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Grafting polyamide 6 onto multi‐walled carbon nanotubes using microwave irradiation
Author(s) -
Huang Shu,
Liu Tianxi,
Zhang WeiDe,
Tjiu Wuiwui Chauhari,
He Chaobin,
Lu Xuehong
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.2873
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , polyamide , materials science , thermogravimetric analysis , grafting , surface modification , chemical engineering , raman spectroscopy , covalent bond , polymer , polymer chemistry , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , physics , optics , engineering
Chemical reactions under microwave irradiation can be very efficient, with a significant shortening of reaction time. Few studies have reported the use of microwaves to functionalize carbon nanotubes. In the work reported, a new method of formulating functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was developed by covalent grafting of polyamide 6 (PA6) chains onto the carbon nanotubes assisted by microwave irradiation. PA6 chains were grafted onto acidified MWNTs through condensation reaction between the carboxylic groups of the MWNTs and the terminal amine groups of PA6 using microwave radiation heating. The functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWNT‐ g ‐PA6) were characterized systematically using infrared and Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TEM showed that the surface of the MWNTs was covered with a layer of PA6. TGA results indicated that the MWNT‐ g ‐PA6 contained about 47 wt% of polymer. A novel, convenient and efficient functionalization approach is reported, involving covalently grafting PA6 chains onto MWNTs assisted by microwave irradiation. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry