Mechanically stable membranes of polyacrylic acid‐grafted chitosan‐functionalized carbon nanotubes with remarkable water storage capacity in sandy soils

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is one of the most exciting hydrophilic polymers for water control and conservation; however, it suffers from poor mechanical properties during the agricultural applications. For that purpose a series of PAA‐based multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) membranes have synthesized via a grafting process of MWCNTs using chitosan (CS) polymer as a binder. The fabricated membranes have spectroscopically characterized by different techniques to confirm the composite structure. The MWCNTs content into the PAA membranes has played a pronounced effect on water absorptivity, swelling behavior, and mechanical properties. PAA membrane has showed a fourfold increase in yield‐stress by the addition of 3 wt% PAA/CS/MWCNTs, while preserving a 91% of water absorptivity of PAA membrane. The soil applications of the PAA/CS/MWCNTs membranes have showed remarkable improvements in soil moisture content compared to the PAA membrane. This study provides a promising pathway for future field applications, especially in arid lands.