In this critical review, metal oxides-based materials for electrochemical supercapacitor (ES) electrodes are reviewed in detail together with a brief review of carbon materials and conducting polymers. Their advantages, disadvantages, and performance in ES electrodes are discussed through extensive analysis of the literature, and new trends in material development are also reviewed. Two important future research directions are indicated and summarized, based on results published in the literature: the development of composite and nanostructured ES materials to overcome the major challenge posed by the low energy density of ES (476 references).

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A review of electrode materials for electrochemical supercapacitors

Polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites: a review from preparation to processing

A review of shape memory alloy research, applications and opportunities

Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds. Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in biological systems and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Understanding self-assembly and the associated noncovalent interactions that connect complementary interacting molecular surfaces in biological aggregates is a central concern in structural biochemistry. Self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis, with the potential of generating nonbiological structures with dimensions of 1 to 10(2) nanometers (with molecular weights of 10(4) to 10(10) daltons). Structures in the upper part of this range of sizes are presently inaccessible through chemical synthesis, and the ability to prepare them would open a route to structures comparable in size (and perhaps complementary in function) to those that can be prepared by microlithography and other techniques of microfabrication.

Molecular self-assembly and nanochemistry: A chemical strategy for the synthesis of nanostructures

The science and technology of ultracapacitors are reviewed for a number of electrode materials, including carbon, mixed metal oxides, and conducting polymers. More work has been done using microporous carbons than with the other materials and most of the commercially available devices use carbon electrodes and an organic electrolytes. The energy density of these devices is 3¯5 Wh/kg with a power density of 300¯500 W/kg for high efficiency (90¯95%) charge/discharges. Projections of future developments using carbon indicate that energy densities of 10 Wh/kg or higher are likely with power densities of 1¯2 kW/kg. A key problem in the fabrication of these advanced devices is the bonding of the thin electrodes to a current collector such the contact resistance is less than 0.1 cm2. Special attention is given in the paper to comparing the power density characteristics of ultracapacitors and batteries. The comparisons should be made at the same charge/discharge efficiency.

Ultracapacitors: Why, How, and Where is the Technology

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) belong to a class of smart polymers, which have drawn considerable research interest in last few years because of their applications in microelectromechanical systems, actuators, for self healing and health monitoring purposes, and in biomedical devices. Like in other fields of applications, SMP materials have been proved to be suitable substitutes to metallic ones because of their flexibility, biocompatibility and wide scope of modifications. The shape memory properties of SMPs polymers might surpass those of shape memory metallic alloys (SMAs). In addition to block copolymers, polymers blends and interpenetrating network structured SMP systems have been developed. The present review mainly highlights the recent progress in synthesis, characterization, evaluation, and proposed applications of SMPs and related composites.

Recent advances in shape memory polymers and composites : a review

Epoxy/clay nanocomposites were prepared using a conventional diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy, cured with diethyltoluene diamine (DETDA). The nanocomposites were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis. A modest increase in glass transition temperature and significant increase in storage modulus were achieved as a result of incorporation of clay. The formation of nanocomposite was confirmed by wide-angle X-ray analysis. The higher impact strength of the nanocomposite compared the DGEBA matrix was explained in terms of with the morphology observed by SEM.

© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry

Clay‐reinforced epoxy nanocomposites

Toughening of epoxy resins for improvement of crack resistance has been the subject of intense research interest during the last two decades. Epoxy resins are successfully toughened by blending with a suitable liquid rubber, which initially remains miscible with epoxy and undergoes a phase separation in the course of curing that leads to the formation of a two-phase microstructure, or by directly blending preformed rubbery particle. Unlike the situation for thermoplastics, physical blending is not successful for toughening epoxy resins. Recent advances in the development of various functionalized liquid rubber-based toughening agents and core-shell particles are discussed critically in this review.

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Debdatta Ratna

Papers

Recent advances in shape memory polymers and composites : a review

Clay‐reinforced epoxy nanocomposites

Rubber Toughened Epoxy

Nanocomposites based on a combination of epoxy resin, hyperbranched epoxy and a layered silicate

Poly(ethylene oxide)/clay nanocomposite: Thermomechanical properties and morphology