Supported metallocene catalysis as an efficient tool for the preparation of polyethylene/carbon nanotube nanocomposites: effect of the catalytic system on the coating morphology
Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: Homogeneous or periodical surface coating of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) can be achieved by in situ polymerization of ethylene as catalyzed directly from the nanotube surface- treated by a highly active metallocene-based complex, e.g., Cp*2ZrCl2/methylaluminoxane. This polyethylene (PE) coating allows for the break-up of the native nanotube bundles. Immobilization of methylaluminoxane onto the surface of the carbon nanotubes was evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confirmed by X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The thermal behaviour and degradation were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to image polymer-coated MWNTs, showing either a relatively smooth or a textured polymer coating present on the surface of individual, debundled nanotubes, i.e., PE/MWNT nanohybrid “sausage”-like or “shish-kebab”-like structures, respectively. It was clearly demonstrated that by modifying the design of the catalytic complexes, it was possible to tune by a reproducible way the morphology of the PE coating around the MWNTs.
Source: Journal of Materials Chemistry
DOI: 10.1039/b701764b
Authors: Daniel Bonduel, St?phane Bredeau, Mich?el Alexandre, Fabien Monteverde, Philippe Dubois
Institutions: University of Mons, Nanocyl (Belgium), Materia Nova
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1997102618