Although various superhydrophobic materials have been manufactured and effectively used for oil–water separation, it is still highly desirable to explore materials which are eco-friendly, low-cost, and multifunctional. In this paper, a stable copolymer solution was prepared from the fluorine-free superhydrophobic copolymer with dual-responsiveness of temperature and pH. The functional superhydrophobic paper was prepared by immersing paper in copolymer solution by the dip-coating method. The surface element and structure analysis of the prepared superhydrophobic paper shows that the dual-responsive copolymer adheres successfully to the surface of the paper without destroying the fiber structure of the paper. At pH ≥ 7 and T > 25 °C, the paper has a good superhydrophobic performance, while under the conditions of pH < 7 and T < 25 °C, the paper comes into a hydrophilic state. Therefore, the dual-responsive superhydrophobic paper is more likely to adapt to the complicated oil-water separation environment than the single-response.

Epoxy resin is one of the most important matrix materials in the field of high performance composites. Its mechanical strength, toughness, and thermal stability are very important to the properties of composites. In this paper, the improvement of epoxy resin properties by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is mainly studied. First, aniline trimer (AT) and polyethylene glycol octyl phenyl ether (Triton X‐100) are combined to modify CNTs. Then the dispersed CNTs (treated‐CNTs) are used to prepare bisphenol F epoxy nanocomposites. The dispersion of CNTs and fracture surface of composites are analyzed by SEM and TEM. The combination of AT and Triton X‐100 with CNTs is analyzed by UV–vis and FTIR. The mechanical, thermodynamic, tribological properties, and crosslinking density changes of epoxy composites are evaluated. The results show that AT and Triton X‐100 are successfully bonded to the surface of CNTs. The dispersion effect of treated‐CNTs in the composites is better than that of the original CNTs, which have a better reinforcing and toughening effect on the composites. The introduction of treated‐CNT reduces the crosslinking density and glass transition temperature of the composites, but does not affect the thermal stability of the composites before 300°C.

A large number of researches on the electroless plating of carbon nanotubes and their applications after plating have emerged, which has attracted more and more attention. In this review article, the existing electroless plating methods for carbon nanotubes were briefly summarized, and the surface coatings were listed and analyzed in detail. At last, the related applications after electroless metal/alloy coatings of carbon nanotubes were discussed in detail. This study aims to provide a reference for the research and improvement of different electroless metals/alloys coatings of carbon nanotubes. After a clear understanding of the electroless metal/alloy coatings of carbon nanotubes, the appropriate coating can be selected according to the actual situation, so that the carbon nanotubes after plating can be used as reinforcement and modification materials for better satisfaction of the needs, and the application of plated carbon nanotubes has reference significance in more fields.

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