Abstract: Described herein are rhenium boride compounds having desirable characteristics for a variety of applications, ranging from abrasives and cutting tools to protective coatings.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a substantially phase pure compound including a cation and an anion. The compound is made by mixing in a ball-milling device a first amount of the anion with a first amount of the cation that is less than the stoichiometric amount of the cation, so that substantially all of the first amount of the cation is consumed. The compound is further made by mixing in a ball-milling device a second amount of the cation that is less than the stoichiometric amount of the cation with the mixture remaining in the device. The mixing is continued until substantially all of the second amount of the cation and any unreacted portion of anion X are consumed to afford the substantially phase pure compound.

Abstract: The present invention involves synthesizing conducting polymer nanofibers by mixing an oxidant solution with a monomer solution, which includes a monomer and an oligomer of the monomer that is used as an initiator. The oxidant solution includes an oxidizing agent, or oxidant, such as ferric chloride to oxidize the monomer, the oligomer, or both, and begin polymerization. By including an initiator in the form of the oligomer, which may have a lower oxidation potential than the monomer, the rate of polymerization is accelerated, resulting in the nanofibrous morphology. Therefore, the conducting polymer nanofibers may be synthesized without the use of surfactants, hard templates, or seeds, resulting in a simplified and accelerated polymerization process, which enhances homogenous nucleation of the conducting polymer nanofibers.

Abstract: The present invention involves synthesizing conducting polymer nanofibers by mixing an oxidant solution with a monomer solution, which includes a monomer and an oligomer of the monomer that is used as an initiator. The oxidant solution includes an oxidizing agent, or oxidant, such as ferric chloride to oxidize the monomer, the oligomer, or both, and begin polymerization. By including an initiator in the form of the oligomer, which may have a lower oxidation potential than the monomer, the rate of polymerization is accelerated, resulting in the nanofibrous morphology. Therefore, the conducting polymer nanofibers may be synthesized without the use of surfactants, hard templates, or seeds, resulting in a simplified and accelerated polymerization process, which enhances homogenous nucleation of the conducting polymer nanofibers.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention are directed to substituted polyaniline nanofibers and methods of synthesizing and using the same. The invention is also directed to polyaniline derivatives that can be synthesized without the need for templates or functional dopants by using an initiator as part of a reaction mixture.

Abstract: Methods for producing nanostructured silicon and silicon-germanium via solid state metathesis (SSM). The method of forming nanostructured silicon comprises the steps of combining a stoichiometric mixture of silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) and an alkaline earth metal silicide into a homogeneous powder, and initating the reaction between the silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) with the alkaline earth metal silicide. The method of forming nanostructured silicon-germanium comprises the steps of combining a stoichiometric mixture of silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) and a germanium based precursor into a homogeneous powder, and initiating the reaction between the silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) with the germanium based precursors.

Abstract: A method for sensing hydrogen includes the use of a transduction device with a sensing layer, and means for measuring a mass and/or conductivity change caused by an interaction of a gas with the sensing layer to provide a measure of an amount of hydrogen in the gas. The sensing layer includes polyaniline nanofiber material.

Abstract: A sensor made from a metal salt film, formed on a set of monitoring electrodes, by evaporation of a metal salt aqueous solution disposed on the electrodes, is used for detecting a weak acid. Low concentrations of the weak acid, such as ten ppm, are indicated as the conductivity of the film changes by several orders of magnitude, as a result of reaction of the weak acid with the metal salt, as the metal salt converts to a metal reaction product upon exposure to the weak acid.

Abstract: By modifying existing methods for synthesizing polyaniline, a polyaniline polymer having a new constellation of material properties has been produced. The material properties of the polymeric compositions disclosed herein enhance the use of polyanilines in a wide variety of processes that use such materials, for example processes used in the formation of filtration membranes.

Abstract: Polymer nanofibers, such as polyaniline nanofibers, with uniform diameters less than 500 nm can be made in bulk quantities through a facile aqueous and organic interfacial polymerization method at ambient conditions. The nanofibers have lengths varying from 500 nm to 10 ?m and form interconnected networks in a thin film. Thin film nanofiber sensors can be made of the polyaniline nanofibers having superior performance in both sensitivity and time response to a variety of gas vapors including, acids, bases, redox active vapors, alcohols and volatile organic chemicals.

Abstract: The welding of certain polymeric nanofibers can be accomplished by exposure to an intense short burst of light, such as is provided by a camera flash, resulting in an instantaneous melting of the exposed fibers and a welding of the fibers where they are in contact. The preferred nanofibers are composed of conjugated, conducting polymers, and derivatives and polymer blends including such materials. Alternatively, the nanofibers can be composed of colored thermoplastic polymeric fibers or opaque polymers by proper selection of the frequency or frequency range and intensity (power) of the light source. The flash welding process can also be used to weld nanofibers which comprise a blend of polymeric materials where at least one of the materials in the blend used to form the nanofiber is a conductive, conjugated polymer or a suitable colored thermoplastic.

Abstract: A method of producing carbon macro-molecular structures includes dissolving a graphitic material in a solvent to provide a suspension of carbon-based macro-molecular structures in the solvent, and obtaining a plurality of the carbon macro-molecular structures from the suspension. The plurality of carbon macro-molecular structures obtained from the suspension each consists essentially of carbon. A material according to some embodiments of the current invention is produced according to the method of producing carbon macro-molecular structures. An electrical, electronic or electro-optic device includes material produced according to the methods of the current invention. A composite material according to some embodiments of the current invention has carbon macro-molecular structures produced according to methods of producing carbon macro-molecular structures according to some embodiments of the current invention.

Abstract: A new method for forming stable polyaniline nanofiber colloids uses electrostatic repulsion to maintain dispersion of the nanofibers and prevent aggregation during synthesis of the nanofibers. The colloidal suspensions are formed directly from the reactants in solution maintained at a pH of about 1.0 to about 4.0 and a temperature of about 10° C. to about 100° C. with minimal or no stirring. Also set forth are new methods for forming ultrathin films of polyaniline nanofibers via self-assembly.

Abstract: A hydrogen sulfide sensor is made from a metal acetate film, such as a thin film of copper acetate, formed on a set of monitoring electrodes, by evaporation of a metal acetate aqueous solution disposed on the electrodes, for detecting a weak gas, such as hydrogen sulfide, carried in a gas carrier, such as a nitrogen carrier, for detecting low concentration of the weak gas, such as ten ppm, when the conductivity of the film changes by several orders of magnitude, that produces a metal sulfide, such as copper sulfide, that is a good electrical conductor at room temperature, for example, as the metal acetate is converted directly to a metal sulfide upon exposure to hydrogen sulfide.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting arsine includes a pair of electrodes separated by an electrode gap, and a layer of conducting polymer material positioned over and making electrical contact with the pair of electrodes, the layer of conducting polymer material being modified with a metal salt such that the electrical resistance of the conducting polymer material measured across the electrodes is responsive to changes in an amount of arsine to which the conducting polymer material is exposed.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting phosgene includes a pair of electrodes separated by an electrode gap, and a layer of conducting polymer material positioned over and making electrical contact with the pair of electrodes, the layer of conducting polymer material being modified with an amine such that the electrical resistance of the conducting polymer material measured across the electrodes is responsive to changes in an amount of phosgene to which the conducting polymer material is exposed.

Abstract: Osmium, when combined with boron alone, or in combination with rhenium, ruthenium or iron, produces compounds that are ultra-hard and incompressible. These osmium diboride compounds are useful as a substitute to for other super or ultra-hard materials that are used in cutting tools and as abrasives. The osmium diboride compounds have the formula OsxM1-xB2 where M is rhenium, ruthenium or iron and x is from 0.01 to 1, except when x is not 1 and M is rhenium, x is from 0.01 to 0.3.

Abstract: Described herein are rhenium boride compounds having desirable characteristics for a variety of applications, ranging from abrasives and cutting tools to protective coatings.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention are directed to polyaniline derivatives and methods of synthesizing and using the same. The invention is also directed to polyaniline derivatives that can be synthesized without the need for templates or functional dopants by using an initiator as part of a reaction mixture.

Abstract: An apparatus for sensing hydrogen includes a transduction device with a sensing layer, and means for measuring a mass and/or conductivity change caused by an interaction of a gas with the sensing layer to provide a measure of an amount of hydrogen in the gas. The sensing layer includes polyaniline nanofiber material.