Crystallization Behavior of Poly(ethylene oxide) in Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Array.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is a versatile polymer with applications in electrolytes and membranes.
• Controlling polymer morphology is crucial for optimizing material properties.
• Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer unique structural and electrical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) lamellae orientation and crystallinity.
• To understand the impact of CNTs on the thermal properties of PEO.
• To correlate structural changes with performance in PEO/CNT composites.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PEO/CNT composites with vertically aligned CNTs.
• Analysis of PEO lamellae orientation using techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to assess crystallinity and thermal transitions.

Main Results:

• Vertically aligned CNTs act as templates, directing the orientation of PEO lamellae parallel to the CNT long axis.
• The presence of CNTs leads to decreased PEO crystallinity, crystallization temperature, and melting temperature.
• Reduced charge transfer resistance was observed due to oriented PEO lamellae and lower crystallinity.

Conclusions:

• CNT templating effectively controls PEO lamellae orientation.
• CNTs perturb PEO crystallization, reducing crystallinity and thermal stability.
• These modifications enhance ion transport and capacitive performance in PEO/CNT composites.