Purification effect of carbon nanotube fibers on their surface modification to develop a high-performance and multifunctional nanocomposite fiber

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the effects of the purification of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers on their mechanical and electrical properties and, more importantly on the efficiencies of various surface modifications. Even though the purification dominantly works on the surface of CNT fibers, the specific tensile strength and electrical conductivity of CNT fibers are enhanced from 0.50 N tex(-1) and 932 S cm(-1) to 0.91 N tex(-1) and 5158 S cm(-1) by the restoration of their defect structures and improvement of their alignment and density. Furthermore, the efficiencies of their surface modifications through both covalent and non-covalent approaches are greatly improved. Au nanoparticles are far more densely grown on the purified CNT fibers than as spun CNT fibers. The resulting Au/CNT nanocomposite fibers exhibit improved mechanical and physical properties, and possibility to be applied as a fibrous catalyst. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.