Abstract
The preparation of energetic nanocomposites by biological methods is an emerging technology that has generated significant research interest owing to advantages such as easy operation, mild reaction, no secondary pollution, etc. In this study, a novel peptide-driven assembly method was devised for the production of Al/CuO nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscopy images of the energetic nanocomposite revealed uniform dispersion of Al and CuO nanoparticles (NPs), which was a critical factor affecting their thermal performance. The heat release of the peptide-assembled Al/CuO nanocomposite was 2070 J/g, which was ~577 J/g higher than that of the physically mixed Al/CuO NPs. A thermal reaction mechanism was also elucidated. The thermite reaction of the peptide-assembled Al/CuO nanocomposite comprised two steps, namely, reaction between the Al and CuO NPs through aluminum by slow outward diffusion, and the outward migration of the Al melt for reaction with CuO, which was controlled by chemical kinetics.
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