Self‐Organizing Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes in Thermoplastic Polyurethane

Abstract

AbstractSummary: A simple compounding technique for the fabrication of polymer nanocomposites with single‐walled carbon nanotubes having exceptional alignment and improved mechanical properties is described. The aligned‐nanotube composite was prepared by dissolving single‐walled carbon nanotubes in a solution of thermoplastic polyurethane and tetrahydrofuran. Solvent‐polymer interactions that induce the orientation of soft chain segments during the swelling and moisture curing stage are believed to serve as a driving force for the macroscopic alignment of the carbon nanotubes.Alignment of single‐walled carbon nanotubes in thermoplastic polyurethane during polar solvent exposure.magnified imageAlignment of single‐walled carbon nanotubes in thermoplastic polyurethane during polar solvent exposure.