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In order to obtain a force-sensitive composite structure with high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, this paper proposes a method for preparing flexible force-sensitive composites by backfilling PDMS into a carbon nanotube (CNT) sponge using a vacuum-assisted method. Compared with CNTs/PDMS force-sensitive composites with different content prepared by the traditional solution blending method, the CNT sponge/PDMS force-sensitive composite prepared by the vacuum-impregnation method demonstrated sensitivity of 70 in a strain range of 35–50% at a thickness of 1 mm with a low filler content of 1 wt.%, and also showed excellent cyclic stability. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) reached 34.56 dB in the X band, and it still maintained high EMI SE (33.68 dB) after 500 repeated stretching cycles, which would be sufficient for commercial applications. The prepared CNT sponge/PDMS force-sensitive composite not only meets the basic sensitivity at low content (only 1 wt.%) but also has high EMI SE (34.56 dB) due to its high electrical conductivity (53 S/m), which makes it have potential applications in flexible stress sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs) were fabricated by chemically unzipping multiwalled carbon canotubes and were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, TGA and XPS. The prepared GONRs were investigated as adsorbents for the removal of U(VI) ions from aqueous solutions as a function of pH, ionic strength, contact time and temperature. The maximum sorption capacity of U(VI) on GONRs was 394.1 mg g, which was much higher than some other carbon-based nanomaterials. The results show that GONRs are promising materials for the removal and enrichment of uranium from large volumes of aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel graphene oxide -carbon nanotubes (GO-CNTs) hybrid aerogels were fabricated via a freeze-drying method using aqueous solutions of GO and CNTs. The resulting aerogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravity analysis. The three-dimensional GO-CNTs aerogels were used to remove uranium(VI) from aqueous solutions. The results showed that GO-CNTs aerogels had high removal ability to uranium(VI) and could be a promising sorbent for many environment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology is one of today's most promising technological developments, but safety concerns raise questions about its development. Risk assessments of nanomaterials during occupational exposure are crucial for their development. Here, we assessed the lung toxicity of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube (f-SWCNT) exposure in C57BL/6 mice, elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism, and evaluated the self-repair ability and lung fibrosis of the mice. Soluble f-SWCNTs were administered to mice. After 18 h or 14 days, the lung histopathology, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung edema, vascular permeability, and PaO levels were evaluated, and biochemical and immunostaining tests were also performed. We found that some f-SWCNTs could induce acute lung injury (ALI) in mice via proinflammatory cytokine storm signaling through the NF-κB pathway in vivo. We illustrated that corticosteroid treatments could ameliorate the ALI induced by the f-SWCNTs in mice. Surprisingly, the ALI was almost completely reversed within 14 days, while mild to moderate fibrosis, granuloma, and DNA damage remained in the mice at day 14. Our studies indicate potential remedies to address the growing concerns about the safety of nanomaterials. In addition, we notify that the type of functional groups should be considered in nanomedicine application as differently functionalized SWCNTs generated different effects on the lung toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]