Carbon nanotubes polymerization

Keywords polymeric nanocomposite, carbon nanotubes, polymeric scaffold... 

There is currently considerable interest in processing polymeric composite materials filled with nanosized rigid particles. This class of material called "nanocomposites" describes two-phase materials where one of the phases has at least one dimension lower than 100 nm [13]. Because the building blocks of nanocomposites are of nanoscale, they have an enormous interface area. Due to this there are a lot of interfaces between two intermixed phases compared to usual microcomposites. In addition to this, the mean distance between the particles is also smaller due to their small size which favors filler-filler interactions [14]. Nanomaterials not only include metallic, bimetallic and metal oxide but also polymeric nanoparticles as well as advanced materials like carbon nanotubes and dendrimers. However considering environmetal hazards, research has been focused on various means which form the basis of green nanotechnology. 

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a set of materials with different structures and properties. They are among the most important materials of modern nanoscience and nanotechnology field. They combine inorganic, organic, bio-organic, coUoidal, and polymeric chemistry and are chemically inert. They are insoluble in any solvent and their chemistry is in a key position toward interdisciphnary applications, for example, use as supports for catalysts and catalytic membranes [20, 21]. 

Snow, E. S. Campbell, P. M. Ancona, M. G. Novak, J. P. 2005. High-mobility carbon-nanotube thin-film transistors on a polymeric substrate. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 033105-033107. 

Kong H, Gao C, Yan DY (2004). Functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by atom transfer radical polymerization and defunctionalization of the products. Macromolecules 37 ... 

Landi BJ, Castro SL, Ruf HJ, Evans CM, Bailey SG, Raffaelle RP (2005). CdSe quantum dot-single wall carbon nanotube complexes for polymeric solar cells. Solar Energy Mater And Solar Cells 87 733-746. 

Park C, Ounaies Z, Watson KA, Crooks RE, Smith J, Lowther SE, Connell JW, Siochi EJ, Harrison JS, Clair TL (2002). Dispersion of single wall carbon nanotubes by in situ polymerization under sonication. Chem. Phys. Lett. 364 303-308. 

A wide variety of carbon materials has been used in this study, including multi-wall carbon nanotubes (sample MWNT) chemically activated multi-wall carbon nanotubes (sample A-MWNT)16, commercially available vapor grown carbon nanofibers (sample NF) sample NF after chemical activation with K.OH (sample A-NF) commercially pitch-based carbon fiber from Kureha Company (sample CF) commercially available activated carbons AX-21 from Anderson Carbon Co., Maxsorb from Kansai Coke and Chemicals and commercial activated carbon fibers from Osaka Gas Co. (A20) a series of activated carbons prepared from a Spanish anthracite (samples named K.UA) and Subituminous coal (Samples H) by chemical activation with KOH as described by D. Lozano-Castello et al.17 18 activated carbon monoliths (ACM) prepared from different starting powder activated carbons by using a proprietry polymeric binder from Waterlink Sutcliffe Carbons, following the experimental process described in the previous paper13. 

In the section discussing Diels-Alder cycloadditions, it was shown how this reaction can be exploited as a way to link polymeric chains to the nanotube sidewalls. Attachment of polymers to carbon nanotubes is an important possibility for the chemistry of nanotubes as even low degrees of derivatization considerably enhance their solubility. 

L. Dai, A. W. H. Mau, Controlled synthesis and modification of carbon nanotubes and C60 Carbon nanostructures for advanced polymeric composite materials, Advanced Materials, vol. 13, pp. 899-913, 2001. 

B. Fragneaud, K. Masenelli-Varlot, A. Gonzalez-Montiel, M. Terrones, J.Y. Cavaille, Efficient coating of N-doped carbon nanotubes with polystyrene using atomic transfer radical polymerization., Chemical Physics Letters, vol. 419, pp. 567-573, 2006. 

Yao, Z., et al., Polymerization from the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes -Preparation and characterization of nanocomposites. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2003.125(51) p. 16015-16024. 

Kong, H., C. Gao, and D. Yan, Controlled functionalization ofmultiwalled carbon nanotubes by in situ atom transfer radical polymerization. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2003. 126(2) p. 412-413. 

The search for flexible, noncorrosive, inexpensive conductive materials has recently focused on polymeric materials. This search has increased to include, for some applications, nanosized fibrils and tubes. The conductivity of common materials is given in Figure 19.1. As seen, most polymers are nonconductive and, in fact, are employed in the electronics industry as insulators. This includes PE and PVC. The idea that polymers can become conductive is not new and is now one of the most active areas in polymer science. The advantages of polymeric conductors include lack of corrosion, low weight, ability to lay wires on almost a molecular level, and ability to run polymeric conductive wires in very intricate and complex designs. The topic of conductive carbon nanotubes has already been covered (Section 12.17). 

The polyaniline was prepared by emulsion polymerization following the procedure outlined in US patent 5,863,465 with DNNSAused as a dopant [22]. Carbon Nanotubes (CNI) manufactured the nanotubes used in the work either by a high-pressure fabrication method (Hipco SWNT) or via laser ablation (Laser SWNT). We found that excellent dispersions of the nanotubes in PANI could be produced by two different procedures. The nanotubes could either be directly sonicated into the PANI solution or first sonicated into xylene and that dispersion afterwards sonicated into the DNNSA-PANI solution. 

Many investigations have been performed on carbon nanotube (CNT) use in DLC electrodes [23-25], Today it is well established that CNTs offer a poor surface accessibility for the ions with a resulting low-capacitance density. Ongoing studies show promise in the use of CNTs in small proportion as an additional material to enhance the electronic conductivity and the mechanical properties of the electrode. The CNTs are also used as a support for high-capacitive polymeric redox material in order to increase their weak conductivity [26],... 

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