Preparation and characterization of carbon-based nanocomposites for energy storage

Preparation of UV-cured organic–inorganic hybrid materials for functional coatings

Ultraviolet (UV)-curable systems have attracted considerable attention in various applications, especially in coating and paint technology. The coating system preferred over the conventional solvent-based or heat-curing coatings is the environmental issues which are due to the absence of volatile components in the coating process and low energy consumption, together with the high speed and efficient curing at room temperature. The general route toward cross-linked polymeric network involves transformed liquid resin to a solid polymer matrix with good thermal and mechanical properties within a very short time through free radical or cationic polymerization of reactive functional groups. One of important factors that might have significant effect on the functions of coating layer is the presence of additional nanoadditives in the system. Additives and fillers are normally added to provide different properties in composites/nanocomposites depending on the end application. The present work is focused on the effect of crosslinking of silicon polymer doped with nanoadditives such as POSS, silica nanoparticles, CNT, GO and clay to make functional nanocomposites to be used as organic coatings.

Magnetic Liquid Marbles and Metal-Organic Framework nanoparticles

Donor-acceptor type conjugated polymers have been routinely adopted as a promising class of high performance electrochromic (EC) materials owing to their unique properties such as easy tuning of their physical properties, solution procesasability, high optical contrast, fast switching time and low production cost. It has been figured out that the electrochromic performance of the EC polymers is closely related to the thin film quality of the polymer film in the device setup. To tune the morphology of the polymer film and to increase the mechanical robustness of the film, cross-linking of the prepared D-A type polymer with cross-linkers by thermal annealing provides an appealing chemical strategy to achieve the target. Tetrazine is a suitable building block for this purpose as the -conjugation is not compromised after cross-linking. This project aims at preparation of a series of tetrazine-embedded D-A type conjugated polymers which can be cross-linked by a series of branched alkenes and alkynes and evaluation of the cross-linked D-A polymers as high performance electrochromic materials.

Aggregation induced emission active hybrid polymer for detection of nitro-compounds

In the past few decades, detection of explosives has become an internationally concerned issue for the anti-terrorism and homeland security. Most high explosives are nitro-substituted organic compounds. Typically, nitro-aromatics, such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), are the primary military explosives and also the principal components in the unexploded landmines worldwide.

Fluorescence based sensing has provided an alternative detection approach, which is highly sensitive, convenient and cost-effective. However, the performance of most fluorescent sensory materials is limited by film thickness due to the fact that diffusion of analyte vapor in low-porous rigid films is slow. On the other hand, aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) of fluorescence is commonly observed in fluorescent conjugated polymers in solid state, which has undermined their potential as solid state sensors or probes for explosive detections. Aggregation induced emission (AIE) materials in the areas of optoelectronics and sensory systems have attracted increasing interest due to the absence of ACQ effect. Herein, we are moving to develop new hybrid polymers to improve the detection limit and efficiency for the explosives.

Study on printed nanocomposite film for gas sensor

Nanocomposites with sensoring function have been recently proposed as a new area of interest in the field of gas sensors. The sol–gel technology is being increasingly used for the development of optical sensors and biosensors, due to its simplicity and versatility. By this process, porous thin films incorporating different chemical and biochemical sensing agents are easily obtained at room temperature, allowing final structures with mechanical and thermal stability as well as good optical and electrical characteristics. In this project, the FYP student will conduct a literature review on gas sensors, and then selected metal oxide nanostructures will be synthesized. Surface modification and microstructure optimization of the nanostructures will be carried out to improve the sensitivity to specific gases such as ammonia or NOx and selectivity against interfering gases. Gas sensors devices will be prepared and the gas sensing properties will be studied. The student will work with experienced researchers and gain hands-on experience in material synthesis, coating, sensor device fabrication and advanced characterization systems in SIMTech.

Electrospin and surface modification of nanofibres for Antibacterial Applications

Electrospun nanofibers of polystyrene incorporated with Polyimidazolium have shown some levels of antibacterial properties. In this project, the student will carry out studies to optimize electrospin processing parameters such as applied voltage, flow rate, concentrations of Polyimidazolium in solution, viscosity, solution conductivity, as well as ambient condition such as humidity to optimize the porous structure and surface morphology of the fibres for improved antibacterial properties.  A selected biodegradable polymeric material will be also investigated using the similar processes for environmentally friendly applications such as tissue engineering.