Interactions between polymers and carbon nanotubes: a molecular dynamics study

We used force-field-based molecular dynamics to study the interaction between polymers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The intermolecular interaction energy between single-walled carbon nanotubes and polymers was computed, and the morphology of polymers adsorbed to the surface of nanotubes was investigated. Furthermore, the "wrapping" of nanotubes by polymer chains was examined. It was found that the specific monomer structure plays a very important role in determining the strength of interaction between nanotubes and polymers. The results of our study suggest that polymers with a backbone containing aromatic rings are promising candidates for the noncovalent binding of carbon nanotubes into composite structures. Such polymers can be used as building blocks in amphiphilic copolymers to promote increased interfacial binding between the CNT and a polymeric matrix.