Single-walled CNTs composites

CNFs are intrinsically less conductive than either single-walled CNTs or multi-walled CNTs and CNF composites have the potential for creating inexpensive semiconducting polymers. These composites require a homogeneous dispersion within the polymer. Most well dispersed materials are made by high shear methods like twin screw extrusion [243,244]. However, the aspect ratios of the CNFs are significantly reduced, which leads to decreased mechanical properties and conductivity. 

Multiwalled CNTs were also used to improve the mechanical properties of polylactide-caprolactone copolymer. The composite with only 2 wt% of MWCNTs showed 100% improvement in the elastic modulus and a 160% enhancement in tensile strength [64]. Others showed significant reinforcement in bofli compressive modulus (74%) and flexural modulus (69%) with only 0.05 wt% of single-walled CNTs [65]. These results demonstrate favorable cytocompatibility for potential use as scafrbld for bone tissue engineering applications. 

Employing PAA was shown to improve the CDI performance as it acts as a cation exchange membrane. Another composite electrode composed of PANI (polyaniline) and single-walled CNTs showed a slight increase in CDI performance (-10%) compared to films composed of pure single-walled CNTs. This improvement in desalination was not only explained by the increase in the meso-pore volume but may also be related with the different EC properties of the PANI-CNT composite material." ... 

CNTs are also widely used in actuators [168-171], The addition of CNTs to PANI fibers increased the electromechanical actuation because the CNTs improved the mechanical, electronic and electrochemical properties of the PANI fibers [172-174], Composites based on CNTs are studied for a variety of sensor applications [175-177], For example, polypyrrole or PANI deposited on single-walled CNT networks that can be used as solid state pH sensors [178], A DNA sensor was created fi om a composite of polypyrrole and CNTs fimctionalized with carboxylic groups to covalently immobilize DNA onto CNTs [179], In general, the presence of CNTs tends to increase the overall and selectivity of biosensors, The thermal transport properties of polymer composites can be improved with the addition of CNTs due to the excellent thermal conductivity of CNTs, Such composite are quite attractive for usages as printed circuit boards, connectors, thermal interface materials, heat sinks, lids, housings, etc, [92,180],... 

An approach of current interest to improve the thermal conductivity of polymers is the selective addition of nano fillers with high thermal conductivity [5]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered to be a type of very attractive filler for the improvement of thermal transport property of polymer composites because of their extremely high thermal conductivity (about 6000 W/mK for single-walled CNTs and about 3000 W/mK for multi-walled CNTs) [2]. 

Fig. 5 a SEM and b TEM images of the nanostmctuies as thin as single-wall CNT bundles appeared within the PPy-SWCNT composites by applying the micelle/CNT hybrid template directed synthesis (Reproduced with permission from [35])... 

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