Conductive Nano-brush Synthesized by Physical Grafting of Conducting Polymers on Carbon Nanotube

Abstract

We report a novel method for synthesizing electrically conductive nano-brush (CNB) by physical grafting of organic conducting polymers on carbon nano tubes (CNT). The objective for this synthesis is to produce nano tubes having a CNT stem coated with flexible electronic conducting polymers. The nano-brush is to be blended into common polymers (e.g. epoxy, polyurethane, and poly(vinyl alcohol)) to form electrically conductive composite material. The flexible organic conducting polymer in CNB is a potentially sensitive electronic probe for mechanically induced nano-deformation of the composite because it is molecularly entangled with the host polymers. The electrical networks of CNB embedded in polymeric composites are potentially useful as in situ sensors for monitoring material deformation with an unprecedented level of sensitivity. The composite material is “smart” in the sense that it self-reports the structural “health” before load induced material failure.Our method for grafting conducting polymer does not require chemical reactions with the surface atoms of the carbon nano tube. We used physical adsorption to graft electronic conducting polymer to CNT. We first synthesized a water-soluble electronic conducting polymer which is a molecular complex between poly(acrylic acid) and polyaniline. The CNT solid were dispersed and un-bundled by sonnication in the conducting polymer solution. Due to the high affinity between CNT and the conducting polymer, the surface of CNT can be fully covered with the conducting polymer. The experimental data is consistent with a structure of nano brush with high density of conducting polymers grafted on the CNT surface.

Collagen gel formation in the presence of a carbon nanobrush

“…This solution was sonicated for an additional 20 minutes at room temperature to produce the conductive nanobrush (CNB) in a homogeneously dispersed solution, which has a carbon nanotube at the core surrounded by helical bristles of polystyrene/polyanaline. The 40 ml volume was dialyzed against 50 volumes of de-ionized water, over night, at room temperature to separated the excess, unattached bristles and any broken carbon nanotubes, [11]. The resulting carbon nanobrush material contains about 20% CNT and 80% plystyrene/polyanaline by mass.…”