Methods to improve process

In the past few years, significant progress has been achieved to develop carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites. Despite these successes, several critical processing issues must be solved before the full potential of carbon nanotubes is realized in the nanocomposite. 

The polymer matrix should be properly chosen before processing of carbon nanotube/polymer composites. Both thermosetting and thermoplastic 

Due to the van der Waals interaction, the nanotubes tend to aggregate to form bundles or ropes and further agglomerate when dispersed in the polymer matrix. The high surface area of the nanotubes also results in a high viscosity of the nanotube/polymer mixture particularly when fabricating the nanocomposite with high loading level of the nanotubes, which makes the dispersion of the nanotubes extremely difficult. The dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix can be made by several techniques. 

Sonication is widely used in the laboratory to disperse nanotubes into the polymer matrix. This process utilizes ultrasound energy to agitate 

While the sonication and ball milling processes may occasionally introduce damage to the nanotubes structure, there are alternatives to disperse the 

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Indacenedithiophenes (IDTs) are a class of molecules that are isoelectronic to the IF family (Figure 2.16). Incorporation of sulfur into aromatic backbones is an established method to improve processability and stability to ambient conditions and modify electronics [84-86]. IDTs 34a and 35a were prepared by the Haley group and exhibited red-shifted absorptions and deepened LUMO energy levels compared with 28q. Benzannulated derivatives 34b and 35b were further red-shifted with LUMO energy levels estimated at —4.03 and —3.84eV, respectively. 

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