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Functionalized Polymeric Composites for Energy Conversion Systems, Optoelectronic and Biomedical Applications

A topical collection in Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This collection belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

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Editors

Department of Life Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Korea
Interests: fuel cells; water splitting; water electrolysis; membranes; nanocomposite materials; green chemistry

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Collection Editor
R&D Education Center for Whole Life Cycle R&D of Fuel Cell Systems, Jeonbuk National University, Jeollabuk-do, Jeonju 54896, Korea
Interests: organic chemistry; medicinal chemistry; chemosensors; organic methodology; green solvents; catalysts

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Collection Editor
Graduate School of Department of Energy Storage/Conversion Engineering, and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeollabuk-do 54896, Korea
Interests: electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER); hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); oxygen reduction reaction; oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); water splitting; metal-air battery; fuel cell; electrochemical sensors

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Collection Editor
Department of Life Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeollabuk-do, Jeonju 54896, Korea
Interests: polymer chemistry; composite membranes; fuel cells; conductive polymer; and water electrolysis

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The functionalised and modified polymer electrolyte membrane and its composite materials have widely played a significant role in the development of advanced science and technologies in energy storage and conversion devices, biomaterials, optoelectronics, etc. and they are constantly increasing and expanding over every field of technology. Modern polymer technology can enable the precise control of polymer morphology, which satisfies the required performance in high-technology devices. Besides, polymers are complex materials that are useful candidates for sensor and biomedical applications. The polymer composites are alternatives to classical chemicals which consist of high efficiency, precision, and suitability. One of the most significant characters of the polymer composite has reduced stiffness in comparison to the glass fibre, that means that it can be used in a wide range of sensor and biomedical industries. Hence, the latest developments of polymeric materials pave the way to produce an inexpensive and dependable sensor and biomedical systems arranged for industrial application. Furthermore, sustainable polymer technology is expected to reach new scientific fields, as well as the development of existing industries in the future. Thus, we want to highlight the efforts of researchers who have contributed to recent development in various fields based on modern polymer technology as the aims of this Topic Collection.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Synthesis and characterization of conductive polymers.
  • Advanced organic-inorganic composite materials for application to electrochemical devices.
  • Composite materials based on hydrocarbon membranes, including modelling for energy device application.
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane for water electrolysis and fuel cell application.
  • Polymer electrolyte for energy storage and conversion applications.
  • Functional polymer for electrochemical applications.
  • Functionalized polymers for antimicrobial, anticancer and tissue engineering applications.
  • Polymeric materials for sensors applications, including chemosensors, gas sensors, etc.

Dr. Kyu Ha Lee
Dr. Palanisamy Ravichandiran
Dr. Shanmugam Ramakrishnan
Dr. Ji Young Chu
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Fuel cells
  • Water electrolysis
  • Batteries
  • Supercapacitors
  • Flow batteries
  • Polymer electrolyte
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane
  • Conductive membranes
  • Sensors
  • Nanocomposite
  • Antimicrobial
  • Anticancer
  • Cell biology
  • Tissue engineering
  • Bioimaging
  • Gas sensing
  • Analyte sensing

Published Papers (3 papers)

2024

Jump to: 2022, 2021

19 pages, 5982 KiB  
Article
Polymer-Doped SnO2 as an Electron Transport Layer for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
by Vo Pham Hoang Huy and Chung-Wung Bark
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020199 - 9 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2257
Abstract
To produce highly efficient and repeatable perovskite solar cells (PSCs), comprehending interfacial loss and developing approaches to ameliorate interfacial features is essential. Nonradiative recombination at the SnO2–perovskite interface in SnO2-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) leads to significant potential loss [...] Read more.
To produce highly efficient and repeatable perovskite solar cells (PSCs), comprehending interfacial loss and developing approaches to ameliorate interfacial features is essential. Nonradiative recombination at the SnO2–perovskite interface in SnO2-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) leads to significant potential loss and variability in device performance. To improve the quality of the SnO2 electron transport layer, a novel polymer-doped SnO2 matrix, specifically using polyacrylic acid, was developed. This matrix is formed by spin-coating a SnO2 colloidal solution that includes polymers. The polymer aids in dispersing nanoparticles within the substrate and is evenly distributed in the SnO2 solution. As a result of the polymer addition, the density and wetting properties of the SnO2 layer substantially improved. Subsequently, perovskite-based photovoltaic devices comprising SnO2 and Spiro-OMeTAD layers and using (FAPbI3)0.97(MAPbBr3)0.03 perovskite are constructed. These optimized devices exhibited an increased efficiency of 17.2% when compared to the 15.7% power conversion efficiency of the control device. The incorporation of polymers in the electron transport layer potentially enables even better performance in planar perovskite solar cells. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2021

14 pages, 1801 KiB  
Review
Bistable Morphing Composites for Energy-Harvesting Applications
by Ammar Elsheikh
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1893; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091893 - 5 May 2022
Cited by 118 | Viewed by 4363
Abstract
Bistable morphing composites have shown promising applications in energy harvesting due to their capabilities to change their shape and maintain two different states without any external loading. In this review article, the application of these composites in energy harvesting is discussed. Actuating techniques [...] Read more.
Bistable morphing composites have shown promising applications in energy harvesting due to their capabilities to change their shape and maintain two different states without any external loading. In this review article, the application of these composites in energy harvesting is discussed. Actuating techniques used to change the shape of a composite structure from one state to another is discussed. Mathematical modeling of the dynamic behavior of these composite structures is explained. Finally, the applications of artificial-intelligence techniques to optimize the design of bistable structures and to predict their response under different actuating schemes are discussed. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2024, 2022

24 pages, 7648 KiB  
Article
Influence of Matrix and Surfactant on Piezoelectric and Dielectric Properties of Screen-Printed BaTiO3/PVDF Composites
by Carlo Carbone, Mohammed Benwadih, Giulia D’Ambrogio, Minh-Quyen LE, Jean-Fabien Capsal and Pierre-Jean Cottinet
Polymers 2021, 13(13), 2166; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13132166 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3957
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to provide insight into the impact of matrix and surfactants on the rheology, morphology, and dielectric and piezoelectric properties of screen-printed BaTiO3/PVDF composites. Two matrices were compared (PVDF–HFP and PVDF–TrFE), and lead-free BaTiO3 microparticles [...] Read more.
The aim of this paper was to provide insight into the impact of matrix and surfactants on the rheology, morphology, and dielectric and piezoelectric properties of screen-printed BaTiO3/PVDF composites. Two matrices were compared (PVDF–HFP and PVDF–TrFE), and lead-free BaTiO3 microparticles were added in volume fractions of 30% and 60%. Here, we demonstrated that the presence of surfactants, helping to prevent phase separation, was crucial for achieving a decent screen-printing process. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy together with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the two “fluoro-benzoic acid” surfactants established stable bonds with BaTiO3 and improved the dispersion homogeneity, while the “fluoro-silane” proved to be ineffective due to it evaporating during the functionalization process. PVDF–TrFE composites featured a more homogeneous composite layer, with fewer flaws and lower roughness, as compared with PVDF–HFP composites, and their inks were characterized by a higher viscosity. The samples were polarized in either AC or DC mode, at two different temperatures (25 °C and 80 °C). The 30% BaTiO3 PVDF–TrFE composites with two fluorinated surfactants featured a higher value of permittivity. The choice of the surfactant did not affect the permittivity of the PVDF–HFP composites. Concerning the d33 piezoelectric coefficient, experimental results pointed out that PVDF–TrFE matrices made it possible to obtain higher values, and that the best results were achieved in the absence of surfactants (or by employing the fluoro-silane). For instance, in the composites with 60% BaTiO3 and polarized at 80 °C, a d33 of 7–8 pC/N was measured, which is higher than the values reported in the literature. Full article
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