The methoxy-type silane coupling agents were synthesized via the modification of the hydrolyzable group and characterized to investigate the change in properties of silica/rubber composites based on the different silane coupling agent structures and the masterbatch fabrication methods. The prepared methoxy-type silane coupling agents exhibited higher reactivity towards hydrolysis compared to the conventional ethoxy-type one which led to the superior silanization to the silica filler surface modified for the reinforcement of styrene-butadiene rubber. The silica/rubber composites based on these methoxy-type silane coupling agents had the characteristics of more developed vulcanization and mechanical properties when fabricated as masterbatch products for tread materials of automobile tire surfaces. In particular, the dimethoxy-type silane coupling agent showed more enhanced rubber composite properties than the trimethoxy-type one, and the environmentally friendly wet masterbatch fabrication process was successfully optimized. The reactivity of the synthesized silane coupling agents toward hydrolysis was investigated by FITR spectroscopic analysis, and the mechanical properties of the prepared silica-reinforced rubber polymers were characterized using a moving die rheometer and a universal testing machine.

We have characterized and evaluated changes in graphene oxide (GO) induced by means of freeze-drying. In order to evaluate these changes, we investigated the effects of freeze-drying and chemical reduction processes on the structure, morphology, chemical composition, and Raman properties of GO and reduced GO. The freeze-dried GO had a pore structure, maintaining a pored morphology even after thermal annealing. The freeze-dried samples were composed of a single folded nanosheet or a few nanosheets stacked and folded. The oxygen-containing functional groups were removed not only during the freeze-drying but also during the reduction processes, with an accompanying decrease in the average size of the sp(2) carbon domain (i.e. an increase in the ID/IG value).

Catalyst-free graphene nanosheets without substrates were synthesized using pure solid carbon sources of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and a spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. Single and few-hundred-nanometer graphene nanosheets were formed from gas-phase carbon atoms which were directly evaporated from MWCNTs at a local high temperature.

Ostwald ripening is an evolutionary mechanism that results in micro-scale carbon spheres from nano-scale spheres. Vapor-phase carbon elements from small carbon nanoparticles are transported to the surface of submicron-scale carbon spheres, eventually leading to their evolution to micro-scale spheres via well-known growth mechanisms, including the layer-by-layer, island, and mixed growth modes. The results obtained from this work will pave the way to the disclosure of the evolutionary mechanism of micro-scale carbon spheres and open a new avenue for practical applications.

An organic-inorganic composite was prepared by mixing silica emulsion with urethane acrylate anionomer (UAA) emulsion. The silica emulsion was prepared by sol-gel process, and stabilized by a steric stabilizer, polyvinyl pyrrolidone. UAA/silica composite film was made by an ultraviolet curing method. The mechanical and rheological properties of the UAA/silica composite were greatly improved. This composite also showed thermal stability during increase of temperature. Surface hardness was improved with increasing silica content up to proper amount of silica. However, in abrasive test, because UAA/silica composite film has a more abrasive contact area than UAA film, the former was abraded much more than the latter. In comparison to UAA film, the UAA/silica composite showed much smoother abrasive surface and less roughness.