Interaction between alkyl radicals and single wall carbon nanotubes

The addition of primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl radicals to single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was studied by means of dispersion corrected density functional theory. The PBE, B97‐D, M06‐L, and M06‐2X functionals were used. Consideration of Van der Waals interactions is essential to obtain accurate addition energies. In effect, the enthalpy changes at 298 K, for the addition of methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and tert‐butyl radicals onto a (5,5) SWCNT are: ?25.7, ?25.1, ?22.4, and ?16.6 kcal/mol, at the M06‐2X level, respectively, whereas at PBE/6‐31G* level they are significantly lower: ?25.0, ?19.0, ?16.7, and ?5.0 kcal/mol respectively. Although the binding energies are small, the attached alkyl radicals are expected to be stable because of the large desorption barriers. The importance of nonbonded interactions was more noticeable as we moved from primary to tertiary alkyl radicals. Indeed, for the tert‐butyl radical, physisorption onto the (11,0) SWCNT is preferred rather than chemisorption. The bond dissociation energies determined for alkyl radicals and SWCNT follow the trend suggested by the consideration of radical stabilization energies. However, they are in disagreement with some degrees of functionalization observed in recent experiments. This discrepancy would stem from the fact that for some HiPco nanotubes, nonbonded interactions with alkyl radicals are stronger than covalent bonds. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis of polymer grafted carbon nanotubes by nitroxide mediated radical polymerization in the presence of spin-labeled carbon nanotubes

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were grafted with polystyrene by in situ nitroxide mediated radical polymerization in the presence of TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl) functionalized MWCNT, which was synthesized by the reaction between 4-hydroxyl-TEMPO (HO-TEMPO) and carbonyl chloride groups on the MWCNT. Although the controllability of the polymerization was not high, highly soluble grafted MWCNTs were indeed obtained, indicating that the graft polymerization was efficient. The resulting polystyrene grafted MWCNTs were easily defunctionalized at room temperature using 3-chloroperoxybenzioc acid. TEM, SEM, and TGA were employed to determine the structure, morphology, and the grafting quantities of the resulting products.     

Modification of multiwall carbon nanotubes by grafting from controlled polymerization of styrene: Effect of the characteristics of the nanotubes

Linear polystyrene chains were grown from the convex surface of two commercially available multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with similar diameter but different lengths. The MWCNTs were supplied from Bayer Material Science® (purity >95%, external diameter = 13–16 nm, length = 1–10 μm, denoted MWCNT_BMS⁹⁵) and FutureCarbon GmbH (purity >99%, external diameter = 15 nm, length = 5–50 μm, denoted MWCNT_FC⁹⁹). The MWCNTs were oxidized with nitric acid, consecutively reacted with thionyl chloride, glycol or poly(ethylene glycol), 2‐bromo‐2‐methylpropionyl bromide and finally with styrene under atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) conditions. The content of polystyrene grafted from the surface of the MWCNTs can be controlled by adjusting the molecular weight of the poly(ethylene glycol), the initiator concentration and the monomer to carbon nanotube weight ratio. Under comparable experimental conditions, a higher amount of polystyrene is grafted from the MWCNT_BMS⁹⁵ than from MWCNT_FC⁹⁹. The difference in dimensions and the state of aggregation of the carbon nanotubes influence the grafting from polymerization reactions, where relative shorter and tightly aggregated carbon nanotubes promote higher polymerizations yields than longer and less aggregated carbon nanotubes. The increase of the viscosity of the carbon nanotube dispersion decreases the polymer grafting content. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1035–1046, 2010     

单壁碳纳米管中甲烷吸附的分子模拟

采用巨正则系统MonteCarlo方法研究了甲烷在单壁碳纳米管(Singlewallcarbonnanotube,SWNT)中于低温74.05K下的吸附等温线及吸附机理,发现在两个较小的孔径(1.225nm和1.632nm)下单壁碳纳米管中甲烷的吸附有着明显的微孔所独有的“填充效应”,而在2.04nm以上的孔的吸附中会出现毛细凝聚现象。通过模拟知道发生毛细凝聚的必要条件是孔内能至少容纳下两层粒子,此外还导出在恒定温度下毛细凝聚吸附量与SWNT孔径关系。本文还模拟了常温300K下甲烷在SWNT内的吸附,对比了2.04nm和4.077nm两种孔径的SWNT吸附甲烷的等温线,推荐在4.077nm孔中的适宜吸附存储压力为5.0～6.0MPa,吸附质量分数可达16%～19%.     

Singlewall carbon nanotubes covered with polystyrene nanoparticles by in‐situ miniemulsion polymerization

This work is to make carbon nanotubes dispersible in both water and organic solvents without oxidation and cutting nanotube threads. Polystyrene‐singlewall carbon nanotube (PS‐SWNT) composites were prepared with three different methods: miniemulsion polymerization, conventional emulsion polymerization, and mixing SWNT with PS latex. The two factors, crosslinking and surface coverage of PS are important factors for the mechanical and electrical properties, including dispersion states of SWNT in various solvents. The PS‐SWNT composite prepared via a conventional emulsion polymerization showed SWNT bundles entirely covered with PS, whereas the PS‐SWNT composite prepared via a miniemulsion polymerization showed SWNT partially covered with crosslinked PS nanoparticles. The method of mixing SWNTs with PS latex did not show the well dispersed state of carbon nanotubes because PS was not crosslinked and was dissolved in a solvent, and nanotubes separated from PS precipitated. So the PS nanoparticle‐SWNT composite had lower electrical resistance, and higher mechanical strength than the other composites made by the latter two methods. As the amount of SWNT increases, the bare surface area of SWNT increases and the electrical conductivity increases in the composite made by the miniemulsion polymerization. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 573–584, 2006     

Molecular dynamics simulation of polyethylene on single wall carbon nanotube

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out on the isothermal crystallization process of single polyethylene chains with different chain lengths on the single wall carbon nanotube. This process is summarized as two steps, i.e., adsorption and orientation, and the bond-orientational order parameter is used to show the details of this process. The results show that the attractive van der Waals interactions control the adsorption and orientation of polyethylene on single wall carbon nanotube, and as the chain length increases, more microstructures appear in the last ordered structure. The stems of the ordered structure align parallel to the single wall carbon nanotube axis.     

Molecular dynamics simulation in the grand canonical ensemble

An extended system Hamiltonian is proposed to perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in the grand canonical ensemble. The Hamiltonian is similar to the one proposed by Lynch and Pettitt (Lynch and Pettitt, J Chem Phys 1997, 107, 8594), which consists of the kinetic and potential energies for real and fractional particles as well as the kinetic and potential energy terms for material and heat reservoirs interacting with the system. We perform a nonlinear scaling of the potential energy parameters of the fractional particle, as well as its mass to vary the number of particles dynamically. On the basis of the equations of motion derived from this Hamiltonian, an algorithm has been proposed for MD simulation at constant chemical potential. The algorithm has been tested for the ideal gas, for the Lennard-Jones fluid over a wide range of temperatures and densities, and for water. The results for the low-density Lennard-Jones fluid are compared with the predictions from a truncated virial equation of state. In the case of the dense Lennard-Jones fluid and water our predicted results are compared with the results reported using other available methods for the calculation of the chemical potential. The method is also applied to the case of vapor-liquid coexistence point predictions.     

金属晶体间微观静摩擦特性的分子动力学模拟研究

以光滑干摩擦接触平面为对象,利用金属晶体间的强体积效应特征,建立了简化计算静摩擦力的界面势能模型.根据第一性原理的方法模拟得出界面分子势能的变化,通过界面分子势能计算出静摩擦力大小,并将数据结果通过通用黏附能量函数计算出的静摩擦力大小进行验证,也将计算结果与超高真空原子力显微镜试验结果进行对比.最后拟合出最大静摩擦力与法向载荷的线性函数关系,得出摩擦力的数值为真实接触面积的函数,并与法向载荷成正比的结论.从微观上对同种金属材料间库伦摩擦定律进行验证与研究.     

Functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by epoxide ring-opening polymerization

In this study, covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was accomplished by surface-initiated epoxide ring-opening polymerization. FT-IR spectra showed that polyether and epoxide group covalently attached to the sidewalls of CNTs. TGA results indicated that the polyether was successfully grown from the CNT surface, with the final products having a polymer weight percentage of ca. 14-74 wt%. The O/C ratio of CNTs increased significantly from 5.1% to 29.8% after surface functionalization of CNTs. SEM and TEM images of functionalized CNTs exhibited that the tubes were enwrapped by polymer chains with thickness of several nanometers, forming core-shell structures with CNTs at the center.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of anticancer drug delivery from carbon nanotube using metal nanowires

In this study, we have investigated delivery of cisplatin as the anticancer drug molecules in different carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the gas phase using molecular dynamics simulation. We examined the shape and composition of the releasing agent by using the different nanowires and nanoclusters. We also investigated the doping effect on the drug delivery process using N-, Si, B-, and Fe-doped CNTs. Different thermodynamics, structural, and dynamical properties have been studied by using the pure and different doped CNTs in this study. Our results show that the doping of the CNT has significant effect on the rate of the drug releasing process regardless of the composition of the releasing agent. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of local strain on the reactivity of carbon nanotubes

The heats of addition of H atom and Me^· radical to carbon atoms of a capped (10,10)-nanotube were calculated by the molecular dynamics (MD) method with Brenner"s potential. According to calculations, the reaction heats linearly depend on the pyramidalization angle, which is a quantitative measure of the local curvature and strain in the planar carbon sheet in the vicinity of the reaction center. Depending on the pyramidalization angle (0—20°), the change in the reaction energy can reach 1 eV. Comparison of the results obtained for a model reaction CH₃ ^· + H^· CH₄ using the ab initio approach and MD simulations with Brenner"s potential shows that this potential can be used in studies of the effect of pyramidalization of the carbon center on its reactivity.     

Effect of carbon nanotubes on mechanical and electrical properties of polyimide/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) reinforced polyimide nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization using 4,4′-oxydianilline, MWNTs, and pyromellitic dianhydride followed by casting, evaporation and thermal imidization. A homogeneous dispersion of chemically modified MWNTs was achieved in polyimide matrix as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The incorporation of the modified MWNTs enhanced the mechanical properties of the polyimide due to the presence of strong interfacial interaction between the polymer matrix and the nanotubes in polymer composites. The resultant polyimide/MWNTs nanocomposites were electrically conductive with significant conductivity enhancement at 3 wt% MWNTs, which is favorable for many practical uses.     

Novel UV initiator for functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by atom transfer radical polymerization applied on two different grades of nanotubes

A novel nonoxidative method for preparation of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) has been developed based on a UV sensitive initiator for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The method has been investigated with respect to ligands and polymerization time for the preparation of polystyrene functionalized MWCNT. It was found that pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) gave superior results with higher loading in shorter polymerization time. A comparative study of the method applied on two different grades of nonoxidized MWCNT has been performed, illustrating large differences in reactivity and polymer loading, underlining the importance of the choice of MWCNT starting material. In addition to styrene, also poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) was shown to polymerize from the surface of the MWCNT. Finally, initial results from composites of polystyrene or polyphenylenesulfide are presented. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Coating of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with polymer nanospheres through microemulsion polymerization

We report a simple and noncovalent method for coating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with polyaniline (PANI) nanospheres using a microemulsion polymerization method. In this method, aniline polymerization is performed with MWCNTs in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), which serves as both a surfactant and a dopant. Morphological, structural, thermal, and electrical properties of MWCNT–PANI nanocomposites were analyzed. The TEM results of the nanocomposites prepared with surfactant reveal that 30–50-nm-diameter PANI nanospheres were coated on the surface of the MWCNTs. Composites prepared without surfactant were found to be in core–sheath-type cable structures. The conductivities of the nanocomposites synthesized through microemulsion polymerization were found to be one order of magnitude higher than both the conductivities of pure PANI and the composites prepared via in situ chemical polymerization without an assisting SDS surfactant. The mechanism for the formation of nanostructured composites is presented.     

Surface modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes via nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization

The nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization of styrene was carried out on the surfaces of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) initiated by an MWNT‐supported initiator multiwalled carbon nanotube–2″,2″,6″,6″‐tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (MWNT–Tempo). The content of polystyrene grafted from the surface was controlled by changes in the polymerization conditions, such as the reaction times or the ratios of monomers to initiators. The obtained polystyrene‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT–PSs) were further used to initiate the polymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine to get polystyrene‐b‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine)‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT–PS‐b‐P4VPs). In contrast to unmodified MWNTs, MWNT–PSs had relatively good dispersibility in various organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran, CHCL₃, and o‐dichlorobenzene. The structures and properties of MWNT–PSs and MWNT–PS‐b‐P4VPs were characterized and studied with several methods, including thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet–visible, and transmission electron microscopy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4656–4667, 2006     

Chemical and biochemical sensing with modified single walled carbon nanotubes

The nano dimensions, graphitic surface chemistry and electronic properties of single walled carbon nanotubes make such a material an ideal candidate for chemical or biochemical sensing. Carbon nanotubes can be nondestructively oxidized along their sidewalls or ends and subsequently covalently functionalized with colloidal particles or polyamine dendrimers via carboxylate chemistry. Proteins adsorb individually, strongly and noncovalently along nanotube lengths. These nanotube-protein conjugates are readily characterized at the molecular level by atomic force microscopy. Several metalloproteins and enzymes have been bound on both the sidewalls and termini of single walled carbon nanotubes. Though coupling can be controlled, to a degree, through variation of tube oxidative pre-activation chemistry, careful control experiments and observations made by atomic force microscopy suggest that immobilization is strong, physical and does not require covalent bonding. Importantly, in terms of possible device applications, protein attachment appears to occur with retention of native biological structure. Nanotube electrodes exhibit useful voltammetric properties with direct electrical communication possible between a redox-active biomolecule and the delocalized pi system of its carbon nanotube support.     

In Situ polymerization functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes with polystyrene

The in situ polymerization functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) with polystyrene (PS) is demonstrated utilizing stabilized nanotubes reduced by dissolution of excess lithium in ammonia. Short PS chains are tethered to SWNT sidewalls to facilitate a robust compatibilization strategy for nanotube dispersion. To augment extents of functionalization, while maintaining in situ dispersion stability, the effects of multiple monomer addition steps and varied carbon to lithium ratio are studied. The developed functionalization scheme is also effective for the reductive alkylation of SWNT with dodecyl surface groups. By studying the dodecylated SWNT, the molecular weight of grafted PS chains is estimated. The discovery of a general experimental artifact has implications for all functionalization routes utilizing reduction with lithium in ammonia. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3716–3725     

Electron promotion by surface functional groups of single wall carbon nanotubes to overlying metal particles in a fuel-cell catalyst

A remarkable promotion: Functional groups added onto single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can significantly influence the activity of a noble metal for formic acid oxidation. Phenolate groups on SWNTs under alkaline conditions can double the activity of 20 % w/w Pd compared to unmodified SWNTs. This catalyst has 14 times higher activity than the commercial benchmark catalyst (10 % w/w Pd on Vulcan).