• 한국재료학회지
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.250-257
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• 2016

Octahedral $Co_3O_4$/carbon nanofiber (CNF) composites are fabricated using electrospinning and hydrothermal methods. Their morphological characteristics, chemical bonding states, and electrochemical properties are used to demonstrate the improved photovoltaic properties of the samples. Octahedral $Co_3O_4$ grown on CNFs is based on metallic Co nanoparticles acting as seeds in the CNFs, which seeds are directly related to the high performance of DSSCs. The octahedral $Co_3O_4$/CNFs composites exhibit high photocurrent density ($12.73mA/m^2$), superb fill factor (62.1 %), and excellent power conversion efficiency (5.61 %) compared to those characteristics of commercial $Co_3O_4$, conventional CNFs, and metallic Co-seed/CNFs. These results can be described as stemmnig from the synergistic effect of the porous and graphitized matrix formed by catalytic graphitization using the metal cobalt catalyst on CNFs, which leads to an increase in the catalytic activity for the reduction of triiodide ions. Therefore, octahedral $Co_3O_4$/CNFs composites can be used as a counter electrode for Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제20권11호
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• pp.611-616
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• 2010

A cobalt oxide - tin oxide nanocomposite based gas sensor on an $SiO_2$ substrate was fabricated. Granular thin film of tin oxide was formed by a rheotaxial growth and thermal oxidation method using dc magnetron sputtering of Sn. Nano particles of cobalt oxide were spin-coated on the tin oxide. The cobalt oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by polymer-assisted deposition method, which is a simple cost-effective versatile synthesis method for various metal oxides. The thickness of the film can be controlled over a wide range of thicknesses. The composite structures thus formed were characterized in terms of morphology and gas sensing properties for reduction gas of $H_2$. The composites showed a highest response of 240% at $250^{\circ}C$ upon exposure to 4% $H_2$. This response is higher than those observed in pure $SnO_2$ (90%) and $Co_3O_4$ (70%) thin films. The improved response with the composite structure may be related to the additional formation of electrically active defects at the interfaces. The composite sensor shows a very fast response and good reproducibility.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2009년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.24-27
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• 2009

Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been constructed employing supramolecular electrolytes with multiple hydrogen bonding. A supramolecule was facilely synthesized by one-pot reaction between the amines of methyl isocytosine (MIC) and the epoxy groups of poly(ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether) (PEGDGE) to produce quadruple hydrogen bonding units. Hydrogen bonding interactions and dissolution behavior of salt in supramolecular electrolytes are investigated. The ionic conductivity of the supramolecular electrolytes with ionic liquid, i.e. 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (MPII) reaches $8.5{\times}10^{-5}$ S/cm at room temperature, which is higher than that with metal salt (KI). A worm-like morphology is observed in the FE-SEM micrographs of $TiO_2$ nanoporous layer, due to the connection of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles resulting from adequate coating by electrolytes. DSSCs employing the supramolecular electrolytes with MPII and KI exhibit an energy conversion efficiency of 2.5 % and 0.5 %, respectively, at 100 $mW/cm^2$, indicating the importance of the cation of salt. Solar cell performances were further improved up to 3.7 % upon introduction of poly(ethylene glycol dimethyl ether) (PEGDME) with 500 g/mol.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.112-117
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• 2011

고기능 포장재료를 포함한 고차단성 소재산업은 국민소득 증가 및 웰빙 문화와 함께 성장성이 높은 산업으로 성장할 것으로 예상된다. 따라서 최근 고차단성 소재로 기존의 소재와 비교하여 우수한 물성을 나타내는 고분자 나노복합재료에 대한 관심이 크게 증가하고 있다. 고분자 나노복합재료는 고분자 수지와 나노 크기의 충전제로 이루어진 소재를 의미하며, 이에 사용되는 무기 충전제는 층상 실리케이트, 탄소나노튜브, 금속 또는 무기물의 나노입자 등 다양한 물질들이 사용되고 있다. 현재 가장 활발히 적용되고 있는 입자는 다른 나노크기의 충전제와 달리 자연에 풍부하게 존재하며 경제적이고 나노 구조적인 특성을 잘 지닌 층상 실리케이트, 즉 점토(Clay)이다. Clay를 이용한 고분자 나노복합재료는 강도 향상, 난연성, 가스 차단성, 내마모성, 저수축화 등의 장점이 있어서 자동차 소재 및 포장재 등에 우선적으로 적용되고 있다. 따라서 본고에서는 가스차단 소재의 필요성과 더불어 관련 소재 및 기술에 대하여 중심으로 살펴보도록 하겠다.

• Carbon letters
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.207-217
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• 2011

We discuss the influence of few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWCNTs) treated with nitric acid and/or sulfuric acid on field emission characteristics. FWCNTs/tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) thin film field emitters were fabricated by a spray method using FWCNTs/TEOS sol one-component solution onto indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. After thermal curing, they were found tightly adhered to the ITO glass, and after an activation process by a taping method, numerous FWCNTs were aligned preferentially in the vertical direction. Pristine FWCNT/TEOS-based field emitters revealed higher current density, lower turn-on field, and a higher field enhancement factor than the oxidized FWCNTs-based field emitters. However, the unstable dispersion of pristine FWCNT in TEOS/N,N-dimethylformamide solution was not applicable to the field emitter fabrication using a spray method. Although the field emitter of nitric acid-treated FWCNT showed slightly lower field emission characteristics, this could be improved by the introduction of metal nanoparticles or resistive layer coating. Thus, we can conclude that our spray method using nitric acid-treated FWCNT could be useful for fabricating a field emitter and offers several advantages compared to previously reported techniques such as chemical vapor deposition and screen printing.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.94-98
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• 2011

A Sn-doped $In_2O_3$ (ITO) nanowire photoelectrode was produced using a simple metal evaporation method at low synthesis temperature (< $540^{\circ}C$). The nanowire electrodes have large surface area compared with that of flat ITO thin film, and show low electrical resistivity of $5.6{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}cm$ at room temperature. In order to apply ITO nanowires to the photoelectrodes of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), those surfaces were modified by $TiO_2$ nanoparticles using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The conversion efficiency of the fabricated $TiO_2$/ITO nanostructure-based DSSC was obtained at 1.4%, which was increased value by a factor of 6 than one without ITO nanowires photoelectrode. This result is attributed to the large surface area and superior electrical property of the ITO nanowires photoelectrode, as well as the structural advantages, including short diffusion length of photo-induced electrons, of the fabricated $TiO_2$/ITO nanostructure-based DSSC.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.17-23
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• 2003

습식 산화 분위기에서 vapor-solid process를 통해 금속 촉매를 사용하지 않고도 낮은 온도에서 산화 인듐나노선을 성공적으로 합성하였다. 나노선은 x-선 회절(XRD), 분산 x-선 분광 분석기(EDS)를 갖춘 주사전자현미경(SEM), 투과전자현미경(TEM)을 통해 분석되었다. XRD 결과는 합성된 산화 인듐 나노선이 입방정 구조를 갖는다는 것을 보여준다. 이러한 나노선들은 두 가지 형태를 갖는다. 하나는 줄기에 약 500 nm 크기의 각진 나노입자가 형성된 형태이고 다른 하나는 나노입자가 형성되지 않은 형태이다. 나노선의 길이는 수 마이크로미터 범위이고, 두께는 약 10 nm에서 250 nm 범위이다. 나노선은 결함을 포함하지 않았으며 표면에 5 nm 이하의 비정질 층을 가지고 있었다. TEM 분석 결과 대부분의 나노선의 성장 방향은 <100> 방향이었으나 나노입자를 포함한 나노선은 <110> 방향으로 자랐다는 것이 발견되었다. 이러한 성장 방향은 이전의 문헌에서 보고되지 않은 새로운 결과이다. 일반적인 성장 방향과는 다른 새로운 방향으로 나노선이 자랄 수 있었던 것은 본 연구에서 산화물 합성 시 산소의 공급원으로 사용된 습식 분위기와 비교적 낮은 온도가 원인인 것으로 생각된다. 따라서 습식 산화 분위기에서의 나노선 합성법을 다른 여러 산화물의 나노선 합성에 응용한다면 낮은 온도에서 새로운 형태 및 성장 방향을 갖는 나노선을 얻을 수 있을 것으로 예상된다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.321-329
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was performed to produce data on the pulmonary toxicity of neodymium oxide($Nd_2O_3$) by intratracheal instillation. Methods: Two groups of rats were exposed to neodymium oxide by intratracheal instillation with doses of 0.5 mg and 2.0 mg, respectively. At two days, four weeks and 12 weeks after exposure, body weight change, organ weight change and histopathological change were observed. At 12 weeks after exposure, lung function change was measured. Results: The body weight of rats in the high concentration group decreased after 12 weeks by 4-5% compared with the control group. At four weeks and 12 weeks after the administration of neodymium oxide, the absolute weight of the lungs of the high concentration group were significantly increased when compared with the control group(p<0.05). At 12 weeks after the injection of neodymium oxide, breath frequency and respiratory minute volume were increased, but inhalation time and expiratory time were decreased. Bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia, alveolar type II cell hypertrophy/hyperplasia and foreign body granulomatous inflammation were observed in the high exposure group. Conclusions: Body weight decrease, lung absolute weight and breath frequency increase, and pathological lung change were all observed. We found that pulmonary toxicity of neodymium oxide nanoparticles by intratracheal instillation could be confirmed.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2011년도 제41회 하계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.75-75
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• 2011

Recently, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) attracts great attention as a promising alternative to conventional silicon solar cells. One of the key components for the DSSC would be the nanocrystalline TiO2 electrode, and the control of interface between TiO2 and TCO is a highly important issue in improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. In this work, we applied various interfacial layers, and analyzed their effect in enhancing photovoltaic properties. In overall, introduction of interfacial layers increased both the Voc and Jsc, since the back-reaction of electrons from TCO to electrolyte could be blocked. First, several metal oxides with different band gaps and positions were employed as interfacial layer. SnO2, TiO2, and ZrO2 nanoparticles in the size of 3-5 nm have been synthesized. Among them, the interfacial layer of SnO2, which has lower flat-band potential than that of TiO2, exhibited the best performance in increasing the photovoltaic efficiency of DSSC. Second, long-range ordered cubic mesoporous TiO2 films, prepared by using triblock copolymer-templated sol-gel method via evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process, were utilized as an interfacial layer. Mesoporous TiO2 films seem to be one of the best interfacial layers, due to their additional effect, improving the adhesion to TCO and showing an anti-reflective effect. Third, we handled the issues related to the optimum thickness of interfacial layers. It was also found that in fabricating DSSC at low temperature, the role of interfacial layer turned out to be a lot more important. The self-assembled interfacial layer fabricated at room temperature leads to the efficient transport of photo-injected electrons from TiO2 to TCO, as well as blocking the back-reaction from TCO to I3-. As a result, fill factor (FF) was remarkably increased, as well as increase in Voc and Jsc.

• 한국표면공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국표면공학회 2018년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.141-141
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• 2018

Copper is one of the most abundant metals on earth. Its oxide (CuO) is an intrinsically p-type metal-oxide semiconductor with a bandgap ($E_g$) of 1.2-2.0 eV 1. Copper oxide nanomaterials are considered as promising materials for a wide range of applications e.g., lithium ion batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, photocatalytic hydrogen production, photodetectors, and biogas sensors 2-7. Recently, high-density and uniform CuO nanostructures have been grown on Cu foils in alkaline solutions 3. In 2011, T. Soejima et al. proposed a facile process for the oxidation synthesis of CuO nanobelt arrays using $NH_3-H_2O_2$ aqueous solution 8. In 2017, G. Kaur et al. synthesized CuO nanostructures by treating Cu foils in $NH_4OH$ at room temperature for different treatment times 9. The surface treatment of Cu in alkaline aqueous solutions is a potential method for the mass fabrication of CuO nanostructures with high uniformity and density. It is interesting to compare the gas sensing properties among CuO nanomaterials synthesized by this approach and by others. Nevertheless, none of above studies investigated the gas sensing properties of as-synthesized CuO nanomaterials. In this study, CuO nanowalls versus nanoparticles were synthesized via the oxidation process of Cu foil in NH4OH solution at $50-70^{\circ}C$. The gas sensing properties of the as-prepared CuO nanoplates were examined with $C_2H_5OH$, $CH_3COCH_3$, and $NH_3$ at $200-360^{\circ}C$.