Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have the potential to enhance the strength, toughness, and multifunctional ability of composite materials. However, suitable dispersion and interfacial bonding remain as key challenges. Composites that are formed by reactions with water, like Portland cement concrete and mortar, pose a special challenge for dispersing the inherently hydrophobic nanotubes. The hydration of Portland cement also offers a specific chemical framework for interfacial bonding. In this study, nanoscale silica functional groups are covalently bonded to CNTs to improve their dispersion in water while providing interfacial bond sites for the proposed matrix material. The bond signatures of treated nanotubes are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In situ dispersion is characterized using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and point of zero charge (PZC) measurements. At the nanoscale, interparticle spacing was greatly increased. A slight increase in the PZC after treatment indicates the importance of steric effects in the dispersion mechanism. Overall, results indicate successful functionalization and dramatically improved dispersion stability in water.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Dr. Charles R. Welch, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Information Technology Laboratory (ERDC-ITL) for his valuable input during informative discussions throughout the experiments. This research is supported in part by the Section 219 authority of the ERDC. Some parts of material characterization was performed at the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory Central Facilities, University of Illinois, which is partially supported by the US Department of Energy under grants DE-FG02-07ER46453 and DE-FG02-07ER46471. Support was also provided by the Postgraduate Research Participation Program at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL), administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an inter-agency agreement between the US Department of Energy and the ERDC-CERL.
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Stynoski, P., Mondal, P., Wotring, E. et al. Characterization of silica-functionalized carbon nanotubes dispersed in water. J Nanopart Res 15, 1396 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1396-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1396-1