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     

Synthesis,characterization, and electrical properties of polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites

Size‐controllable polypyrrole (PPy)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites have been synthesized by in situ chemical oxidation polymerization directed by various concentrations of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Raman spectra, FTIR, SEM, and TEM were used to characterize their structure and morphology. These results showed that the composites are core (MWCNT)–shell (PPy) tubular structures with the thickness of the PPy layer in the range of 20–40 nm, depending on the concentration of CTAB. Raman and FTIR spectra of the composites are almost identical to those of PPy alone. The electrical conductivities of these composites are 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than those of PPy without MWCNTs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6449–6457, 2006     

Effect of the pore surface modification of an inorganic substrate on the plasma‐grafting behavior of pore‐filling‐type organic/inorganic composite membranes

We have investigated the effect of the surface state and surface treatment of the pores of an inorganic substrate on the plasma‐grafting behavior of pore‐filling‐type organic/inorganic composite membranes. Shirasu porous glass (SPG) was used as the inorganic substrate, and methyl acrylate was used as the grafting monomer. The grafting rate increased as the density of silanol on the SPG substrate increased. This result suggests that radicals are generated mainly at the silanol groups on the pore surface by plasma irradiation. The SPG substrates were treated with silane coupling agents used to control the mass of organic material bonded to the pore surface. The thickness of the grafted layer became thinner as the mass of organic material bonded to the pore surface of SPG increased. This decrease in the thickness of the grafted layer could be explained by the decrease in the penetration depth of vacuum ultraviolet rays contained in plasma having a wavelength of less than 160 nm that generated radicals in the pores of the substrate. The thickness of the grafted layer inside the SPG substrates could be controlled through the control of the mass of organic material bonded to the pore surface of the SPG substrate. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 846–856, 2006     

An accurate method to predict the stress concentration in composite laminates with a circular hole under tensile loading

The paper presents a theoretical-numerical hybrid method for determining the stresses distribution in composite laminates containing a circular hole and subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. The method is based upon an appropriate corrective function allowing a simple and rapid evaluation of stress distributions in a generic plate of finite width with a hole based on the theoretical stresses distribution in an infinite plate with the same hole geometry and material. In order to verify the accuracy of the method proposed, various numerical and experimental tests have been performed by considering different laminate lay-ups; in particular, the experimental results have shown that a combined use of the method proposed and the well-know point-stress criterion leads to reliable strength predictions for GFRP or CFRP laminates with a circular hole. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 531–570, July–August, 2007.     

聚丙烯基纳米碳纤维复合材料结晶行为研究

采用示差扫描量热法(DSC)研究了纳米碳纤维对PP／CNF复合材料中PP结晶行为的影响。结果表明：纳米碳纤雏可提高PP的结晶温度，但略降低其结晶速率和结晶度。提高纳米碳纤雏含量或减小纳米碳纤雏直径，PP结晶行为的上述变化更为明显，但结晶速率随纳米碳纤维含量出现先减小后增大的趋势。     

氧化铝/碳纳米管复合材料的制备及表征

采用聚乙烯醇对碳纳米管表面进行改性，通过化学沉淀法将Al(OH)₃均匀沉积在碳纳米管表面，然后在氮气气氛下于500 ℃煅烧2 h，制备出氧化铝/碳纳米管复合材料。采用TEM、TG、DTA、XRD、IR、氮吸附脱附(比表面积及孔结构分析)等对氧化铝/碳纳米管复合材料进行表征，结果表明:未经聚乙烯醇改性的碳纳米管，氧化铝与碳纳米管相互分离;经聚乙烯醇改性的碳纳米管，氧化铝与碳纳米管结合良好。经聚乙烯醇改性的碳纳米管表面均匀覆盖一层聚乙烯醇膜，通过聚乙烯醇的吸附作用， Al(OH)₃沉积在碳纳米管表面形成一层连续的覆盖层。     

高分子基PTC复合材料的研究及其应用

本文概述了高分子基PTC复合材料最近的研究动态，阐述了其作为热敏材料在自控温加热系统和过流保护元件方面的广泛应用。     

Rational synthesis of covalently bonded organic-inorganic hybrids

Hybrid materials based on covalently linked inorganic polyoxometalates (POMs) and organic species containing a delocalized pi system have drawn increasing attention. These hybrids, traditionally prepared by cluster assembly approaches that lack predictability and controllability, can now be synthesized through common organic reactions by using organically functionalized POM clusters as building blocks. This minireview highlights some of the most recent advances on a particular type of hybrids where the organic and inorganic components are connected by an imido linkage.     

Structural Study of Silica Xerogel Composites Containing Pd Aggregates

Composites containing Pd aggregates dispersed in amorphous silica are of interest from both a fundamental and applied point of view because of their attractive catalytic properties. The silica powders added with palladium, prepared by the sol-gel method, were studied using X-ray diffraction, and IR- and UV-Vis-spectrophotometry. Silica xerogel samples were prepared using a ethanol/H₂O/TEOS molar ratio of 4:11.6:1 and loaded with sodium tetrachloropalladate. The silica xerogel microstructure of the powders was studied as a function of annealing temperature. Attention was paid to the evolution of the glass matrix as well as the palladium aggregates in the SiO₂ matrix. We found in our samples partial crystallization of the glass matrix in form of quartz and cristobalite phases with palladium oxide and metallic palladium phase at 1000^∘C. The Rietveld refinement method was used in order to determine the percentage of the phase contents.     

Photochemical Synthesis and Spectral-Optical Characteristics of ZnO/Cu and ZnO/Ag/Cu Nanoheterostructures

The photoreduction of Cu²⁺ at the surface of ZnO nanoparticles and ZnO/Ag nanostructures was investigated. The spectral characteristics of the obtained ZnO/Cu and ZnO/Ag/Cu composites were studied in relation to the reaction conditions. It was shown that the ZnO/Ag nanoparticles have higher photocatalytic activity in the reduction of Cu²⁺ ions than the individual ZnO particles.