Carbon Nanotube Foams Research Articles

Enhancement in the Electrical Properties and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Performance of Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene/Carbon Nanotubes Foams via the Introduction of Bimodal Cell Structures

The cell structures of conductive polymer‐based composite foams significantly influence their electrical properties and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE), necessitating a thorough understanding of how these properties improve with evolving cell structures. In this study, supercritical CO2 foaming technique was manipulated to fabricate acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) foams. The constant‐temperature mode was used to prepare unimodal foams (UF), while the bimodal foams (BF) were produced by varying‐temperature mode. The foaming properties, electrical conductivity, complex permittivity, and EMI SE of ABS/CNTs foams with various cell structures are methodically investigated at identical volume expansion ratio and CNTs content. The electrical conductivity of bimodal ABS/CNTs foam with CNTs content of 20% (BF‐C20) is 0.2191 S cm−1, higher than that of unimodal ABS/CNTs foam with CNTs content of 20% (UF‐C20) (0.1765 S cm−1) owing to the introduction of bimodal cell structures. Complex permittivity results manifest that at 8.2 GHz, the ε′ and ε″ of BF‐C20 are 67.7 and 74.5, respectively, which are higher than 57.9 and 52.9 of UF‐C20. Among all ABS/CNTs foams, the total EMI SE of BF‐C20 attains the highest EMI shielding value, which reaches 30.2 dB. Furthermore, the absolute shielding effectiveness of BF‐C20 is 188.5 dB (g cm−2)−1, which is 17.3% higher than that of UF‐C20.

Measurement of electromagnetic pulse in laser acceleration enhanced by near-critical density targets

High-power laser interactions with solid targets create an abundance of high-energy charged particles, resulting in the generation of intense electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), which are strongly pertinent to the target parameters. In this study, the characteristics of EMPs generated by relativistic femtosecond laser irradiation of double-layer targets composed of near-critical density carbon nanotube foams (CNFs) and an aluminum (Al) foil are investigated. The results demonstrate that the CNF double-layer targets accelerate proton energy by over 1.6 times compared to a single-layer Al plane target, thereby indirectly amplifying the EMP amplitude by over 3.6 times. The findings are beneficial to gaining insight into EMPs induced by femtosecond laser coupling with near-critical density targets and open a new avenue to achieve tunable EMPs by managing the material and structure of the target to optimize the coupling efficiency between the laser and solid targets.

Colossal Barocaloric Effect in Encapsulated Solid‐Liquid Phase Change Materials

AbstractBarocaloric cooling as an emerging cooling technology offers an eco‐friendly alternative to traditional vapor compression refrigeration. Research on barocaloric materials primarily concentrates on solid–solid phase change materials (PCMs), among which plastic crystals exhibit colossal barocaloric effect. Solid‐liquid PCMs such as paraffin also exhibit giant barocaloric effect, however, their potential is often overshadowed by leakage issues. In this work, a strategy is demonstrated by encapsulating solid‐liquid PCMs into porous carbon matrixes to generate a large family of colossal barocaloric materials. In practice, by orthogonally combining paraffins with encapsulation matrixes like graphene foam, carbon nanotube foam, and carbon foam, it can be obtained composites that work without leakage issues. The significant advantage is their colossal barocaloric effect with the highest entropy value up to 570 J K−1 kg−1 in paraffin‐20@graphene foam. Moreover, the composites possess thermal conductivity up to 89.9 W m−1 K−1 in paraffin‐20@carbon foam, and tunable working temperature in the range of 270—330 K. Most importantly, this strategy, demonstrated with 5 solid‐liquid PCMs and 3 encapsulation matrixes in this work, is just the beginning. Further exploration with more materials can develop a huge family of encapsulated solid‐liquid PCMs with colossal barocaloric performance for modern cooling technology.

In situ foam 3D printed microcellular multifunctional nanocomposites of thermoplastic polyurethane and carbon nanotube

Electrically conductive and mechanically robust thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/carbon nanotube (CNT) foams were achieved using a novel in situ foam 3D printing (F-3DP) process. Thermally expandable microspheres (TEMs), as blowing agent, were incorporated into the TPU/CNT filaments and fed to the F-3DP process. Foams with uniform morphologies and repeatable properties were achieved in a wide density range by solely regulating the nozzle temperature and its correlated flow rate. Overall, the degree of foaming increased substantially with an increase in the temperature, providing a density range of 0.96 to 0.17 g/cm3. It was interestingly found that a small amount of CNT (1 wt%) increased the expansion ratio. A further increase of CNT (to 3 and 5 wt%), however, caused a reduction in the expansion ratio. These opposing trends were attributed to the competing effects of CNT on the melt's thermal conductivity and viscosity. Both CNT content and nozzle temperature exhibited significant impacts on the tensile properties and electrical conductivity. This resulted in foams with diverse Young's modulus and strain at break in the range of 3.9–29.5 MPa and 260 to 52 %, respectively. More importantly, the electrical conductivity increased up to several orders of magnitude, as the foam expansion was increased due to temperature rise. This interesting finding was thoroughly discussed in terms of the enhanced inter-bead adhesion, vanishing inter-bead gaps, and realignment of CNTs around the growing TEMs. The results demonstrate a great potential of F-3DP to produce functional foams with controllable density and performance in a wide range.

Nanocomposite Multimodal Sensor Array Integrated with Auxetic Structure for an Intelligent Biometrics System.

A multimodal sensor array, combining pressure and proximity sensing, has attracted considerable interest due to its importance in ubiquitous monitoring of cardiopulmonary health- and sleep-related biometrics. However, the sensitivity and dynamic range of prevalent sensors are often insufficient to detect subtle body signals. This study introduces a novel capacitive nanocomposite proximity-pressure sensor (NPPS) for detecting multiple human biometrics. NPPS consists of a carbon nanotube-paper composite (CPC) electrode and a percolating multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) foam enclosed in a MWCNT-coated auxetic frame. The fractured fibers in the CPC electrode intensify an electric field, enabling highly sensitive detection of proximity and pressure. When pressure is applied to the sensor, the synergic effect of MWCNT foam and auxetic deformation amplifies the sensitivity. The simple and mass-producible fabrication protocol allows for building an array of highly sensitive sensors to monitor human presence, sleep posture, and vital signs, including ballistocardiography (BCG). With the aid of a machine learning algorithm, the sensor array accurately detects blood pressure (BP) without intervention. This advancement holds promise for unrestricted vital sign monitoring during sleep or driving.

An Emerging Strategy in Sequential Synthesis of Catalyst and Carbon Nanotube Foams by Employing a Chemical Vapor Deposition Procedure: Structural Evaluation and Growth Mechanism

An Emerging Strategy in Sequential Synthesis of Catalyst and Carbon Nanotube Foams by Employing a Chemical Vapor Deposition Procedure: Structural Evaluation and Growth Mechanism

Lightweight thermoplastic polyurethane/multi-wall carbon nanotube foams with a continuous gradient cell structure for electromagnetic interference shielding

With the rapid development of portable microelectronic devices, materials with tunable electromagnetic shielding (EMI) performance and comfort of use have become urgently necessary. A lightweight, conductive thermoplastic polyurethane/multi-walled carbon nanotube (TPU/MWCNT) composite foam with a continuous gradient cell structure has been developed to impede electromagnetic wave reflection induced by excessive impedance mismatch. The continuous gradient distribution of cell structure and conductivity provides the TPU/MWCNT composite foams with distinct shielding effects of electromagnetic waves in both front and back gradient directions. The maximum front absorption coefficient (A) reached 0.93, which is higher than any foam with a uniform cell size within the cell size range of the gradient composite foams. At the same time, the gradient composite foams possess the characteristics of lightweight, high elasticity, and extensibility. The weight was decreased by 67.27–85.45 %, the elastic recovery ratio of compression reached 95 %, and the toughness was also excellent. Numerical simulation of the gradient foam model was conducted using CST Microwave Studio to uncover the gradient asymptotic dissipation mechanisms. The lightweight and stretchable continuous gradient foams show great promises for the next-generation portable electronic devices that generate no radiation pollution.

An effective synthesis of carbon nanotube foams over three ambient atmospherically calcined Fe–Mo/MgO catalysts: Structural characterization with growth mechanism

Our research attempted to investigate the impact of calcination on the synthesis procedure, thickness dependency, and catalytic phases of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibiting a foam-like design. The sol-gel technique of combustion was used to generate three different stoichiometric molar proportions of extremely active Fe:Mo:MgO catalyst significantly powder (namely 1:0.5:13, 1:1:13, and 1:1:50). The crystalline phases of the catalysts were modified by calcination under Air, inert (Ar) and reduced (H2) atmospheres. XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in addition to Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were utilized to examine the development of the catalytic compounds' morphological phases, size of particles, shape, and composition of elements.The crystalline shapes, sizes and other morphological characteristics of the highly active catalysts were studied by TEM. Additionally, the BET surface area as well as the average particle diameter, volume of pore, and radius of pore were ascertained using the N2 sorption isotherm evaluation. Then, the combination of uncalcined and calcined catalysts were employed to generate CNT foams through CVD approach. The CNT foam development findings were examined using a variety of physicochemical strategies. From these studies, we established the relation between the catalytic phases and the growth of MWCNTs with foam-like morphology. Finally, the change of the growth mechanism and diameter of the MWCNT foams over the active catalysts based on the stoichiometric molar ratios between the catalyst and support was analyzed through TEM studies.

Electron acceleration and x-ray generation from near-critical-density carbon nanotube foams driven by moderately relativistic lasers

Direct laser acceleration of electrons in near-critical-density (NCD) carbon nanotube foams (CNFs) has its advantages in the high-efficiency generation of relativistic electrons and broadband x-rays. Here, we report the first simultaneous measurement on the spectra of laser-driven electrons and x-rays from CNFs at moderately relativistic intensities of around 5×1019 W/cm2. The density and thickness of the CNFs were scanned in the experiments, indicating the optimized electron temperature of 5.5 MeV and x-ray critical energy of 5 keV. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations confirm that the electrons, with a temperature significantly higher than the pondermotive scale, are directly accelerated by the laser along the NCD plasma channel, while the bright x-rays are emitted by these electrons through betatron radiation or Thomson backscattering inside the channel. The simultaneously generated electrons and x-rays, automatically synchronized with the femtosecond laser driver, are suitable for applications such as bi-modal radiography.

Improved electromagnetic interference shielding performance of silicone rubber/CNTs composites by porous structure design via green supercritical CO2 foaming

In this study, the relationship between porous structure and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of polymer foams is established. A green supercritical CO2 foaming technology is utilized to construct silicone rubber (PMVS)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) foams with tunable porous structures (porosity, cell size, cell density and cell gradient structure). Notably, the introduction of moderate porosity (within 40 %) simultaneously enhanced the total EMI shielding effectiveness (SET) and absorption coefficient (A). PMVS/CNTs foam reached a maximum SET of 62.3 dB, a 35.4 % increase over solid PMVS/CNTs composite. Additionally, small-cell PMVS/CNTs foam shows a higher A under the same porosity, while large-cell foam exhibits higher SET. Moreover, gradient porous PMVS/CNTs, combining advantages of large and small cells, maintains a high A (78 %) and exhibits superior SET (52.7 dB), along with exceptional EMI shielding stability (with SET and A retaining 97.7 % and 99 %, respectively, after 1000 cycles of compression). This work provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing EMI shielding performance by regulating porous structures.

Doped Micron Silicon and Mxene Based Composite Anodes for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

With the world's energy needs constantly increasing, renewable energy sources must be technologically advanced and integrated with energy storage devices to ensure their uninterrupted operation. In recent decades, researchers have devoted substantial efforts to improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) [1]. While graphite remains the commercial anode in LIBs, it’s very low theoretical capacity (372 mAh g-1) restricts its use in high-energy applications. Silicon (Si), owing to its high theoretical capacity of 4200 mAh g-1, natural abundance, and appropriate Li uptake potential (0.4 V vs Li/Li+), is a promising anode material [2]. However, its massive volume expansion restricts its practical use.In this study, micron-sized Si particles are combined with graphite. Micron Si is less expensive, and the synthesis process is simpler. The well-ground mixture (Si-G) is mixed with a polymer solution to generate pyrolytic carbon (upon carbonising). This aids in the buffering of mechanical stresses caused by Si volume expansion. Furthermore, direct exposure of Si to the electrolyte is avoided, stabilising the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The addition of a dopant improves the intrinsic conductivity of the material, resulting in increased capacity by providing electron and Li-ion transport channels. To further enhance the composite's performance, synthesized Mxene is added to promote the charge transport between micron Si. Using various techniques such as SEM-EDAX, XRD, Raman, and XPS spectroscopy, the composite's morphology and structure is studied which reveals uniformly distributed Si, C, and Mxene sheets that retain the sheet architecture.As an anode, the composite exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance which was evident by its impressive lithium storage specific capacity of 2003 mAh g-1 (based on weight of Si) even after long term cycling (at 1C rate). Additionally, the composite demonstrates superior rate performance with a specific capacity of 2439 mAh g-1 at 10 C rate, highlighting its potential for high-power applications. Moreover, the electrode displayed a low charge transfer impedance and fast electron transport, which improved the electrochemical performance. The reason for this improved performance is the unique structure consisting of Mxene and doping, which significantly increased the Li ion diffusion and the active sites. Also, low-cost micron Si is used which has a high tap density. Thus, this work provides an approach to develop high-capacity LIBs based on silicon. Keywords: Lithium-ion battery, micron silicon anode, Mxene, doping. References Liu, L. Kang, J. Hu, E. Jung, J. Zhang, S.C. Jun, Y. Yamauchi, Unlocking the Potential of Oxygen-Deficient Copper-Doped Co 3 O 4 Nanocrystals Confined in Carbon as an Advanced Electrode for Flexible Solid-State Supercapacitors, ACS Energy Lett. 6 (2021) 3011–3019. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c01373.Zhou, Y. Liu, C. Du, Y. Ren, T. Mu, P. Zuo, G. Yin, Y. Ma, X. Cheng, Y. Gao, Polyaniline-encapsulated silicon on three-dimensional carbon nanotubes foam with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries, Journal of Power Sources. 381 (2018) 156–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2018.02.009.

Hydrophobic Composite Foams with Asymmetric Gradient Sandwich Structure for Excellent Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Photothermal Response.

The evolution of contemporary electronics urgently requires the use of versatile electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials in complex environments. Interlayer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Fe3O4@multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) foams were prepared by a simple physical foaming method with excellent flexibility and electromagnetic wave absorption. The bottom nickel aramid paper (NiP) layer creates a dense conductive network by chemical plating technology, which ensures excellent EMI effectiveness. The upper carbon black (CB)/Fe3O4 layer further improves the absorption performance via conductive loss and magnetic loss. With the effective layout of the impedance matching layer, absorbing layer, and conductive shielding layer, the CB/Fe3O4-PDMS/Fe3O4@MWCNTs-NiP composite material achieves an EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of 61.7 dB and an absorption coefficient of 0.58 at X-band. In addition, the composite foam provides photothermal conversion and hydrophobicity due to the effective stacking of PDMS and CB/Fe3O4. Thus, the multifunctional composite foam presents a broad range of possible applications, benefiting EMI shielding as well as other specific areas.

Superior thermal transport properties of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes tailored through mesoscale architectures

Thermal transport properties play a critical role in the performance of lightweight foams used as shock-absorbing layers in helmets, sports gear, and electronic packaging. We report superior tailored thermal properties achieved at lightweight in vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) foams by introducing mesoscale hexagonally close-packed cylindrical architecture. We measure thermal diffusivity (α) using a laser flash technique and specific heat capacity (Cp) by differential scanning calorimetry at varying temperatures from 25 °C to 200 °C from which we determine the thermal conductivity and the thermal resistance as functions of temperature. The architected VACNTs exhibit similar α and Cp as non-architected VACNTs but exhibit higher intrinsic thermal conductivity (ki) and lower intrinsic thermal resistance (Ri) compared to the non-architected VACNTs. This improvement in ki and Ri arises due to the higher intrinsic density of VACNTs achieved by exploiting a synthesis size effect—the geometrically confined CVD synthesis which leads to higher vertical alignment and number density of CNTs. The effective thermal conductivity keff of VACNT foams follows a desirable sub-linear scaling with the density—which is tailored by the architecture—in contrast to the higher order scaling observed in other materials. The superior thermal transport properties of architected VACNTs enable lightweight protective materials for extreme engineering applications.

Facile Fabrication of Absorption-Dominated Biodegradable Poly(lactic acid)/Polycaprolactone/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Foams towards Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

The use of electromagnetic interference shielding materials in the mitigation of electromagnetic pollution requires a broader perspective, encompassing not only the enhancement of the overall shielding efficiency (SET), but also the distinct emphasis on the contribution of the absorption shielding efficiency within the total shielding efficiency (SEA/SET). The development of lightweight, biodegradable electromagnetic interference shielding materials with dominant absorption mechanisms is of paramount importance in reducing electromagnetic pollution and the environmental impact. This study presents a successful fabrication strategy for a poly(lactic acid)/polycaprolactone/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PCL/PLA/MWCNT) composite foam, featuring a uniform porous structure. In this approach, melt mixing is combined with particle leaching techniques to create a co-continuous phase morphology when PCL and PLA are present in equal mass ratios. The MWCNT is selectively dispersed within the PCL matrix, which facilitates the formation of a robust conductive network within this morphology. In addition, the addition of the MWCNT content reduces the size of the phase domain in the PCL/PLA/MWCNT composite, showing an adept ability to construct a compact and stable conductive network. Based on its porous architecture and continuous conductive network, the composite foam with an 80% porosity and 7 wt% MWCNT content manifests an exceptional EMI shielding performance. The SET, specific SET, and SEA/SET values achieved are 22.88 dB, 88.68 dB·cm3/g, and 85.80%, respectively. Additionally, the resulting composite foams exhibit a certain resistance to compression-induced deformations. In summary, this study introduces a practical solution that facilitates the production of absorption-dominated, lightweight, and biodegradable EMI shielding materials at scale.

High-Yield Gold Nanohydrangeas on Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanotube Foams for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensors.

Recently, carbon nanomaterial-supported plasmonic nanocrystals used as high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have attracted increasing attention due to their ultra-high sensitivity of detection. However, most of the work focuses on the design of 2-D planar substrates with traditional plasmonic structures, such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires, and so forth. Here, we report a novel strategy for the preparation of high-yield Au nanohydrangeas on three-dimensional porous polydopamine (PDA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carbon nanotube (CNT) foams. The structures and growth mechanisms of these specific Au nanocrystals are systematically investigated. PDA plays the role of both a reducing agent as well as an anchoring site for Au nanohydrangeas' growth. We also show that the ratio of surfactant KBr to the gold precursor (HAuCl4) is key to obtain these structures in a manner of high production. Moreover, the substrate of the CNT foam-Au nanohydrangea hybrid can be employed as SERS sensors and can detect the analytes down to 10-9 M.

The role of graphene in Graphene-Filled carbon nanotube foam under compression and the corresponding microscopic deformation mechanism

Graphene-filling significantly improves the compressive properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) foam (CF). However, the role of graphene in the graphene-filled CNT foam (GFCF) and the corresponding microscopic deformation mechanism, are still unclear. Here, coarse-grained numerical models of pure CF and GFCF are constructed based on molecular dynamics, and the role of graphene in GFCF and corresponding microscopic deformation mechanisms under compression are investigated. It is found that the compressive modulus of GFCF (5.3 MPa) is much larger than that of pure CF (0.7 MPa). The filling of graphene inhibits the aggregation of CNTs, enhances the dispersion of CNTs, impedes the rearrangement of CNTs, and ultimately improves the compressive modulus of the whole material by improving the bending ability of CNTs. It is further found that the compressive modulus of GFCF can be increased to a maximum of 7.4 MPa as the number of graphene flakes increases to 300, but remains almost the same as the graphene thickness increases. The results in this paper deepen the understanding of the microscopic mechanisms of GFCF and provide scientific guidance for the application of CNT and graphene-based materials.

Disrupting Density-Dependent Property Scaling in Hierarchically Architected Foams.

Creating lightweight architected foams as strong and stiff as their bulk constituent material has been a long-standing effort. Typically, the strength, stiffness, and energy dissipation capabilities of materials severely degrade with increasing porosity. We report nearly constant stiffness-to-density and energy dissipation-to-density ratios─a linear scaling with density─in hierarchical vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) foams with a mesoscale architecture of hexagonally close-packed thin concentric cylinders. We observe a transformation from an inefficient higher-order density-dependent scaling of the average modulus and energy dissipated to a desirable linear scaling as a function of the increasing internal gap between the concentric cylinders. From the scanning electron microscopy of the compressed samples, we observe an alteration in the deformation modality from local shell buckling at a smaller gap to column buckling at a larger gap, governed by an enhancement in the number density of CNTs with the increasing internal gap, leading to better structural stiffness at low densities. This transformation simultaneously improves the foams' damping capacity and energy absorption efficiency as well and allows us to access the ultra-lightweight regime in the property space. Such synergistic scaling of material properties is desirable for protective applications in extreme environments.

Structure design of multi-layered ABS/CNTs composite foams for EMI shielding application with low reflection and high absorption characteristics

The low-reflection and high-absorption features for electromagnetic (EM) waves are the key and significant requirements for fabricating efficient EM interference (EMI) shielding polymer-based composite foams. Herein, single-layered acrylonitrile–butadienestyrene (ABS)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) foams with three representative pore structures (nano-pores, micro-pores and regular pores) were produced via supercritical CO2 foaming technology. Subsequently, they were stacked together to obtain multi-layered ABS/CNTs foams through structural design for achieving the high absorption and low reflection characteristics described above. Among all the unfoamed and foamed ABS/CNTs specimens, nano-porous ABS/CNTs foams could reach the maximum electrical conductivity of 3.7 S/m. The multi-layered ABS/CNTs foam with positive pore gradient structure exhibited the best EM wave absorption coefficient of 0.90. The sandwich structure formed in ABS/CNTs foam by sandwiching a middle layer of regular porous foam between nano-porous foam and micro-porous foam increased EM wave absorption properties, owing to the generation of constructive interference. This work provides new insight and methodology for the design and fabrication of multi-layered EMI shielding polymer-based composite foams with low reflection and high absorption.

Energetic laser-driven proton beams from near-critical-density double-layer targets under moderate relativistic intensities

Double-layer targets composed of near-critical-density carbon nanotube foams (CNFs) and solid foils have shown their advantages in laser-driven ion acceleration under high relativistic intensity. Here, we report the experimental and numerical results on the laser-accelerated proton beams from such targets under moderate relativistic intensities I∼5×1019W/cm2. 40-TW femtosecond laser pulses were used to irradiate CNF-based double-layer targets. Compared to single-layer targets, significant enhancements on the cutoff energy and numbers of ions were observed. It was found that the CNF layer also leads to a larger divergence angle and a more homogeneous spatial distribution profile of the proton beam. Particle-in-cell simulations reveal the reason for the enhanced proton acceleration. It is found that the lateral electric field and the strong magnetic field built by the directly accelerated electrons from the CNF layer contribute to the enlarged divergence angle.

Experimental and numerical study on the mechanical behavior of 3D printed re-entrant auxetic structure filled with carbon nanotubes-reinforced polymethylmethacrylate foam

The present study aimed to develop the finite element method to examine the mechanical behavior of 3D printed re-entrant auxetic structure filled with nanoparticle-reinforced foams under in-plane uniaxial quasi-static compressive loading. A multi-scale finite element model of the nanocomposite is created by considering the randomly distributed carbon nanotubes (CNT) in the Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer matrix for a specific volume fraction. The interaction between CNT and PMMA foam was simulated using the cohesive zone model (CZM). The effect of the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes and the geometric characteristics of the structure on the performance of these structures is examined. Results from the finite element study are validated by the samples manufactured using 3D printing and experimental testing results. The results show that the addition of carbon nanotubes to the re-entrant auxetic structure avoids the sharp reduction of force after the peak point, while the use of 2 wt.% of carbon nanotubes increases the maximum fracture force up to 75%. Results indicate optimal values for carbon nanotube volume fraction and the thickness of the cell walls, for which energy absorption has the highest value. It is concluded that adding 2 wt.% carbon nanotubes to the PMMA foam increases the energy absorption up to 130%.