Synthesis, characterization and stability of chitosan and poly(methyl methacrylate) grafted carbon nanotubes.

The single walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were effectively functionalized through grafting with chitosan (CTS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Prior to grafting reaction, the carboxylated SWNCTs (SWNCTs-COOH) were obtained by treating pristine CNTs with a mixture of 3:1 (v/v) H(2)SO(4) and HNO(3), and the successive treatment of SWNCTs-COOH with SOCl(2) yielded the acylated CNTs (CNTs-COCl). The functionalized derivatives of CNTs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

Thermal stability of functionalized carbon nanotubes studied by in-situ transmission electron microscopy.

The thermal stability of funtionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been studied experimentally by direct in-situ observations using a heating stage in a transmission electron microscope, from room temperature (RT) to about 1000 °C. It was found that the thermal stability of the functionalized CNTs was significantly reduced during the in-situ heating process. Their average diameter dramatically expanded from RT to about 500 °C, and then tended to be stable until about 1000 °C.

Grafting of Chitosan and Chitosantrimethoxylsilylpropyl Methacrylate on Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes-Synthesis and Characterization.

Acid functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grafted to chitosan by first reacting the oxidized CNTs with thionyl chloride to form acyl-chlorinated CNTs. This product was subsequently dispersed in chitosan and covalently grafted to form CNT-chitosan. CNT-chitosan was further grafted onto 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate by free radical polymerization conditions, to yield CNT-g-chitosan-g-3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate (TMSPM), hereafter referred to as CNT-chitosan-3-TMSPM.

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan-carbon nanotube composites.

Acid functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes were covalently grafted to chitosan by first reacting the oxidized carbon nanotubes with thionyl chloride to form acyl-chlorinated carbon nanotubes which are subsequently dispersed in chitosan and covalently grated to form composite material, CNT-chitosan, 1, which was washed several times to remove un-reacted materials. This composite has been characterized by FTIR, 13C NMR, TGA, SEM and TEM and has been shown to exhibit enhanced thermal stability. The reaction of 1, with poly lactic acid has also been accomplished to yield CNTchitosan-g-poly(LA), 2 and fully characterized by the above techniques.