Polymer wrapping-induced dispersion of single walled carbon nanotubes in ethylene glycol under mild sonication

Dukeun Kim; Taeheon Lee; Minho Kwon; Hyun-Jong Paik; Jong Hun Han; Min Kang; Jueun Choi; Seungki Hong; Yoong Ahm Kim

doi:10.1039/d0ra04061d

Polymer wrapping-induced dispersion of single walled carbon nanotubes in ethylene glycol under mild sonication

RSC Adv. 2020 Jul 13;10(44):26262-26267. doi: 10.1039/d0ra04061d. eCollection 2020 Jul 9.

Authors

Dukeun Kim¹, Taeheon Lee², Minho Kwon², Hyun-Jong Paik², Jong Hun Han³, Min Kang¹, Jueun Choi¹, Seungki Hong^{1

4}, Yoong Ahm Kim¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu Gwangju 61186 Republic of Korea yak@chonnam.ac.kr.
² Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University San 30 Jangion2 dong, Geumjeong-gu Busan 609-735 Republic of Korea hpaik@pusan.ac.kr.
³ School of Chemical Engineering, Optoelectronics Convergence Research Center, Chonnam National University 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu Gwangju 61186 Republic of Korea.
⁴ Carbon Composite Material Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Jeonbuk 55324 Republic of Korea.

Abstract

SWCNTs were individually dispersed in ethylne glycol (EG) via mild bath-type sonication using quaternized poly(furfuryl methacrylate)-co-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) p(FMA-co-QDMAEMA) as a dispersing agent. QDMAEMA, which has alkyl groups, was more favorable to the dispersion ability of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The dispersion mechanism of SWCNTs in EG via helical wrapping of polymer chains along their sidewalls was suggested based on transmission electron microscopic observation.