1 research outputs found
Transition and Stability of Copolymer Adsorption Morphologies on the Surface of Carbon Nanotubes and Implications on Their Dispersion
In
this study, the adsorption morphologies as well as stability
and transitions of a commercial dispersant copolymer (BYK 9076) on
the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were studied
using Fourier transform infrared and UV–vis spectroscopy, dynamic
light scattering, and electron microscopy techniques. The results
show that the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in ethanol does not increase
continuously with increasing copolymer/CNT ratio, which is correlated
with the adsorption morphologies of the copolymer on the CNT surface.
At a ratio of copolymer/CNT below 0.5, the morphology is random, shifting
to a hemimicelle structure at a ratio from 0.5 to 1.0 while at ratios
above 1.0, a cylindrical pattern is seen. The hemimicelle morphology
is able to prevent the agglomeration of CNTs when the CNT concentration
increases to 8.7 mg/mL, while cylindrical morphology is more efficient
and stable to provide dispersion of CNTs at higher concentrations
of CNTs