Inkjet printed PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT nano‐composites with aligned carbon nanotubes and enhanced conductivity

Conductive patterns of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were deposited on glass substrates using a drop on demand (DOD) inkjet printer, with the concentration of CNT varied from 0.01 wt% to 0.05 wt%. We show that by increasing the concentration of the nanotubes in the ink, percolated networks of well distributed carbon nanotubes in the printed samples can be achieved. Moreover, the orientation of the nanotubes in the printed sample can be controlled using a novel simple approach. The impact of the nanotube alignment on the conduction properties of inkjet printed nano‐hybrid materials is studied and shown in this Letter. Samples with aligned nanotubes show a 53% enhanced conductivity in comparison with the randomly oriented nanotubes. The results show that the electrical performance of the nano‐composite can be improved further by controlling the dispersion and orientation of the nano‐filler in the printed samples.

     

Mechanical properties and structures of bulk nanomaterials based on carbon nanopolymorphs

Bulk nanomaterials based on sp² carbon nanopolymorphs are promising candidates for supercapacitors due to their unique properties such as extremely high specific surface area, high conductivity and stability against graphitization. However, the mechanical response of such materials to external loading is not understood well. This Letter studies the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the mechanical properties and structures of these materials via molecular dynamics simulations. Three types of nanopolymorphs‐based nanomaterials that are composed of bended graphene flakes, short carbon nanotubes and fullerenes are considered. It is found that these three materials show a distinct relation between the pressure and volume strain. Moreover, their resistance to graphitization depends on the structure of their constituent components. The phenomena are explained by analysing the radial distribution function and coordination numbers of the atoms. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Molecular dynamics simulation of an argon cluster filled inside carbon nanotubes

The effects of the diameters of single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWCNTs） （7.83A to 27.40A） and temperature （20 K-45 K） on the equilibrium structure of an argon cluster are systematically studied by molecular dynamics simulation with consideration of the SWCNTs to be fixed. Since the diameters of SWCNTs with different chiralities increase when temperature is fixed at 20 K, the equilibrium structures of the argon cluster transform from monoatomic chains to helical and then to multishell coaxial cylinders. Chirality has almost no noticeable influence on these cylindrosymmetric structures. The effects of temperature and a non-equilibrium sudden heating process on the structures of argon clusters in SWCNTs are also studied by molecular dynamics simulation.     

Influence of functionalization on mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotube-based silver composites

In this study, we have extended the molecular-level mixing method to fabricate multiwall carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced silver nanocomposites. The multiwall nanotubes used in the synthesis process were dispersed by two ways viz. covalent and non-covalent functionalization techniques. To elucidate the comparative effects of functionalization, structural, mechanical and electrical properties of nanocomposites were evaluated before and after sintering. The structural characterization revealed that the nanotubes were embedded, anchored and homogenously dispersed within the silver matrix. Hardness and Young’s modulus of nanotube-reinforced nanocomposite were increased by a factor of 1–1.6 times than that of pure silver, even before and after the sintering. Covalently functionalized nanotube-based composites have shown more enhanced mechanical properties. The CNT reinforcement also improved the electrical conductivity of low-conducting nanosilver matrix before sintering. Non-covalently functionalized nanotube-based nanosilver composites showed more increased electrical conductivity before sintering. But a negative reinforcement effect was observed in high-conducting bulk silver matrix after the sintering. Thus, covalent functionalization might be appropriate for mechanical improvement in low-strength materials. However, non-covalent functionalization is suitable for electrical enhancement in low-conducting nanomaterials.     

Influence of filler alignment in the mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes/epoxy nanocomposites

In this work, we report the mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes/epoxy composites prepared with aligned and randomly oriented nanotubes as filler. The samples are disks of 30 mm in diameter and 3 mm in thickness. To obtain the carbon nanotubes alignment, an external electric field (250 VAC; 50 Hz) was applied through the thickness of the sample during all the cure process. The AC electrical current was measured, during the cure, as a strategy to determine the optimum time in which the alignment reaches the maximum value. DC conductivity measured after the cure shows a percolation threshold in the filler content one order of magnitude smaller for composites with aligned nanotubes than for composites with randomly oriented filler (from 0.06 to 0.5 wt%). In the percolation threshold, the achieved conductivity was 1.4×10⁻⁵ Sm⁻¹. In both cases, aligned and randomly distributed carbon nanotube composites, the wear resistance increases with the addition of the filler while the Rockwell hardness decreases independently of the nanotubes alignment.     

Phonon dispersion relations and soft modes of 4 carbon nanotubes

The phonon dispersion relations of three kinds of 4 carbon nanotubes are calculated by using the density functional perturbation theory. It is found that the frequencies of some phonon modes are very sensitive to the smearing width used in the calculations, and eventually become negative at low electronic temperature. Moreover, two kinds of soft modes are identified for the (5,0) tube which are quite different from those reported previously. Our results suggest that the (5,0) tube remains metallic at very low temperature, instead of the metallic-semiconducting transition claimed before.     

锯齿型碳纳米管的结构衍生及电子特性

利用密度泛函理论研究锯齿型单、双壁碳纳米管从核到管状团簇直至纳米管的逐层结构衍生.研究结果表明五边形结构在管状团簇生长中发挥关键作用.此外,基于管状团簇的研究,运用周期性边界条件得到锯齿型单、双壁碳纳米管,并通过计算能带和态密度研究其电子特性.对单壁(n,0)和双壁(n,0)@(2n,0)碳纳米管,当n=3q(q为整数)时,具有金属或窄带隙半导体特性;n?=3q时,具有较宽带隙半导体特性,且带隙随管径的增加而减小.然而,小管径碳纳米管受曲率效应的明显影响,n?=3q的(4,0),(4,0)@(8,0)和(5,0)@(10,0)均呈现金属性;n=3q的(6,0)@(12,0)则表现出明显的半导体特性.     

Investigation of the Morphological and Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)/Ethylene Propylene Diene Rubber (EPDM) Blends in the Presence of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In this study the blends of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) in the presence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) (1 and 3?wt %) were prepared by melt compounding in an internal mixer. Mechanical and morphological properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. The thermal behaviors of the PET/EPDM nanocomposites were also investigated, by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of the mechanical tests showed that the tensile strength, elastic modulus and the hardness of the blends were increased with increasing CNT, while the impact strength and elongation at break decreased. The DSC and TGA results showed an increase of melting temperature (T_m) and degradation temperature of the nanocomposites with the addition of the carbon nanotubes, because the carbon nanotubes serve both as nucleating agents to increase T_m and prevent the composite from degradation to increase the thermal stability. The microstructure of the composites was evaluated through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and the results showed a good distribution of the MWCNT within the polymer blend.     

Dynamic Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate/Carbon Nanotube Composites

A comparative study of the dielectric and mechanical properties of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) filled with various concentrations of pristine and modified carbon nanotubes is reported. The surface of the carbon nanotubes was modified with 4-(2-(cholesteryloxycarboxy)ethyl) phenyl to improve the interaction of the filler with the block copolymer matrix. The improved interaction and the better dispersion of the modified carbon nanotubes (mMWCNTs) were demonstrated by a detailed study of the EVA molecular mobility through dynamic mechanical analysis and broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. The storage modulus of the nanocomposite with 6 wt.% of mMWCNTs at ?50°C was enhanced by 103%, whereas for the nanocomposite with the same amount of unmodified filler, the storage modulus was only enhanced by 76% compared to the pure elastomeric matrix. This difference is more pronounced in the rubbery region in which the storage moduli were increased by 117% and 48% for the composite with the modified and unmodified fillers, respectively. The morphologies of the nanocomposites were studied with scanning and transmission electron microscopies to demonstrate the dispersion of the mMWCNTs within the EVA matrix.     

Mild hydrothermal treatment to prepare highly dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with improved dispersion property have been prepared by a mild and fast hydrothermal treatment. The hydrothermal process avoids using harsh oxidants and organic solvents, which is environmental friendly and greatly decreases the damage to intrinsic structure of MWCNTs. The modified MWCNTs were highly soluble in polar solvents such as water, ethanol and dimethylformamide. Morphological observation by TEM indicated that the diameter and inherent structure were well reserved in modified MWCNTs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to quantify functional groups created on the MWCNT surface, and to determine rational parameters of hydrothermal process.     

From ceramic–matrix nanocomposites to the synthesis of carbon nanotubes

The selective reduction in H₂ of oxide solid solutions produces nanocomposite powders in which transition metal nanoparticles are dispersed inside and on the surface of the oxide matrix grains. When using a H₂/CH₄ reducing atmosphere, the metal nanoparticles that form on the surface of the oxide grains act as catalysts for the CH₄ decomposition and, because of their small size at high temperatures (>800^○C), favor the in-situ nucleation and growth of single-wall and thin multiwall carbon nanotubes. This article reviews our results on the synthesis and characterization of M-MgAl₂O₄ (M=Fe, Fe/Co, Fe/Ni) nanocomposite powders, without and with carbon nanotubes, emphasizing the information that can be derived from Mössbauer spectroscopy as a complement to other characterization techniques.     

Covalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by lipase

Lipase from Candida rugosa was covalently anchored onto acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) through a self-catalytic mechanism. A variety of characterization techniques including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS were employed to demonstrate the formation of the ester linkage between lipase and MWNTs. The MWNTs-lipase biocomposites showed significantly increased solubility in some common-used organic solvents, such as THF, DMF and chloroform. This study may offer a novel and facile route for covalent modification of carbon nanotubes, and expand the potential utilization of both lipases and MWNTs in the fields of biocatalyst and biosensor.     

Magnetization of carbon nanotubes

For narrow-gap carbon nanotubes, the curvature effect due to the misorientation of 2p_z orbitals dominates over electronic structures and thus magnetic properties. It significantly changes magnetization and magnetic susceptibility, and creates special structures in them. There exists a critical field direction in changing magnetism. The critical angle strongly depends on the chiral angle, the nanotube radius, and the temperature. One-dimensional carbon nanotubes are quite different from zero-dimensional carbon tori, such as in terms of special structures in magnetization, the strength of the magnetic response, and the critical angle.     

Resonant Raman spectroscopy and spectroelectrochemistry characterization of carbon nanotubes/polyaniline thin film obtained through interfacial polymerization

Thin, transparent, and self‐assembled films of neat polyaniline and polyaniline/carbon nanotube nanocomposites were deposited over glass substrates by interfacial polymerization. The effect of the carbon nanotubes on the structure and conformation of the polyaniline, and the type of interaction between the polymer and the nanotubes, have been studied by resonant Raman spectroscopy and UV–Vis and Raman spectroelectrochemistry. The results indicate clearly that the carbon nanotubes induce important changes in the electronic structure of the polymer, resulting in a more polaronic organization. Additionally, an effective interaction between the polymer and the nanotube, based on a polyaniline‐to‐nanotube charge transfer, is proposed in this work. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

129Xe NMR study of Xe adsorption on multiwall carbon nanotubes

¹²⁹Xe NMR spectroscopy has been used to study the adsorption of Xe on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The results obtained have shown the ¹²⁹Xe NMR ability to probe the intercrystalline (aggregate) and the inner porosity of CNT. In particular, the effects on porosity of tubes openings by hydrogen exposure and of ball milling were examined. Dramatic changes observed in the ¹²⁹Xe NMR spectra after moderate ball milling of MWCNTs were attributed to the destruction of the initial intercrystalline pore structure and to the Xe access inside the nanotubes. To examine the exchange dynamics the mixture of as-made and milled MWCNTs was studied with one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) ¹²⁹Xe NMR. The exchange between the interior of milled nanotubes and the aggregate pores of as-made MWCNTs was fast on the NMR acquisition time scale. The Xenon exchange between the interior of the as-made MWCNTs and the large aggregate pores occurred on a longer time scale of 10 ms, as was established by 2D ¹²⁹Xe NMR exchange spectroscopy. Variable temperature ¹²⁹Xe NMR data were also discussed and analyzed in terms of the fast exchange approximation.     

Mechanics and morphology of single-walled carbon nanotubes: from graphene to the elastica

Abstract

The elastica is referred to the shape of the curve into which the centreline of a flexible lamina is bent. Hence, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are treated as the elastica obtained from bending of graphene. The corresponding large deformation accompanies both the material and geometrical non-linearities. The morphology of the free-standing SWCNTs such as the natural angle of twist, bond lengths, tube radius and wall thickness are determined. Moreover, it is shown that the induced self-equilibriated strain field has a remarkable impact on the mechanical behaviour of the nanotube. Utilization of an appropriate non-linear continuum constitutive relation for graphene leads to exact formulation of the governing equations of SWCNTs. Subsequently, through perturbation analysis, the asymptotic solutions of the initial elastic fields for the SWCNTs are presented. By performing ab initio calculations, the components of the fourth and sixth-order elastic moduli tensors in the constitutive model of graphene needed in this study are computed.     

Kondo效应对磁杂质碳纳米管电输运特性的影响

从碳纳米管中Kondo效应的影响出发, 在有限温度下采用Anderson模型表征碳纳米管/磁杂质系统, 利用Landauer公式对磁杂质碳纳米管的电导和热电势进行研究, 得出和实验结果一致结论. 关键词： Kondo效应 碳纳米管 电输运特性     

Nanocomposites based on polymer blends: enhanced interfacial interactions in polycarbonate/ethylene-propylene copolymer blends with multi-walled carbon nanotubes

In this article, the phase separation in the melt blended polycarbonate (PC) and ethylene propylene copolymer (EPC) has been studied with dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two glass transition temperatures on the tan δ curves were detected. This confirms the immiscibility of PC and EPC phases. Different content of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were added to the PC/EPC blends and the interfacial adhesion between MWCNTs and PC/EPC blend were shown using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The MWCNTs were located in the PC phase and at the interfaces of PC and EPC phases. Moreover, the storage modulus (E′) of polymer blends was changed by the increasing content of EPC elastomer and MWCNTs. The value of E′ of PC decreased with an incorporation of EPC. While, along with an addition of MWCNTs in the PC/EPC blends an increase of E′ was visible. The strong interfacial interactions between the matrix and MWCNTs played the main role in increasing the values of the E′ of the nanocomposites.     

单层碳纳米管的磁输运特性

依据磁场中Boltzmann输运方程及单层磁纳米管(SWNTs)的能量色散关系,对单个SWNTs中轴向磁场诱发的低温磁阻进行了数值计算.分析表明:当电子以低能输运时,SWNTs的磁阻有明显的Aharonov-Bohn(A-B)效应,与并SWNTs的能隙相对应.