University of Arkansas

Wei Zhao

Boshan Zhao

Daoyuan Wang

Chulho Song

A method of synthesizing a three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide (RGO) foam embedded with water-splitting nanocatalysts includes providing at least one solution containing at least one precursor of nanocatalysts, and a graphene oxide (GO) aqueous suspension; mixing the GO aqueous suspension with the at least one solution to form a mixture suspension; and performing hydrothermal reaction in the mixture suspension to form a 3D RGO foam embedded with the nanocatalysts.

3D reduced graphene oxide foams embedded with nanocatalysts, synthesizing methods and applications of same

A method of synthesizing three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide (RGO) foams embedded with water splitting nanocatalysts includes providing a first solution containing nickel (II) nitrate, a second solution containing iron (III) nitrate, and a graphene oxide (GO) aqueous suspension; mixing the GO aqueous suspension with the first solution and the second solution to form a GO-Ni&#x2014;Fe mixture; adjusting a pH value of the GO-Ni&#x2014;Fe mixture to be about 3.5; and performing hydrothermal reaction in the GO-Ni&#x2014;Fe mixture to form RGO-Ni&#x2014;Fe foams, wherein nanocatalysts containing Ni-Fi oxide particles are embedded in porous structures of the 3D RGO foams.

The present invention in one aspect relates to a low-cost, nano-graphene based broadband optical limiter with limiting properties superior to current standards, carbon fullerenes (C) solutions and carbon black suspensions. The broadband optical limiter includes a plurality of graphene nano-sheets, and a base material in which the plurality of graphene nano-sheets is distributed. The base material can be liquid or gel matrix.

Broadband optical limiter based on nano-graphene and method of fabricating same

An ultrasensitive dual optical method for measuring antioxidant concentration and total antioxidant capacity is provided. Using the process, the detection limit for vitamin C is as low as 7 nM. The method is based on a hybrid of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) with hydrogen-peroxide. The method provides is a robust, cheap, fast, and reusable optical sensing method for antioxidant and total antioxidant capacity measurement in foods and plasma. The method can also be developed as a miniature assay for both in vitro and in vivo detection.

Carbon nanotube-hydrogen peroxide hybrid based optical sensing method for assessment of antioxidant potency

A method for surface modification of single walled carbon nanotubes is described. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing a detergent solution, adding a plurality of single walled carbon nanotubes into the detergent solution, performing a first sonication to disperse the single walled carbon nanotubes in the detergent solution, and performing a second sonication after the first sonication to make detergent encased single walled carbon nanotubes. At least one of the plurality of single walled carbon nanotubes is at least partially wrapped by one or more detergent molecules to make it a detergent encased single walled carbon nanotube. In one embodiment, the detergent comprises SDS, PSS or a combination of them. The surface modified carbon nanotubes can be used to detect a chemical compound by associating a solution of the surface modified nanotubes with the chemical compound and optically detecting a chemical property change of the solution.

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Little Rock, AR, United States of America

Wei Zhao