Optimal nanomaterial concentration: harnessing percolation theory to enhance polymer nanocomposite performance.

A major challenge in nanocomposite research is to predict the optimal nanomaterial concentration (ONC) yielding a maximal reinforcement in a given property. We present a simple approach to identify the ONC based on our finding that it is typically located in close proximity to an abrupt increase in polymer matrix viscosity, termed the rheological percolation threshold, and thus may be used as an indicator of the ONC. This premise was validated by rheological and fractography studies of composites loaded by nanomaterials including graphene nanoribbons or carbon or tungsten disulfide nanotubes. The correlation between in situ viscosity, the rheological percolation threshold concentration and the nanocomposite fractography demonstrates the utility of the method.

Graphene-Based Hybrid Composites for Efficient Thermal Management of Electronic Devices.

Thermal management has become a critical aspect in next-generation miniaturized electronic devices. Efficient heat dissipation reduces their operating temperatures and insures optimal performance, service life, and efficacy. Shielding against shocks, vibrations, and moisture is also imperative when the electronic circuits are located outdoors. Potting (or encapsulating) them in polymer-based composites with enhanced thermal conductivity (TC) may provide a solution for both thermal management and shielding challenges. In the current study, graphene is employed as a filler to fabricate composites with isotropic ultrahigh TC (>12 W m(-1) K(-1)) and good mechanical properties (>30 MPa flexural and compressive strength). To avoid short-circuiting the electronic assemblies, a dispersion of secondary ceramic-based filler reduces the electrical conductivity and synergistically enhances the TC of composites. When utilized as potting materials, these novel hybrid composites effectively dissipate the heat from electronic devices; their operating temperatures decrease from 110 to 37 °C, and their effective thermal resistances are drastically reduced, by up to 90%. The simple filler dispersion method and the precise manipulation of the composite transport properties via hybrid filling offer a universal approach to the large-scale production of novel materials for thermal management and other applications.

Characterization of graphene-nanoplatelets structure via thermogravimetry.

The rapid increase in graphene-based applications has been accompanied by novel top-down manufacturing methods for graphene and its derivatives (e.g., graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs)). The characterization of the bulk properties of these materials by imaging and surface techniques (e.g., electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy) is only possible through laborious and time-consuming statistical analysis, which precludes simple and efficient quality control during GnP production. We report that thermogravimetry (TG) may be utilized, beyond its conventional applications (e.g., quantification of impurities or surfactants, or labile functional groups) to characterize bulk GnP properties. We characterize the structural parameters of GnP (i.e., defect density, mean lateral dimension, and polydispersity) by imaging and surface techniques, on one hand, and by a systematic TG, on the other. The combined data demonstrate that the combustion temperature of commercially available and laboratory-prepared GnPs is correlated with their mean lateral dimension and defect density, while the combustion temperature range is proportional to their polydispersity index. Mapping all these parameters allows one to evaluate the GnPs' structure following a simple thermogravimetric experiment (without necessitating further statistical analysis). Finally, TG is also used to detect and quantify different GnP constituents in powder and to conduct rapid quality-control tests during GnP production.

Critical parameters in exfoliating graphite into graphene.

Dispersing graphite into few-layers graphene sheets (GS) in water is very appealing as an environmental-friendly, low-cost, low-energy method of obtaining graphene. Very high GS concentrations in water (0.7 mg mL(-1)) were obtained by optimizing the nature of dispersant and the type of ultra-sonic generator. We find that a multi-step sonication procedure involving both tip and bath sources considerably enhances the yield of exfoliated GS. Raman and transmission electron microscopy indicate few-layers graphene patches with typical size of ∼0.65 µm in one dimension and ∼0.35 µm in the other. These were further employed in combination with water-dispersed CNTs to fabricate conductive transparent electrodes for a molecularly-controlled solar-cell with an open-circuit voltage of 0.53 V.

A simple solution for the determination of pristine carbon nanotube concentration.

Upon dispersant-assisted exfoliation, pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are divided between the supernatant and precipitate, which makes the determination of dispersant concentration a challenging task. We have developed a thermogravimetric-spectroscopy-based approach to accurately determine the dispersant-assisted CNT (or nanoparticles, in general) concentration in dispersion. A thermogravimetric analysis of the filtered and washed precipitate, that is usually discarded after centrifugation, is used here to accurately calculate the CNT mass in the precipitate and (through mass-balance) its mass in the supernatant. Once the true CNT concentration has been determined, a conventional spectroscopy-based concentration calibration plot is constructed for simple and swift use in further concentration measurements. Such true concentration analysis is crucial for studying the concentration-property relationship.

Polymer binding to carbon nanotubes in aqueous dispersions: residence time on the nanotube surface as obtained by NMR diffusometry.

The binding of block copolymer Pluronic F-127 in aqueous dispersions of single- (SWCNT) and multiwalled (MWCNT) carbon nanotubes has been studied by pulsed-field-gradient (PFG) (1)H NMR spectroscopy. We show that a major fraction of polymers exist as a free species while a minor fraction is bound to the carbon nanotubes (CNT). The polymers exchange between these two states with residence times on the nanotube surface of 24 ± 5 ms for SWCNT and of 54 ± 11 ms for MWCNT. The CNT concentration in the solution was determined by improved thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicating that the concentration of SWCNT dispersed by F-127 was significantly higher than that for MWCNT. For SWCNT, the area per adsorbed Pluronic F-127 molecule is estimated to be about 40 nm(2).