Polymeric Carbon Nanocomposites from Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized with Matrix Polymer

TLDR

Functionalized carbon nanotubes are soluble in highly polar solvents such as DMSO and water, similar to the parent PVA. The authors esterified single‑ and multi‑walled CNTs with poly(vinyl alcohol), enabling intimate mixing with the matrix polymer for wet‑casting of nanocomposite thin films. The resulting PVA–CNT composite films exhibit high optical quality, no phase separation, and well‑dispersed nanotubes, confirming that matrix‑polymer functionalization yields homogeneous, high‑quality nanocomposites.

Abstract

Single-walled and multiple-walled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in esterification reactions. Similar to the parent PVA, the functionalized carbon nanotube samples are soluble in highly polar solvents such as DMSO and water. The common solubilities have allowed the intimate mixing of the functionalized nanotubes with the matrix polymer for the wet-casting of nanocomposite thin films. The PVA−carbon nanotube composite films are of high optical quality, without any observable phase separation, and the carbon nanotubes in the films are as well-dispersed as in solution. The functionalization of carbon nanotubes by the matrix polymer is apparently an effective way in the homogeneous nanotube dispersion for high-quality polymeric carbon nanocomposite materials. Results from characterizations of the solubilized carbon nanotubes and the nanocomposite thin films are presented and discussed.