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Achieving a mesoporous structure in superinsulation materials is pivotal for guaranteeing a harmonious relationship between low thermal conductivity, high porosity, and low density. Herein, we report silica-based cryogel and aerogel materials by implementing freeze-drying and ambient-pressure-drying processes respectively. The obtained freeze-dried cryogels yield thermal conductivity of 23 mW m −1 K −1 , with specific surface area of 369.4 m 2 g −1 , and porosity of 96.7%, whereas ambient-pressure-dried aerogels exhibit thermal conductivity of 23.6 mW m −1 K −1 , specific surface area of 473.8 m 2 g −1 , and porosity of 97.4%. In addition, the fiber-reinforced nanocomposites obtained via freeze-drying feature a low thermal conductivity (28.0 mW m −1 K −1 ) and high mechanical properties (∼620 kPa maximum compressive stress and Young's modulus of 715 kPa), coupled with advanced flame-retardant capabilities, while the composite materials from the ambient pressure drying process have thermal conductivity of 28.8 mW m −1 K −1 , ∼200 kPa maximum compressive stress and Young's modulus of 612 kPa respectively. The aforementioned results highlight the capabilities of both drying processes for the development of thermal insulation materials for energy-efficient applications.more » « less
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Abstract The macro-porous ceramics has promising durability and thermal insulation performance. As porous ceramics find more and more applications across many industries, a cost-effective and scalable additive manufacturing technique for fabricating macro-porous ceramics is highly desirable. Herein, we reported a facile additive manufacturing approach to fabricate porous ceramics and control the printed porosity. Several printable ceramic inks were prepared, and the foaming agent was added to generate gaseous bubbles in the ink, followed by the direct ink writing and the ambient-pressure and room-temperature drying to create the three-dimensional geometries. A set of experimental studies were performed to optimize the printing quality. The results revealed the optimal process parameters for printing the foamed ceramic ink with a high spatial resolution and fine surface quality. Varying the concentration of the foaming agent enables the controllability of the structural porosity. The maximum porosity can reach 85%, with a crack-free internal porous structure. The tensile tests showed that the printed macro-porous ceramics possessed enhanced durability with the addition of fiber. With a high-fidelity three-dimensional (3D) printing process and the precise controllability of the porosity, we showed that the printed samples exhibited a remarkably low thermal conductivity and durable mechanical strength.more » « less
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Abstract The macro-porous ceramics has promising durability and thermal insulation performances. A cost-effective and scalable additive manufacturing technique for the fabrication of macro-porous ceramics, with a facile approach to control the printed porosity is reported in the paper. Several ceramic inks were prepared, the foaming agent was used to generate gaseous bubbles in the ink, followed by the direct ink writing and the ambient-pressure and room-temperature drying to create the three-dimensional geometries. The experimental studies were performed to optimize the printing quality. A set of studies revealed the optimal printing process parameters for printing the foamed ceramic ink with a high spatial resolution and fine surface quality. Varying the concentration of the foaming agent enabled the controllability of the structural porosity. The maximum porosity can reach 85%, with a crack-free internal porous structure. The tensile tests showed that the printed macro-porous ceramics have enhanced durability with the addition of fiber. With a high-fidelity 3D printing process and precise control of the porosity, the printed samples exhibited a low thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength.
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Alkali‐Metal‐Intercalated Percolation Network Regulates Self‐Assembled Electronic Aromatic Molecules
Abstract In the continuously growing field of correlated electronic molecular crystals, there is significant interest in addressing alkali‐metal‐intercalated aromatic hydrocarbons, in which the possibility of high‐temperature superconductivity emerges. However, searching for superconducting aromatic molecular crystals remains elusive due to their small shielding fraction volume. To exploit this potential, a design principle for percolation networks of technologically important film geometry is indispensable. Here the effect of potassium‐intercalation is shown on the percolation network in self‐assembled aromatic molecular crystals. It is demonstrated that one‐dimensional (1D) dipole pairs, induced by dipole interaction, regulate the conductivity, as well as the electronic and optical transitions, in alkali‐metal‐intercalated molecular electronic crystals. A solid‐solution growth methodology of aromatic molecular films with a broad range of stability is developed to uncover electronic and optical transitions of technological importance. The light‐induced electron interactions enhance the charge‐carrier itinerancy, leading to a switchable metal‐to‐insulator transition. This discovery opens a route for the development of aromatic molecular electronic solids and long‐term modulation of electronic efficacy in nanotechnologically important thin films.
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Abstract The competing and non‐equilibrium phase transitions, involving dynamic tunability of cooperative electronic and magnetic states in strongly correlated materials, show great promise in quantum sensing and information technology. To date, the stabilization of transient states is still in the preliminary stage, particularly with respect to molecular electronic solids. Here, a dynamic and cooperative phase in potassium‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (K‐TCNQ) with the control of pulsed electromagnetic excitation is demonstrated. Simultaneous dynamic and coherent lattice perturbation with 8 ns pulsed laser (532 nm, 15 MW cm−2, 10 Hz) in such a molecular electronic crystal initiates a stable long‐lived (over 400 days) conducting paramagnetic state (≈42 Ωcm), showing the charge–spin bistability over a broad temperature range from 2 to 360 K. Comprehensive noise spectroscopy, in situ high‐pressure measurements, electron spin resonance (ESR), theoretical model, and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) studies provide further evidence that such a transition is cooperative, requiring a dedicated charge–spin–lattice decoupling to activate and subsequently stabilize nonequilibrium phase. The cooperativity triggered by ultrahigh‐strain‐rate (above 106s−1) pulsed excitation offers a collective control toward the generation and stabilization of strongly correlated electronic and magnetic orders in molecular electronic solids and offers unique electro‐magnetic phases with technological promises.