Synthesis and Characterization of Dielectric Elastomer Nanocomposites Filled With Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Author(s):  
Yu Wang ◽  
L. Z. Sun

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) have been attracting great attention in the field of electro-mechanical actuation and sensing. In this paper, we develop a new type of silicone-based DEs by incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to the DEs as fillers. The dispersion of MWNTs during the material processing plays a significant role in deciding the final properties of the nanocomposites. In this work, acetone and ultrasonication along with characterization tools such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are utilized to examine the MWNT dispersion quality within DE nanocomposites. Furthermore, microstructural MWNT dispersion and filler–matrix interfacial bonding as well as the overall dynamic mechanical responses are investigated to reveal the correlation between them. It is concluded that the processing of DE nanocomposites strongly affects the dynamic mechanical properties, which can inversely provide with microstructural information for the nanocomposites.

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (16) ◽  
pp. 2291-2300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadpour Mallakpour ◽  
Samaneh Soltanian

Chemical functionalization of carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes with vitamin B1 was carried out under ultrasonic irradiation. The functionalized nanotubes were embedded in a chiral and biodegradable poly(ester-imide) to prepare multiwalled carbon nanotubes reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Optically active poly(ester-imide) was synthesized by step-growth polymerization of aromatic diol and amino acid based diacid. The vitamin B1 functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes and the resulting nanocomposites were examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicated that temperature at 10% weight loss was increased from 409℃ for pure PEI to 419℃, 427℃, and 430℃ for nanocomposites containing 5%, 10%, and 15% functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, respectively. The Fourier-transform scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images exhibited that the functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were separated individually and enwrapped by polymer chains.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Liu ◽  
Chunli Guo ◽  
Xiaojian Ma ◽  
Changhui Sun ◽  
Fengxia Li ◽  
...  

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes filled with MgO nanorods were synthesized through the reaction of ethanol and Mg powder in the presence ofTiO2at 400C°. X-ray powder diffraction indicated that the sample was composed of graphite and cubic MgO. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed that multi-walled CNTs with the outer diameters of 70–130 nm were filled with discontinuous MgO nanorods whose diameter was in the range of 25–40 nm. The ratios of the band intensities(ID/IG=0.67)in Raman spectrum implied that carbon nanotubes had good crystallinity. The influence of correlative reaction factors on the morphology of the sample and the possible formation mechanism were discussed.


RSC Advances ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (55) ◽  
pp. 28826-28831 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Maciejewska ◽  
M. Jasiurkowska-Delaporte ◽  
A. I. Vasylenko ◽  
K. K. Kozioł ◽  
S. Jurga

In this study, the oxidation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) sonicated and/or refluxed in acids (H2SO4/HNO3) was investigated using a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ab initio computational methods.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aasem Zeino ◽  
Abdalla Abulkibash ◽  
Mazen Khaled ◽  
Muataz Atieh

The raw carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method. The raw carbon nanotubes were functionalized, impregnated with iron nanoparticles, and characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The three types of these multiwalled carbon nanotubes were applied as adsorbents for the removal of bromate from drinking water. The effects of the pH, the concentration ofBrO3-anion, the adsorbent dose, the contact time, and the coanions on the adsorption process have been investigated. The results concluded that the highest adsorption capacities were 0.3460 and 0.3220 mg/g through using CNTs-Fe and raw CNTs, respectively, at the same conditions. The results showed that the CNTs-Fe gives higher adsorption capacity compared with the raw CNTs and the functionalized CNTs. The presence of nitrate (NO3-) in the solution decreases the adsorption capacity of all CNTs compared with chloride (Cl-) associated with pH adjustment caused by nitric acid or hydrochloric acid, respectively. However, the adsorption of all MWNCTs types increases as the pH of solution decreases.


NANO ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 08 (06) ◽  
pp. 1350063
Author(s):  
JINXIAN LIN ◽  
PAN WANG ◽  
YUYING ZHENG

A poly(pyrrolyl methane) (Poly[pyrrole-2, 5-diyl(4-methoxybenzylidane)], PPDMOBA)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) composites are fabricated by in situ chemical polycondensation of pyrrole and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde on MWNTs. The structure, morphology, thermal stability and electrical property of the resulting composites are investigated via fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a four-probe method. The electrochemical performance of the composites is determined in a three-electrode system using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. FTIR, FESEM and TEM confirm that the composites have been successfully prepared, and PPDMOBA is uniformly dispersed in MWNTs. Electrical conductivity of PPDMOBA/MWNTs composites is 1.39 S cm-1, which is significantly larger than that of pristine PPDMOBA. The specific capacitance and charge transfer resistance of the composites is 56 F g-1 (1 mA cm-2) and 0.3Ω, respectively.


Author(s):  
Stefania Sandoval ◽  
Gerard Tobias

We have employed fullerenes as versatile agents to “cork” the open tips of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and as promoting species for the release of the inorganic material filled within the nanotubes’ cavities. High Z element compounds, namely, PbI2, ZnI2, and CeI3, were chosen to easily determine the presence of the filler inside the hosting nanotubes by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fullerenes can isolate inorganic nanostructures confined within the hollow cavities of MWCNTs, which allows the removal of the external material remnant after the filling. Otherwise, taking advantage of the affinity of fullerenes with selected solvents, we have confirmed the ability of the C60 molecules to promote the displacement of the inorganic guest from the host. We propose two different strategies to trigger the release, employing vapor and liquid phase treatments. The first protocol involves annealing filled MWCNTs in presence of fullerenes (to obtain C60PbI2@MWCNTs) and the subsequent washing of the sample in ethanol under mild conditions. On the other hand, the simultaneous introduction of the C60 molecules and the liberation of the guest are produced by a single step wet procedure; the latter being potentially useful when materials that are not stable at high temperatures are employed for filling.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Rafiee ◽  
Milad Kolaee

The chiral poly(amide-imide) (PAI) was synthesized by the direct polycondensation reaction of imide-dicarboxylic acid, N-trimellitylimido-l-phenylalanine with diamine and 1,5-naphthalenediamine. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/polymer composite films were prepared via dispersing of acid-functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNT-COOH) as reinforcement at MWCNT loadings of 5, 10, and 15 wt%. The PAI/MWCNT composite films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM results confirmed that the carboxylated MWCNTs were well dispersed in the polymer matrix. The thermogravimetric analysis data showed an improvement of thermal stability of composites containing the MWCNT as compared to the pure polymer. In this research, PAI/MWCNT composite 15 wt% was used as a novel and efficient adsorbent for removal of malachite green dye from aqueous solution.


2010 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 88-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danuta Stróż ◽  
M. Nowak ◽  
M. Jesionek ◽  
Katarzyna Bałdys

This paper presents a brand new hybrid material on the nanometric scale: the antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) within carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It was prepared in CNTs ultrasonically by using elemental antimony (Sb), sulfur (S) and iodide (I) in the presence of methanol under ultrasonic irradiation (34 kHz, 2.6 W/cm2). The sonochemical process was leaded for 3 hours at 323 K. The antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) consisted in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were characterized high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). These investigations exhibit that the SbSI filling the CNTs has single-crystal structure in nature and in the form of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The SbSI grown in CNTs are very promising materials for further investigations as well as for some industrial and medical applications.


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