Confinement of CNTs in Block Copolymer Matrix

The fabrication of a solution of CNTs with good dispersion and stability has been of great interest because most of the potential applications of SWNTs are based on solution processes such as spin coating and dip coating. The physical adsorption on to the nanotube surface of surfactants and/or macromolecules has been shown as a possible way to stabilize SWNTs in both aqueous and organic media. 

Block copolymers have attracted significant attention as nanostructured materials, as they self-assemble to form well-defined, ordered, periodic nanoscale morphologies.The versatility of this unique class of polymers offers tremendous potential for their use as templates and scaffolds for applications in microelectronics, separation devices, optics and optoelectronics.  

More generally to separate and solubilize as-synthesized nanotubes, they have to be functionalized. It was demonstrated that the nanotube treatment with octadecylamine (ODA) and other amines, such as nonylamine, 

Along with the utilization of block copolymers as CNT dispersants, the role of an organic surfactant for the confinement of the nanotubes inside the self-assembled block copol5mier matrix was reported. More generally a surfactant consists of two parts, one hydrophilic and the other one hydrophobic, and due to this architecture it is used as a bridge between nanofillers and polymeric matrices. 

In particular, when a block copolymer matrix is used, an adequate surfactant can be used to selectively disperse nanofillers in one of the blocks of the block copolymer matrix. This selectivity is important in designing the properties of block copolymer-based composites. 

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