Highly-Tunable Polymer/Carbon Nanotubes Systems: Preserving Dispersion Architecture in Solid Composites via Rapid...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Developing polymer/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanostructures with controlled architecture and composition is crucial for advanced material applications.
• Existing methods often struggle to achieve homogeneous dispersion and precise control over the full range of compositions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel fabrication method for polymer/CNT nanostructures.
• To demonstrate the ability to tailor nanostructure architecture, composition, and properties.
• To explore the full range of CNT compositions (0-100 wt%) in a polymer/CNT system.

Main Methods:

• Fine dispersion of CNTs in polyacrylate latex via ultrasonication.
• Microfiltration process to preserve homogeneous dispersion in the solid nanocomposite.
• Systematic study of polyacrylate/CNT systems across the entire composition range.

Main Results:

• Achieved tunable porosity and mechanical properties through controlled nanostructure design.
• Observed a structural transition in polyacrylate from a continuous matrix to segregated domains within a CNT network.
• Demonstrated a low percolation threshold (0.04 wt%) and low total reflectance (<1 wt% CNT) across visible, NIR, and SWIR spectra.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfiltration method enables precise fabrication of polymer/CNT nanostructures with tailored properties.
• The study reveals a structural transition analogous to phase inversion in polymer blends.
• The resulting nanomaterials show significant potential for optical device applications due to their low reflectance properties.