University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.

University of South Florida

Other

Lei Zhai

Jianhua Zou

Donald Templeton Haynie

Qun Huo

Hui Chen

Saiful Khondaker

Jianhua Liu

Anindarupa Chunder

Harish Muthuraman

Swaminathan Rajaraman

Avra Kundu

Matthew McInnis

Astha Malhotra

Nilab Azim

The present invention includes a simple, scalable and solventless method of dispersing graphene into polymers, thereby providing a method of large-scale production of graphene-polymer composites. The composite powder can then be processed using the existing techniques such as extrusion, injection molding, and hot-pressing to produce a composites of useful shapes and sizes while keeping the advantages imparted by graphene. Composites produced require less graphene filler and are more efficient than currently used methods and is not sensitive to the host used, such composites can have broad applications depending on the host's properties.

Uniform dispersing of graphene nanoparticles in a host

Disclosed herein is a microelectrode platform that may be used for multiple biosystem applications including cell culturing techniques and biosensing. Also disclosed are microfabrication techniques for inexpensively producing microelectrode platforms.

Fabrication of 3D microelectrodes and use thereof in multi-functional biosystems

A dust resistant and moisture resistant coating composition includes within a solvent that is generally an aqueous solvent: (1) a first component that is chemically condensable with itself and independently cross-linkable; (2) a second component that is chemically condensable with itself and with the first component and includes at least one of a fluorocarbon functionality and a hydrocarbon functionality; and (3) an optional third component that is chemically condensable with the first component and the second component but is neither independently cross-linkable nor includes the at least one of the fluorocarbon functionality and the hydrocarbon functionality. A coated article that results from application of the coating composition to a substrate shows enhanced dust resistance and moisture resistance.

Dust and moisture resistant coating compositions, methods and related coated articles

A method of forming aerogels includes mixing a plurality of polymers or aromatic molecules, a solvent, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene including structures to form a mixture, where the polymers or aromatic molecules have at least one crosslinkable structure. A solid gel is formed including a plurality of supramolecular structures from the mixture. The plurality of supramolecular structures include a plurality of the polymers or aromatic molecules secured by &#x3c0;-&#x3c0; bonds to the outer surface of the CNTs or graphene including structures. The solid gel includes a portion of the solvent trapped therein. The plurality of supramolecular structures are crosslinked and then dried to remove the solvent trapped therein to form the aerogel.

Method of forming carbon nanotube or graphene-based aerogels

Electrospun nanofibrils and methods of preparing the same are provided. The electrospun nanofibrils comprise at least one polypeptide. A polypeptide can be dissolved in a solution, and the solution can be electrospun into a nanofibril. The solution can be added to a syringe or syringe pump, and an electric field can be applied to electrospin the at least one polypeptide.

Polypeptide electrospun nanofibrils of defined composition

An aerogel includes a plurality of supramolecular structures bound to one another. Each supramolecular structure includes a carbon nanotube (CNT) or graphene type structure having an outer surface, and a plurality of polymers or aromatic molecules secured to the outer surface of the CNT or graphene type structure. The plurality of polymers or aromatic molecules have at least one crosslinkable structure. The supramolecular structures are crosslinked together by chemical bonding between the crosslinkable structures. The polymers can be block copolymers including at least one conjugated polymer block and at least one block of a crosslinkable non-conjugated polymer that provides the cross linkable structure, where the conjugated polymer block is non-covalently bonded to the outer surface of the CNT or graphene type structure.

Carbon nanotube or graphene-based aerogels

A method of forming composite materials includes dispersing a conjugated material, a solvent for the conjugated material, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene including structures having an outer surface to form a dispersion. The solvent is evaporated from the dispersion to yield a CNT or graphene composite including a plurality of crystalline supramolecular structures having the conjugated material non-covalently secured to the outer surface of the CNT or the graphene including structure. The supramolecular structures have an average length which extends outward in a length direction from the outer surface of the CNT or graphene including structure, where the average length is greater than an average width of the supramolecular structures.

Method of forming composite materials including conjugated materials attached to carbon nanotubes or graphenes

A carbon nanotube-polymer composite includes a polymer continuous phase having at least a first polymer, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polymer continuous phase. The carbon nanotubes are non-functionalized nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes are between 0.05 and 40 weight % of the composite. At least 98% of the carbon nanotubes are not involved in nanotube bundles.

Polymer composites having highly dispersed carbon nanotubes

A composition of matter includes at least one carbon nanotube (CNT) or a graphene type structure having an outer surface, and a plurality of crystalline polymer supramolecular structures that include a conjugated polymer that are non-covalently secured to the outer surface of the CNTs or the graphene type structure. The conjugated polymer can be a conjugated homopolymer or a block copolymer including at least one conjugated block. The supramolecular structures extend outward from the outer surface of the CNTs or graphene type structures.

Supramolecular structures comprising at least partially conjugated polymers attached to carbon nanotubes or graphenes

A dispersion includes non-chemically modified carbon nanotubes, a soluble block copolymer providing at least one block of a conjugated polymer and at least one block of a non-conjugated polymer, and at least one solvent. At 25&#xb0; C. exclusive of any mechanical force and after one hour, at least 90% of the carbon nanotubes exist in the dispersion as isolated carbon nanotubes. The components of the dispersion can be combined with a polymer miscible with the block copolymer to form a carbon nanotube polymer composite upon removal of the solvent. The dispersion can be cast on a substrate and then dried to form a coating, including forming a superhydrophobic coating on the substrate. The non-conjugated polymer of the block copolymer or another miscible conjugated polymer including a copolymer can include functionalities that non-covalently attach to the carbon nanotube surface, such as for enhanced solubility or enhanced biocompatibility.

Dispersions of carbon nanotubes in copolymer solutions and functional composite materials and coatings therefrom

A method of forming carbon nanotube-polymer composites includes the steps of forming a mixture solution including a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in a co-solvent. The co-solvent includes an organic solvent and a second solvent being a short chain fluorinated carboxylic acid having a boiling point below 150&#xb0; C. which is less oxidizing than nitric acid, and is soluble in both the organic solvent and water. The first polymer is mixed with the mixture solution to form a polymer including mixture. The co-solvent is removed from the polymer mixture to form a dispersed nanotube-polymer composite. The second solvent can be trifluoroacetic acid.

Growing community of inventors

Oviedo, FL, United States of America

Lei Zhai