Influence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in polytetrafluoroethylene on the parameters of electronic structure and absorption of ultra-high-frequency radiation

Abstract

Using the methods of angular correlation of annihilation radiation (ACAR), attenuation of electromagnetic radiation in 1.5–2.2 GHz frequency range, and optical ellipsometry, it was shown that in composites of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) + multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), a 2% decrease in the probability of annihilation of positrons in free volumes in PTFE leads to changes in other parameters of electronic structure of composites by 8–29%. Polytetrafluoroethylene is transparent to electromagnetic radiation, but after the addition of 10 wt.% or more of MWCNTs, the composites demonstrate 200–410-fold decrease in the electromagnetic radiation intensity when the radiation passes through a specimen with a thickness of ≈2 mm. It was found that the average radius of the free volumes and the probability of annihilation of positrons are determined by the defect and electronic structures of the polymer matrix only. The Fermi angle and the probability of positrons annihilation with free electrons are determined by the analogous structures of MWCNTs only. Since the electronic characteristics of the atoms and defects in the polymer matrix (at least outside the interphase) do not change, the changes in the other ACAR parameters are mainly due to changes in the imperfect MWCNTs’ atomic and electronic structures. The average radius of free volumes reaches its maximum value in the composite with 10 wt.% MWCNTs. It was found that in a specimen with 10 wt.% MWCNTs, the highest density of free electrons is observed due to charge transfer from free volumes to MWCNTs, and the highest electron density is observed on defects. A disorder of MWCNTs and their branched conductive network can form the ‘tails’ of electronic density of states in a band gap. Thus, composite with 10 wt.% MWCNTs has the highest absorption coefficient for electromagnetic radiation.