Functionalisation of Carbon Nanotubes for Polymer Reinforcement

Chemical Functionalisation of Carbon Nanotubes for Polymer Reinforcement 

School of Chemistry and CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. E-mail igounko tcd.ie 

With CNTs becoming easier to produce and much cheaper to buy, CNT-based manufacturing could potentially overtake that of the carbon fibre industry and result in a number of new commercial polymer composite products. However, there are still many challenges in this area including the development of functionalised CNTs as additives for polymer reinforcement. 

There are two major approaches to nanotube functionalisation non-covalent supramolecular modifications and covalent functionalisation.  

The non-covalent functionalisation of nanotubes normally involves van der Waals, 71-71, CH-ti or electrostatic interactions between polymer molecules and the CNT surface. 

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