• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.544-549
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• 2009

Activated carbon (AC) with very large surface area has high capacitance per weight. However, such activation methods tend to suffer from low yields, below 50%, and are low in electrode density and capacitance per volume. Carbon NanoFibers (CNFs) had high surface area polarizability, high electrical conductivity and chemical stability, as well as extremely high mechanical strength and modulus, which make them an important material for electrochemical capacitors. The electrochemical properties of immobilized CNF electrodes were studied for use as in electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC) applications. Immobilized CNFs on Ni foam grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were successfully fabricated. CNFs had a uniform diameter range from 50 to 60 nm. Surface area was 56 m$^2$/g. CNF electrodes were compared with AC and multi wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) electrodes. The electrochemical performance of the various electrodes was examined with aqueous electrolyte of 2M KOH. Equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the CNF electrodes was lower than that of AC and MWNT electrodes. The specific capacitance of 47.5 F/g of the CNF electrodes was achieved with discharge current density of 1 mA/cm$^2$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.741-750
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• 2016

Nanofibers(NFs), because of their high surface area and nanosized grains, have appropriate morphologies for use in chemiresistive-type sensors for gas detection applications. In this study, a highly sensitive and selective CO gas sensing material based on Au-decorated $SnO_2$ NFs was fabricated by electrospinning. $SnO_2$ NFs were synthesized by electrospinning and subsequently decorated with various amounts of Au nanoparticles(NPs) by sputtering; this was followed by thermal annealing. Different characterizations showed the successful formation of Au-decorated $SnO_2$ NFs. Gas sensing tests were performed on the fabricated sensors, which showed bell-shaped sensing behavior with respect to the amount of Au decoration. The best CO sensing performance, with a response of ~20 for 10 ppm CO, was obtained at an optimized amount of Au (2.6 at.%). The interplay between Au and $SnO_2$ in terms of the electronic and chemical sensitization by Au NPs is responsible for the great improvement in the CO sensing capability of pure $SnO_2$ NFs, suggesting that Au-decorated $SnO_2$ NFs can be a promising material for fabricating highly sensitive and selective chemiresistive-type CO gas sensors.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2013

In this study, the electrochemical investigation of various electrodes for reverse electrodialysis using potassium ferrocyanide and potassium ferricyanide as a redox system was carried out. Cyclic voltammetry was the employed method for this electrochemical study. From the results of cyclic voltammograms for various electrode materials, i.e., Au, Vulcan supported Pt, activated carbon, carbon nanofiber, Vulcan, the Vulcan electrode showed the lowest overpotential, but the Pt electrode having slightly higher overpotential obtained slightly higher anodic and cathodic current densities for the $Fe(CN)_6{^{4-}}/Fe(CN)_6{^{3-}}$ redox couple. The cyclic voltammograms for the Vulcan electrode confirmed very good electrochemical reversibility and kinetic behavior. As a result, among the electrode materials, the Vulcan electrode is the most promising electrode material for reverse electrodialysis.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.552-558
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• 2006

Biodegradable nanofibrous poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffold was prepared by an electrospinning process for use in tissue regeneration. The nanofiber scaffold was treated with oxygen plasma and then simultaneously in situ grafted with hydrophilic acrylic acid (AA) to obtain PLLA-g-PAA. The fiber diameter, pore size, and porosity of the electrospun nanofibrous PLLA scaffold were estimated as $250\sim750nm,\;\sim30{\mu}m$, and 95%, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength was 1.7 MPa and the percent elongation at break was 120%. Although the physical and mechanical properties of the PLLA-g-PAA scaffold were comparable to those of the PLLA control, a significantly lower contact angle and significantly higher ratio of oxygen to carbon were notable on the PLLA-g-PAA surface. After the fibroblasts were cultured for up to 6 days, cell adhesion and proliferation were much improved on the nanofibrous PLLA-g-PAA scaffold than on either PLLA film or unmodified nanofibrous PLLA scaffold. The present work demonstrated that the applications of plasma treatment and hydrophilic AA grafting were effective to modify the surface of electrospun nanofibrous polymer scaffolds and that the altered surface characteristics significantly improved cell adhesion and proliferation.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.94-98
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• 2008

In order to improve the specific capacitance of amorphous hydrous manganese oxide ($MnO_2$) for supercapacitors, it is made into composites with vapour-grown carbon nanofibers (VGCF) having the VGCF ratio as 40 wt% in the composites. The electrochemical properties of these composites are investigated in 1.0 M $Na_2SO_4$ by cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance measurements and chronopotentiometric charger/discharger. The composite with 40 wt% VGCF shows the superior electrochemical performance, whose specific capacitance (based on the mass of $MnO_2$, $0.8mg/cm^2$) is 380 F/g at 20 mV/s and 230 F/g at 500 mV/s. Also, the cycle-life testing of this electrode carried out for 3,000 charge/discharge cycles at $2.0mA/cm^2$ shows 97% capacitance retention.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.769-774
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• 2011

Porous carbon nanofibers(CNF) were synthesized via NaOH activation at 700~$900^{\circ}C$, and the porous CNF-supported PtRu catalysts were evaluated for the anode in direct methanol fuel cells. The change of surface characteristics by NaOH activation was examined by analyses of the specific surface area and pore size distribution. The morphological and structural modification was investigated under scanning electron microscopy. The activity of catalysts supported on porous CNFs was examined by cyclic voltammograms and single cell tests. The pore formation on CNF by the NaOH activation was discussed, concerning the catalyst activity, when they were applied as catalyst supports.

• Composites Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.186-193
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• 2016

The development of electrospun nanofibers with improved mechanical properties is of great scientific and technological interest because of their wide-range of applications. Reinforcement of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into the polymer matrix is considered as a promising strategy for substantially enhancing the mechanical properties of resulting CNTs/polymer composite mats on account of extraordinary mechanical properties of CNTs such as ultra-high Young's modulus and tensile strengths. This paper summarizes the recent developments on electrospun CNTs/polymer composite mats with an emphasis on their mechanical properties.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.241-253
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• 2017

In this paper, dynamic response of the horizontal nanofiber reinforced polymer (NFRP) strengthened concrete beam subjected to seismic ground excitation is investigated. The concrete beam is modeled using hyperbolic shear deformation beam theory (HSDBT) and the mathematical formulation is applied to determine the governing equations of the structure. Distribution type and agglomeration effects of carbon nanofibers are considered by Mori-Tanaka model. Using the nonlinear strain-displacement relations, stress-strain relations and Hamilton's principle (virtual work method), the governing equations are derived. To obtain the dynamic response of the structure, harmonic differential quadrature method (HDQM) along with Newmark method is applied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of NFRP layer, geometrical parameters of beam, volume fraction and agglomeration of nanofibers and boundary conditions on the dynamic response of the structure. The results indicated that applied NFRP layer decreases the maximum dynamic displacement of the structure up to 91 percent. In addition, using nanofibers as reinforcement leads a 35 percent reduction in the maximum dynamic displacement of the structure.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.191-202
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• 2019

In this study, performance (particle removal efficiency and breathing resistance) of several commercially available face masks (electrostatic filter masks (KF80 certified), a nanofiber filter mask (KF80 certified), and an uncertified mask) with their filter structure and composition were evaluated. Also, effects of relative humidity (RH) of incoming air, water and alcohol exposure, and reusability on performance of face masks were examined. Monodisperse and polydisperse sodium chloride particles were used as test aerosols. Except the uncertified mask filter, PM_2.5 removal efficiency was found to be higher than 90%, and the nanofiber filter mask had the highest quality factor due to the low pressure drop and high removal efficiency (nanofibers were arranged in a densely packed pore structure and contained a significant amount of fluorine in addition to carbon and oxygen). In the case of the KF80 certified mask, the removal efficiency was little affected when the RH of incoming air increased. When the mask filters were soaked in water, the removal efficiency of mask filters was degraded. In particular, the uncertified mask filter showed the highest removal efficiency degradation (26%). When the mask was soaked in alcohol, the removal efficiency also decreased with the greater degree than the water soaking case. The nanofiber mask filter showed the strongest resistance to alcohol exposure among tested mask filters. During evaluation of reusability of masks in real life, the removal efficiency of certified mask filter was less than 4% for 5 consecutive days (2 hours per day), while the removal efficiency of uncertified mask filter significantly decreased by 30% after 5 days.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2007

In this work, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber was prepared by electrospinning methods from dimethyl formamide solutions with various conditions, such as 8~20 kV applied voltage, 5~15 wt% PAN concentration, and 15 cm tip-to-collector distance (TCD). The nanofibers were stabilized by oxidation at $250^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, and then subsequently carbonized at $800{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ for 1 h. The structured characteristics of the nanofibers before and after carbonization were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The resulting diameter distribution and morphologies of the nanofiber were evaluated by scanning electron microscope analysis. The electrochemical behaviors of the nanofiber were observed by cyclic voltammetry tests. From the results, the diameter of electrospinning nanofibers was predominantly influenced by the concentration of polymer solution and the applied voltage. The average diameter of the fibers was decreased with increasing the polymer concentration up to 10wt%. It was also found that the nanofibers with uniform diameter distribution and fine diameter could be achieved at 15kV input voltage and 15 cm TCD.