Inorganic-organic composites find extensive application in various fields, including electronic devices and light-emitting diodes. Notably, encapsulation technologies are employed to shield electronic devices (such as printed circuit boards and batteries) from stress and moisture exposure while maintaining electrical insulation. Polymer composites can be used as encapsulation materials because of their controllable mechanical and electrical properties. In this study, we propose a polymer composite that provides good electrical insulation and enhanced mechanical properties. This is achieved by using aluminum borate nanowhiskers (ABOw), which are fabricated using a facile synthesis method. The ABOw fillers are created via a hydrothermal method using aluminum chloride and boric acid. We confirm that the synthesis occurs in various morphologies based on the molar ratio. Specifically, nanowhiskers are synthesized at a molar ratio of 1:3 and used as fillers in the composite. The fabricated ABOw/epoxy composites exhibit a 48.5% enhancement in mechanical properties, similar to those of pure epoxy, while maintaining good electrical insulation.

One-dimensional (1D) piezoelectric nanostructures are attractive candidates for energy generation because of their excellent piezoelectric properties attributed to their high aspect ratios and large surface areas. Vertically grown BaTiO₃ nanotube (NT) arrays on conducting substrates are intensively studied because they can be easily synthesized with excellent uniformity and anisotropic orientation. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of 1D BaTiO₃ NT arrays on a conductive Ti substrate by electrochemical anodization and sequential hydrothermal reactions. Subsequently, we explore the effect of hydrothermal reaction conditions on the piezoelectric energy conversion efficiency of the BaTiO₃ NT arrays. Vertically aligned TiO2 NT arrays, which act as the initial template, are converted into BaTiO₃ NT arrays using hydrothermal reaction with various concentrations of the Ba source and reaction times. To validate the electrical output performance of the BaTiO₃ NT arrays, we measure the electricity generated from each NT array packaged with a conductive metal foil and epoxy under mechanical pushings. The generated output voltage signals from the BaTiO₃ NT arrays increase with increasing concentration of the Ba source and reaction time. These results provide a new strategy for fabricating advanced 1D piezoelectric nanostructures by demonstrating the correlation between hydrothermal reaction conditions and piezoelectric output performance.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Fabrication of Flexible Energy Harvester Based on BaTiO₃ Piezoelectric Nanotube Arrays
  Seo Young Yoon, Cheol Min Kim, Bitna Bae, Yujin Na, Haksu Jang, Kwi-Il Park
  journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2023; 30(6): 521.     CrossRef

Magnesium hydroxide sulfate hydrate (MHSH) whiskers were synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction by using MgO as the reactant as well as the acid solution. The effects of the H₂SO₄ amount and reaction time at the same temperature were studied. In general, MHSH whiskers were prepared using MgSO₄ in aqueous ammonia. In this work, to reduce the formation of impurities and increase the purity of MHSH, we employed a synthesis technique that did not require the addition of a basic solution. Furthermore, the pH value, which was controlled by the H₂SO₄ amount, acted as an important factor for the formation of high-purity MHSH. MgO was used as the raw material because it easily reacts in water and forms Mg⁺ and MgOH⁺ ions that bind with SO₄ ^2- ions to produce MHSH. Their morphologies and structures were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Study of SiO2 coating and carboxylic surface-modification on Mg-based inorganic fiber by one-step reflux reaction
  Minsol Park, Areum Choi, Seiki Kim, Wooyoung Shim, YooJin Kim
  Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2022; 59(6): 869.     CrossRef
• Effect of sulfate ion on synthesis of 5 Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·3H2O whiskers using non-hydrothermal method with acid catalyst
  Areum Choi, Nuri Oh, YooJin Kim
  Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2022; 59(2): 224.     CrossRef

In the present work, we synthesize nano-sized ZnO, SnO₂, and TiO₂ powders by hydrothermal reaction using metal chlorides. We also examine the energy-storage characteristics of the resulting materials to evaluate the potential application of these powders to dye-sensitized solar cells. The control of processing parameters such as pressure, temperature, and the concentration of aqueous solution results in the formation of a variety of powder morphologies with different sizes. Nano-rod, nano-flower, and spherical powders are easily formed with the present method. Heat treatment after the hydrothermal reaction usually increases the size of the powder. At temperatures above 1000°C, a complete collapse of the shape occurs. With regard to the capacity of DSSC materials, the hydrothermally synthesized TiO₂ results in the highest current density of 9.1 mA/cm² among the examined oxides. This is attributed to the fine particle size and morphology with large specific surface area.