The variation of the d-spacings with stress in the hexagonal polymorph of polyacrylonitrile

Free-Standing N-Doped Porous Carbon Fiber Membrane Derived From Zn-MOF-74: Synthesis and Application as Anode for Sodium-Ion Battery With an Excellent Performance

It is important to develop new energy storage and conversion technology to mitigate the energy crisis for the sustainable development of human society. In this study, free-standing porous nitrogen-doped carbon fiber (PN-CF) membranes were obtained from the pyrolysis of Zn-MOF-74/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite fibers, which were fabricated in situ by an electrospinning technology. The resulting free-standing fibers can be cut into membrane disks and directly used as an anode electrode without the addition of any binder or additive. The PN-CFs showed great reversible capacities of 210 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.05 A g-1 and excellent cyclic stability of 170.5 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.2 A g-1 after 600 cycles in sodium ion batteries (SIBs). The improved electrochemical performance of PN-CFs can be attributed to the rich porous structure derived by the incorporation of Zn-MOF-74 and nitrogen doping to promote sodium ion transportation.

Hierarchical Graphene-Containing Carbon Nanofibers for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

We present a method to produce composite anodes consisting of thermally reduced graphene oxide-containing carbon nanofibers (TRGO/CNFs) via electrospinning a dispersion of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and graphene oxide (GO) sheets in dimethylformamide followed by heat treatment at 650 °C. A range of GO (1-20 wt % GO relative to polymer concentration) was added to the polymer solution, with each sample comprising similar polymer chain packing and subsequent CNF microstructure, as assessed by X-ray diffraction. An increase from 0 to 20 wt % GO in the fibers led to carbonized nonwovens with enhanced electronic conductivity, as TRGO sheets conductively connected the CNFs. Galvanostatic half-cell cycling revealed that TRGO addition enhanced the specific discharge capacity of the fibers. The optimal GO concentration of 5 wt % GO enhanced first-cycle discharge capacities at C/24 rates (15.6 mA g(-1)) 150% compared to CNFs, with a 400% capacity increase at 2-C rates (750 mA g(-1)). We attribute the capacity enhancement to a high degree of GO exfoliation. The TRGO/CNFs also experienced no capacity fade after 200 cycles at 2-C rates. Impedance spectroscopy of the composite anodes demonstrated that charge-transfer resistances decreased as GO content increased, implying that high GO loadings result in more electrochemically active material.

Measurement of partition of stress between mineral and collagen phases in bone using X-ray diffraction techniques

The aim of this study was to present clear evidence of a stress concentration in bone as a two-phase composite of a collagen matrix reinforced by hydroxyapatite (HAP) mineral particles. X-ray diffractometry was performed on cortical bone from a bovine femur in order to measure strain in HAP along the c-axis as a response to a macroscopically applied force. From the obtained strain of HAP, the stress applied to HAP particles was determined by using Young's modulus value of HAP in the literature. Dividing the stress of HAP by that macroscopically applied to a bone specimen, the stress concentration coefficient, Chi H, was estimated. Using the Hirsch equation with the estimated Chi H, value, mineral content of bone was estimated, which accords with the mineral content values of bone in the literature.