerated durability and chronoamperometric test established excellent durability and stability in the electrocatalytic operation. This work offers insight into the development of high-performance ORR/OER ECs. [GRAPHICS]

}, keywords = {bifunctional, fuel cell, interface, oxygen evolution, oxygen reduction, Oxygen vacancy, Sp-Co3O4/C, sponge-like morphology}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.3c04941}, author = {Chutia, Bhugendra and Chetry, Rashmi and Rao, Komateedi N. and Singh, Nittan and Sudarsanam, Putla and Bharali, Pankaj} }