Probing Interfacial Interactions in Ternary Nanocomposites of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene Nanoplatelets, Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes, and Poly(vinyl alcohol) toward Synergistic Reinforcement

Abstract

The fabrication of ternary nanocomposites has been proven to be a successful method to achieve synergistic reinforcement resulting from the combination of nanofillers within a polymer matrix. In this study, Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanoplatelets and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) were combined to prepare ternary poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites. The Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene/f-CNT hybrids were cross-linked through hydrogen bonds, which promoted homogeneous dispersion of the nanofillers and enabled strong interfacial interactions between the nanofillers and the PVA matrix. Compared to pure PVA, Young's modulus and the tensile strength of the nanocomposites with only 1.2 wt % of MXene/f-CNT hybrids were improved by about 52% and 48%, respectively. The ternary nanocomposites display synergistic effects as revealed by micromechanics and stress-induced Raman band shifts. The in situ Raman deformation studies allowed the observation of more effective stress transfer in the nanocomposites due to hydrogen bonds between the hybrids and the matrix that ultimately prevented the formation of aggregates.

Biodegradable Starch-Based Nanocomposite Films with Exceptional Water and Oxygen Barrier Properties

“…The values of ⟨ P 2 (cos θ)⟩ and ⟨ P 4 (cos θ)⟩ and the derived η o for all MXene/starch nanocomposites are summarized in Table . It can be seen that a certain degree of orientation was observed for MXene nanoplatelets in the plane of the films. , The orientation factor remained almost constant with the increase of MXene loading.…”

“…For polarized Raman, the VV (vertical/vertical) polarization, where the incident and scattered polarization were the same, was used. The setup of polarized Raman spectra can be found in our previous studies. , The samples were rotated in steps of 10° by using a rotation stage.…”

Hybrid Ti3C2Tx MXene and Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites for Self-Sensing and Structural Health Monitoring

“…A certain amount of MXene, MWCNT, or the hybrid powders were dispersed in the epoxy resin at 70 °C for 10 min under magnetic stirring. The weight ratio of MWCNT to MXene was 1:1 in the hybrid (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1 wt %) . Then, the mixtures were fed into a three-roll miller (80E EXAKT GmbH, Germany).…”