Related papers: Morphology of supported polymer electrolyte ultra-…
We report the effect of electron-beam patterning on the water uptake and ionic conductivity of Nafion films using a combination of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance studies, neutron reflectometry, and AC…
The extent of phase separation and water percolation in sulfonated membranes are the key to their performance in fuel cells. Toward this, the effect of hydration on the morphology and transport characteristics of sulfonated poly(ether ether…
We perform molecular dynamics simulations of an idealized polymer melt surrounding a nanoscopic filler particle to probe the effects of a filler on the local melt structure and dynamics. We show that the glass transition temperature $T_g$…
In the present work, the effect of different nanofiller (BaTiO3, CeO2, Er2O3 or TiO2) on blend solid polymer electrolyte comprising of PEO and PVC complexed with bulky LiPF6 have been explored. The XRD analysis confirms the polymer…
Hybrid polymer-plasmonic nanostructures might combine high enhancement of localized fields from metal nanoparticles with light confinement and long-range transport in subwavelength dielectric structures. Here we report on the complex…
The free standing solid polymer nanocomposite films has been prepared through standard solution cast technique. The improvement in structural, microstructural and electrochemical properties has been observed on the dispersion of nanofiller…
We present a computational microscopy analysis (targeted molecular dynamics simulations) of the structure and performance of conductive metal organic framework (MOF) electrodes in supercapacitors with room temperature ionic liquids. The…
Five parameters of a model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell cathode (the porosity of the gas diffusion layer, the porosity of the catalyst layer, the exchange current density of the oxygen reduction reaction, the effective ionic…
Polymers are known to wet nanopores with high surface energy through an atomically thin precursor film followed by slower capillary filling. We present here light interference spectroscopy using a nanoporous membrane-based chip that allows…
The molecular arrangement of lipids and proteins within biomembranes and monolayers gives rise to complex film morphologies as well as regions of distinct electrical surface potential, topographical and electrostatic nanoscale domains. To…
One of the most promising applications in nanoscience is the design of new materials to improve water permeability and selectivity of nanoporous membranes. Understanding the molecular architecture behind these fascinating structures and how…
Polymer electrolytes are intensely investigated for use as solid electrolytes in next generation lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries. However, little is known about the structural and dynamical properties of polymer electrolytes close…
Electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) may greatly benefit from the implementation of nanoengineered thin-film multifunctional layers providing, alongside enhanced electrochemical activity, improved mechanical, and…
Premelting at the ice-polymer interfaces, in which a quasi-liquid layer (QLL) forms below the melting point, is strongly influenced by polymer surface chemistry; however, the molecular-scale mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly…
We present a coarse-grained model for ionic surfactants in explicit aqueous solutions, and study by computer simulation both the impact of water content on the morphology of the system, and the consequent effect of the formed interfaces on…
Nanoscopic heterogeneities in composition and structure are quintessential for the properties of electrocatalyst materials. Here, we present a semiclassical model to study the electrochemical properties of supported electrocatalyst…
The structure of membrane-active peptides and their interaction with lipid bilayers can be studied in oriented lipid membranes deposited on solid substrates. Such systems are desirable for a number of surface-sensitive techniques. Here we…
Recent experiments show that an atomic step on the surface of atomically thin metallic films can strongly affect electronic transport. Here we reveal multiple and versatile effects that such a surface step can have on superconductivity in…
This paper presents a study of the polymer-filler interfacial effects on filler dispersion and mechanical reinforcement in Polystyrene (PS) / silica nanocomposites by direct comparison of two model systems: un-grafted and PS-grafted silica…
Fundamental understanding of macroscopic properties of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) remains difficult due to the complex interplay of microscopic dynamics and structure, namely interfacial layer relaxations and three-dimensional…