Carbon nanotube reservoirs for self-healing materials

Abstract

A novel nanoreservoir made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is proposed for realizing tougher and automated self-healing materials. The advantages of the approach are that CNTs have the potential to play the role of reinforcing elements prior to and after sealing a crack and that the number of voids is reduced after the material and the CNTs themselves are healed. The focus of this paper is on investigating the feasibility of using CNTs as a nanoreservoir by analyzing the dynamics of a fluid flowing out of a ruptured single-walled CNT (SWNT), where the fluid resembles an organic healing agent. With this in mind the escaping mechanism of organic molecules stored inside a cracked SWNT was investigated through a molecular dynamics study. The study shows that, when a SWNT wall suffers the formation of a crack, a certain amount of organic molecules, stored inside the SWNT, escape into space in a few picoseconds. This phenomenon is found to depend on the temperature and on the size of the cracks. The results of this study indicate that CNTs have the potential to be successfully used to realize the next generation of stronger, lighter and self-healing materials.

Current Trends in the Field of Self‐Healing Materials

“…This self‐healing system is an improvement over their previous RAFT polymerization‐based system that required heat for healing,42 their ATRP‐based version of this system,62 and the azide–alkyne click polymerization system mentioned above. In a different approach to microcapsule‐based self‐healing materials, carbon nanotubes have been proposed as nanoreservoirs for self‐healing materials 63, 64. Although carbon nanotube‐based self‐healing materials have only been explored through modeling, one could imagine that this type of self‐healing material would be ideal for applications that require mechanically strong and electroactive materials.…”

Carbon Dots as Fillers Inducing Healing/Self‐Healing and Anticorrosion Properties in Polymers

“…White pioneered the idea of microencapsulation of a monomer and a catalyst to initiate restoration in the damaged region . This can be similarly achieved by nanoreservoirs and by hollow fibers containing a healing fluid as well as by microvascular polymeric composites . The healing process may be achieved by specially designed supermolecular systems and may utilize either physical or chemical bonding including hydrogen or Diels–Alder bonds .…”

Development of Nanoparticle Stabilized Polymer Nanocontainers with High Content of the Encapsulated Active Agent and Their Application in Water‐Borne Anticorrosive Coatings

“…One of the nanocontainer applications is the design of the self‐healing anticorrosion coatings 8, 9. Different approaches have been published, ranging from polyelectrolyte complexes,10 mesoporous materials,11, 12 layered double hydroxides,13, 14 halloysite,15, 16 to carbon nanotubes 17, 18. Of particular interest for applications are inhibitor filled reservoirs that can be fabricated in a simple manner, which comprises of only few assembly steps and do not require many auxiliary materials.…”