Functionalization of carbon nanotubes by corona-discharge induced graft polymerization for the reinforcement of epoxy nanocomposites
writer：L. Xu, Z. Fang, P. Song, M. Peng*
keywords：Corona discharge; Graft polymerization; Carbon nanotubes; Glycidyl methacrylate
source：期刊
specific source：Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2010.7, 7(9-10): 785-793
Issue time：2010年
A novel methodology for grafting polymer onto the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was explored in this study. MWCNTs was first treated by corona discharge at room temperature and then transferred to a vinyl monomer glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) under the protection of nitrogen to initiate the graft polymerization of GMA. Compared with conventional plasma processes under low pressures, corona discharge has the merit of working at atmospheric pressure. The poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) grafted MWCNTs (PGMA-g-MWCNTs) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The PGMA-g-MWCNTs has a core-sheath structure with MWCNTs as the core and PGMA as the sheath. Although the PGMA sheath is not uniform in thickness possibly due to the nonuniform distribution of active sites on the surface of nanotubes induced by corona discharge, the PGMA-g-MWCNTs has a relatively high grafting ratio (22 wt%), so as to display a dramatically improved solubility in ethanol than pristine MWCNTs, which will contribute to fabricating high performance polymer/MWCNTs nanocomposites in the future.