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Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) films have strong potential for application in flexible transparent conductive electrodes. In this study, the electrical conductivity of PEDOT: PSS is shown to be enhanced by a bisphenol additive, bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone (BPS). The effects of BPS on the chemical structure of PEDOT: PSS were investigated using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The PEDOT: PSS conformation is found to undergo a transformation into a highly conductive structure following the addition of BPS.

The effect of the content of carboxy groups in oxidized cellulose nanofiber (CeNF) on hydroxyapatite (HAp) formation capability in biomimetic processing using a solution mimicking human body fluid (simulated body fluid; SBF) was systematically investigated. Oxidized CeNF with different carboxy group contents (0–27% per glucose units of cellulose) were soaked in 1.5SBF, in which concentration was 1.5 times higher than that of SBF. It was found that there was optimum amount of carboxy groups for the effective induction of HAp nucleation on CeNF.

Dispersibility and interfacial interactions are the important factors to exploit the high potential of nanocarbons for polymer/nanocarbon nanocomposites. However, carbon backbone with low reactivity has often cause agglomerations and defects from the interfaces. The use of surfactants and the surface modifications of nanocarbons have widely been conducted to improve these issues. This paper reviews recent advances in the design of polymer/nanocarbon nanocomposites, focusing on our research on the reinforcement effect of nanodiamond on polymer nanocomposites.

The graphene oxide (GO)-reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites were prepared using a simple and environment friendly process using aqueous medium. GO was revealed to be nanodispersed in the PVA matrix. The Young’s modulus of the nanocomposites largely exceeded the predicted value with only a low content of GO. We also revealed the increase in the thermal resistance and the barrier properties. As a result, not only the excellent properties but also the advantageous effects derived from the sheet-like structure of GO were successfully imparted to the nanocomposites.