Synergistic Effect Of Carbon Nanotubes Research Articles

Synergistic effects of carbon nanotubes on α-MnO2 electrocatalysts for improved oxygen reduction in alkaline fuel cells

The Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cell (AMFC), is a device crucial for electrochemical energy production through the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), conventionally relies on platinum catalysts. However, the challenges of excessive cost and inadequate stability in alkaline environments have hindered its widespread commercialization. Alpha manganese dioxide (αMnO2), with diverse applications in energy and environmental domains, has potential as an alternative catalyst due to its lower metal costs and comparable catalytic activity. This study focuses on the synthesis of αMnO2 nanotubes through controlled environment temperature, and integration with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Optimizing the gas pressure and temperature during synthesis resulted in structural changes in αMnO2 nanotubes, with a notable increase in catalytic behavior at elevated temperatures. The sample treated at 450 °C and mixed with CNTs (CNT-MO450) demonstrated outstanding ORR performance and prolonged stability in an alkaline medium. Furthermore, the CNT-MO450 exhibited the highest current density of −5.2 mA/cm2 at a potential of 0.65 V vs RHE, a peak power density of 73 mW/cm2 (comparable to Pt/C at 95 mW/cm2), and a charge transfer resistance of 310 Ω. The temperature treatment affected the αMnO2 nanotubes, which resulted in increased length at an optimal temperature, leading to a larger surface area. This enhancement in surface area is crucial to improved catalytic activity, electrical conductivity, and extended stability during operation in alkaline media. The findings suggest that CNT-MO450 catalysts hold promise as a cost-effective and stable alternative catalyst for AMFCs.

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotube and encapsulated carbon layer enabling high-performance SnS2-based anode for lithium storage

Tin disulfide (SnS2), due to large interlayer spacing and high theoretical capacity, is regarded as a prospective anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, the poor electron conductivity of SnS2 and huge volumetric change during the lithiation/delithiation process lead to a rapid capacity decay of the battery, hindering its commercialization. To address these issues, herein, SnS2 is in-situ grown on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and then encapsulated with a layer of porous amorphous carbon (CNT/SnS2@C) by simple solvothermal and further carbonization treatment. The synergistic effect of CNT and porous carbon layer not only enhances the electrical conductivity of SnS2 but also limits the huge volumetric change to avoid the pulverization and detachment of SnS2. Density functional theory calculations show that CNT/SnS2@C has high Li+ adsorption and lithium storage capacity achieving high reaction kinetics. Consequently, cells with the CNT/SnS2@C anode exhibit a high lithium storage capacity of 837 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 0.1 A/g and retaining a capacity of 529.8 mAh/g under 1.0 A/g after 1000 cycles. This study provides a fundamental understanding of the electrochemical processes and beneficial guidance to design high-performance SnS2-based anodes for LIBs.

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and polyvinyl alcohol on the mechanical performance and microstructure of cement mortar

Abstract Herein, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used as hybrid modifiers to enhance the mechanical properties of cement mortar and overcome the limitations of modification methods based on only polymers and nanomaterials. The use of PVA latex as a bridging agent with the aid of ultrasound energy effectively improved the dispersion uniformity and stability of CNTs. The results indicate that doping an appropriate amount of PVA in CNT-modified cement mortar, especially those modified with hydroxylated CNTs (h-CNTs), could synergistically improve performance. Amongst the samples, the h-CNT-modified cement mortar incorporated with 1 wt% PVA showed the optimal mechanical properties. The compressive and flexural strengths of this cement mortar increased by 33 and 42%, respectively, compared with those of cement mortars modified with h-CNTs alone. The microscopic characterisation results showed that the formation of a uniformly distributed h-CNT/PVA film network in the matrix effective filling of pores and bridging of cracks were responsible for performance enhancement.

Synergistic Effect of Carbon Nanotubes, Zinc, and Copper Oxides on Rheological Properties of Fracturing Fluid: A Comparative Study

Nanomaterials play a beneficial role in enhancing the rheological behavior of fracturing (frac) fluid by reacting with intermolecular structures. The inclusion of these materials into the fluid improves its stability, increases the viscosity of polymers, and enhances its resistance to high temperature and pressure. In this investigation, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nano-zinc oxides (N-ZnO), and nano-copper oxides (N-CuO) have been utilized to ameliorate the rheological properties of water-based fracturing fluid. Different concentrations of these aforementioned nanomaterials were prepared to determine their effects on the rheological behavior of the fluid. The results revealed that the size of nanoparticles ranged from 10 to 500 nm, 300 nm, and 295 nm for CNTs, N-ZnO, and N-CuO, respectively. Moreover, employing CNTs exhibited a resistance of 550 cp at 25 °C and reached 360 cp at 50 °C with a CNT concentration of 0.5 g/L. In contrast, N-CuO and N-ZnO showed a resistance of 206 cp at 25 °C and significantly decreased to 17 cp and 16 cp with higher concentrations of 10 g/L and 1 g/L, respectively. Based on these findings, this study recommends utilizing CNTs to enhance fracking fluid’s chemical and physical properties, which need to be highly viscous and stable under reservoir conditions.

Enhancing effect of cobalt phthalocyanine dispersion on electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 towards methanol.

This paper focuses on enhancing the performance of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) by improving the dispersion of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc), especially for the methanol formation with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a support. The promising CNTs-supported CoPc hybrid was prepared based on ball milling technique, and the surface morphology was characterized by means of those methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). Then, the synergistic effect of CNTs and ball milling on CO2RR performance was analyzed by those methods of cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), gas chromatography (GC), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR). Subsequently, the reduction mechanism of CO2 on ball-milled CoPc/CNTs was revealed based on the DFT calculations. The results showed that the electrocatalyst CoPc/CNTs hybrid prepared with sonication exhibited a conversion efficiency of CO2 above 60% at -1.0V vs. RHE, accompanied by the Faradaic efficiencies of nearly 50% for CO and 10% for methanol, respectively. The addition of CNTs as the support improved the utilization efficiency of CoPc and reduced the transfer resistance of species and electrons. Then the ball-milling method further improved the dispersion of CoPc on CNTs, which resulted in the fact that the methanol efficiency was raised by 6% and partial current density was increased by nearly 433%. The better dispersion of CoPc on CNTs adjusted the reduction pathway of CO2 and resulted in the enhancement of methanol selectivity and catalytic activity of CO2. The probable pathway for methanol production was proposed as CO2 → *CO2- → *COOH → *CO → *CHO → *CH2O → *OCH3 → CH3OH. This suggests the significance of the ball-milling method during the preparation of better supported catalysts for CO2RR towards those high-valued products.

The Micro-Capacitance Enhancement of Polyionic Liquids Grafted Onto Carbon Nanotubes on the Piezoelectric Properties of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) Films and Their Sensor Applications

The increased micro-capacitance of a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix can effectively improve the piezoelectric properties of the composite material. This work used chemically modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the main reinforcement material. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was used to graft polyionic liquids (PILs) with different hydrophilic anions to the CNTs’ surfaces. Solution casting and compressive melt molding were used to prepare the PVDF-composite piezoelectric films. Micro-capacitance formed by the PIL grafted CNTs dispersed well in the PVDF matrix, and their effects on the crystalline form and piezoelectric properties were studied. The hydrophobic hexafluorophosphate anion (-PF6 -) can significantly improve the CNTs dispersion and enhance the micro-capacitance formation in the PVDF matrix. During solution crystallization, the synergistic effect of CNTs and PIL on the PVDF and the solvent effect made the content of β phase of PVDF/CNTs@PIL-PF6 film reach 80.2%, resulting in a high dielectric constant of 188 and a piezoelectric coefficient of 36. In the process of melt crystallization, due to shear stretching and extrusion, the CNTs@PIL-PF6 had an obvious nucleation effect on the polar crystalline phase of PVDF, with a β phase content up to 99.3%, leading to the higher dielectric constant of 530 and the piezoelectric coefficient of 31. The current discovery provides a development direction for smart piezoelectric polymer matrix composites, which have great potential in preparing piezoelectric energy storage materials.

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotube on improving thermal stability, flame retardancy, and electrical conductivity of poly(butylene succinate)/piperazine pyrophosphate composites

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotube on improving thermal stability, flame retardancy, and electrical conductivity of poly(butylene succinate)/piperazine pyrophosphate composites

Preparation and properties of polyetherimide fibers based on the synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and ionic liquids

AbstractPolyetherimide (PEI) has been widely applied in the form of plastics, films, and foam materials. But PEI fiber is confronted with some challenges, such as high melt viscosity and high spinning temperature during the spinning process, poor mechanical properties because of its amorphous structure. In this study, ionic liquids (ILs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to prepare PEI composite fibers (PEI/CNT‐IL) successfully, which were further characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermalgravimetric analysis, mechanical property, and conductivity measurements. IL showed a plasticizing effect to reduce the processing temperature of PEI and SEM images showed that CNTs were uniformly dispersed in the PEI matrix by the assistance of IL. The synergistic effect of CNT and IL thus improved the tensile strength and antistatic properties of PEI fibers. When the contents of CNT and IL were 0.5 and 1.0 wt%, respectively, the optimal properties were obtained. PEI/CNT‐IL fibers exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 2.0 cN/dtex with the elongation at break being 90%, and the enhanced electrical conductivity of 10−5 S·cm−1, which was increased by 13 orders of magnitude compared to that of pristine PEI fiber.Highlights PEI composite fibers were prepared via melt spinning with the assistance of IL and CNT. IL can effectively disperse CNT and plasticize PEI to reduce the processing temperature. The synergistic effect of CNT and IL has improved the tensile strength and antistatic properties of PEI fibers.

Carbon Nanotube-, Boron Nitride-, and Graphite-Filled Polyketone Composites for Thermal Energy Management.

In order to improve the thermal conductivity of 30 wt % synthetic graphite (SG)-filled polyketones (POKs), conductive fillers such as multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hexagonal boron nitride (BN) were used in this study. Individual and synergistic effects of CNTs and BN on 30 wt % synthetic graphite-filled POK on thermal conductivity were investigated. 1, 2, and 3 wt % CNT loading enhanced the in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities of POK-30SG by 42, 82, and 124% and 42, 94, and 273%, respectively. 1, 2, and 3 wt % BN loadings enhanced the in-plane thermal conductivity of POK-30SG by 25, 69, and 107% and through-plane thermal conductivity of POK-30SG by 92, 135, and 325%. It was observed that while CNT shows more efficient in-plane thermal conductivity than BN, BN shows more efficient through-plane thermal conductivity. The electrical conductivity value of POK-30SG-1.5BN-1.5CNT was obtained to be 1.0 × 10-5 S/cm, the value of which is higher than that of POK-30SG-1CNT and lower than that of POK-30SG-2CNT. While BN loading led to a higher heat deflection temperature (HDT) than CNT loading, the hybrid fillers of BNT and CNT led to the highest HDT value. Moreover, BN loading led to higher flexural strength and Izod-notched impact strength values than CNT loading.

Cellulose nanofibers as a green binder for symmetric carbon nanotubes-based supercapacitors

The demand for flexible lightweight supercapacitors (FSCs), mainly applied in flexible electronics, has spun by the ever-increasing energy storage market. To meet the market criteria, electrodes with high porosity and specific surface areas are ideal candidates as lightweight and flexible supercapacitors components. This work highlights the use of nanocellulose as a bio-derived binder for flexible supercapacitors. This binder contributes to the enhancement of electrochemical performance due to its 1D fibrous hierarchical structures. In turn, nanocellulose is a promising candidate for medical and implantable devices owing to its biocompatibility. Here, we report the fabrication of freestanding, flexible, porous, and conductive electrodes via a facile scalable fabrication process. The electrodes are comprised of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as the conductive material and cellulose nanofibers as the bio-based binder. Due to the combined synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers, the fabricated electrodes show a high porosity. The effect of cellulose type was evaluated at 16 wt.%, which showed no significant effect on the electrochemical performances at this percentage. However, we demonstrate that the cellulose dry content for a specific cellulose type affects the electrochemical performances, with optimized performances for a dry cellulose percentage between 4 and 6 wt.%. In these formulations, the ratio between nanocellulose and CNTs contributes to the formation of porous and conductive nanosheets. The samples’ porosity was assessed regarding their specific surface area (N2 Adsorption-desorption) while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) emphasized their morphology. Due to the high porosity as well as conductivity, the samples showed a good specific capacitance (∼ 9 F/g) and outstanding cycling stability with an increase in specific capacitance of about 10% after 3500 cycles at 0.13 A/g.

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotube and tri-metallic MOF nanoarchitecture for electrochemical high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor applications and their charge storage mechanism

To develop innovative energy-storage devices, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with various nano-geometries must be rationally combined. In this research, a trimetallic-based MOF with varying ratios of carbon nanotubes (CNT) was synthesized and optimized for use in electrochemical supercapacitor devices. The composite material has a corrugated-layered structure that allows for fast ion transport and electrolyte storage. The synergistic features of CNT and MOF, along with the stronger redox reactions of multimetallic ionic species, enable effective charge storage. The 1D nanotube form of CNT provides stability and electrical conductivity. MOF-CNT(5 %) showed a higher capacitive efficiency than MOF due to its high specific capacitance and rate capacity (86.1 % retention at 5 A/g). The MOF-CNT(5 %)//ACarbon composite exhibited a capacitance of 166.4 F/g at 1 A/g, 79.2 % retention after 10,000 charging/discharging cycles, a high-power density of 501.5 W/kg, and an energy density of 23.6 Wh/kg, making it a potential nanomaterial for asymmetric supercapacitors. Dunn's and Trasatti's model were used to extract regression parameters and capacitive-diffusive contributions of the supercapacitor.

Enhancing mechanical property and thermal conductivity of fluororubber by the synergistic effect of CNT and BN

Fluororubber (FKM) shows great potential in the sealing field of high-end equipment components due to its excellent mechanical properties and sealing performance. However its low thermal conductivity limits its application in a wider range of fields. Here, we compounded hexagonal boron nitride (BN) nanosheets and single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT), and then introduced them into FKM matrix to enhance its thermal conductivity and mechanical properties, thus x-BN/CNT/FKM composites (x represents filler addition amount) were prepared. The results show that the synergy between BN and CNT contributes to the formation of three-dimensional filler network, which improves its mechanical properties and promotes the formation of efficient three-dimensional heat conduction network. Compared with original FKM and x-BN/FKM composites, x-BN/CNT/FKM composites shows better vulcanization performance, enhanced mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and thermal stability. Especially, the thermal conductivity of 2BN/CNT/FKM composites reached 0.395 W/(m·k), which was 28.2 % higher than that of original FKM composites. In addition, the thermal management performance analysis also shows that 2BN/CNT/FKM composites possess excellent heat transfer ability during heating and cooling processes. 2BN/CNT/FKM composites have great application potential in the fields of high-end sealing materials, due to their remarkably improved mechanical performance and thermal conductivity at low filling level.

Synergistic Effects of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) and Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of ZK61 Alloy

Synergistic Effects of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) and Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of ZK61 Alloy

Synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and carbon black as nanofillers of silicone rubber pressure sensors

Pressure sensors based on nitrogen-doped bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes (N-BCNT) and carbon black (CB) as nanofillers, polyurethane foam (PU) as supporting substrate, and silicone rubber (SR) as a matrix were prepared. Dip coating was used to coat PU with 0.44 wt% nanofiller, including different mixing ratios of N-BCNT and CB (5:5; 6:4; 7:3; 8:2; 9:1). Then, the coated PU is impregnated in SR to fill the pores. Due to the higher aspect ratio of the N-BCNT, it contributes more to improving the electrical conductivity in the composites, while the CB fills the smaller gaps. The prepared sensors were tested in various applications, and it was found that the optimal mixing ratio of nanofillers was 7:3 N-BCNT:CB. Thus, a multifunctional pressure sensor has been developed successfully with excellent flexibility and good resilience, suitable for motion detection and finger touch applications. The pressure sensor showed high sensitivity, and the ability to detect a wide range of pressures. The sensor exhibited success in a range of applications, paving the way for its potential use in various fields in the future, such as wearable devices, prosthetics, robotic devices, and medical devices.

Strengthening and toughening behaviors and dynamic constitutive model of carbon-based hierarchical fiber modified concrete: Cross-scale synergistic effects of carbon nanotubes and carbon fiber

Considering the synergistic effects (filling, activating, bridging, anti-cracking, and interface-optimizing) of combined carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes, the strategy of using carbon nanotubes-carbon fiber cross-scale reinforcement (CNTs-CF) to enhance concrete was proposed. The strengthening and toughening behaviors of CNTs-CF modified concrete (CCMC) were experimentally investigated. The results showed that CCMC had good crushing resistance capacity, and the addition of an appropriate amount of CNTs-CF was conducive to alleviating the brittle failure characteristics of concrete materials. Compared with ordinary concrete, the static and dynamic strength properties and toughness indexes of CCMC were greatly improved. When the volume content of CNTs-CF in concrete was 0.3%, CCMC showed the most superior strengthening and toughening behaviors. The hierarchical assembly and synergistic effect of carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes realized the combination of high strength and high toughness of concrete materials. The proposed rate-dependent constitutive model with damage based on Weibull statistical theory in this study can be used to accurately predict the dynamic compressive stress-strain relationship curve of concrete under different fiber content and strain rate.

Test and Detection of Antifreezing and Anticorrosion Performance of Carbon Nanofiber Bridge Concrete.

In order to solve the problems of carbon nanotubes, steel fibers, and carbon nanotubes + steel fibers on the compressive strength and impact resistance of concrete, the author proposes a test method for the frost resistance and corrosion resistance of carbon nanofiber bridge concrete. Using carbon nanotubes and steel fibers as reinforcing materials, the effects of carbon nanotubes and steel fibers on the compressive strength and impact resistance of concrete were studied. Experimental results show that incorporating carbon nanotubes and steel fibers can improve the compressive strength of concrete. Compared with the single-doped carbon nanotubes, the single-doped steel fiber has a greater effect on the improvement of the impact resistance of the concrete. The toughness and ductility of carbon nanotubes and steel fiber reinforced concrete are improved again compared with that of single steel fiber reinforced concrete. The effect of adding 1% steel fiber +0.30% carbon nanotubes is the most significant in enhancing the performance of concrete. Conclusion. The synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and steel fibers is more conducive in complementing each other's advantages and improving the performance of concrete.

Preparation and characterization of multifunctional phase change material microcapsules with modified carbon nanotubes for improving the thermal comfort level of buildings

Excellent temperature regulation and flame retardancy are the keys to the wide application of phase change material microcapsules (MPCMs) in building fields. In this study, the flame retardant carbon nanotube (d-CNT) modified by 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10 phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) was successfully embedded into the MPCM (d-c-MPCM) by in-situ polymerization. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) experimental results showed that DOPO was grafted onto the carbon nanotube (CNT) surface and the d-CNT was successfully added to the microcapsule with a particle size of 150 nm. The d-c-MPCM displayed better thermal stability than other MPCMs due to the presence of CNT and DOPO, which was demonstrated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and micro-combustion calorimeter (MCC) tests. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results of MPCMs showed that the phase transition temperature and latent heat of d-c-MPCM are 31.14 ℃ and 103.21 J/g, respectively. The flame retardancy and temperature control ability of microcapsules were detected by adding d-c-MPCM to the rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF/d-c-MPCM). In the cone calorimeter test, RPUF/d-c-MPCM significantly reduced the heat release and increased the residual mass of foam during combustion. These improvements in thermal stability and flame retardancy resulted from the synergistic effect of CNT and DOPO on the formation of char layer. Finally, the small room model and infrared thermal imager results proved that RPUF/d-c-MPCM made indoor temperature fluctuation more gentle, and the maximum indoor temperature is only 26.6 ℃. These unique properties will significantly facilitate the practical application of the MPCMs in building insulation materials.

Enhancement of load transfer by interfacial bonding in Al-Cu-Mg joints under the in-situ synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and silicon nitride

In this paper, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) were innovatively introduced to in-situ form composite Al-Cu-Mg joints by laser welding. Morphology and composition results indicated that CNTs were either dispersedly arranged in the fusion zone or tightly coupled with nano-scale Si3N4 and Mg2Si precipitates. Crystallographically, coherent interfaces were built between CNTs and surroundings. Besides, geometric phase analysis (GPA) of Al(111)//Al4C3(10−12) interface indicated that the microstrain transfer and transformation between the Al-Cu-Mg matrix and the CNTs was mainly attributed to the formation of Al4C3. Tensile strength and elongation rate of the joint with composite additives were increased by 30.4% and 162%, respectively, compared with single laser welding. This work provided a new idea for optimizing the bonding design of the interface between CNTs and aluminum matrix to improve the load transfer efficiency.

Promising PVDF-CNT-Graphene-NiCo chains composite films with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding performance

Polymer-based composite electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials have aroused great interest among scientific researchers because of excellent properties. Herein, the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-carbon nanotube (CNT)-Graphene (G)-NiCo chains composite film with ultrahigh EMI shielding properties was prepared through solution mixing and compression molding. In the composite film, 1D carbon nanotube (CNT) and NiCo chains connected the surrounding 2D graphene nanoplates and formed interfacial interconnected networks. The electrical conductivity and total electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE T ) of the samples increased progressively with the increased NiCo quality contents. The resultant PVDF-CNT-G-8NiCo composite film exhibited an excellent electrical conductivity of 9.12 S/cm and an ultrahigh EMI SE T of 63.3 dB. The results were superior to those of PVDF-CNT-8NiCo composite film, clearly confirming the synergistic effect of graphene nanoplates and CNT. The formation of multi-layers interfacial conductive CNT-G-NiCo networks promoted conductive dissipation, multiple reflections and scattering of incident electromagnetic (EM) waves. Meanwhile, this work provides guidance for the rational design of high-performance polymer-based composite EMI shielding materials and has great potential in practical applications. • PVDF-CNT-Graphene-NiCo chains composite film was prepared. • The synergistic effect of CNT, graphene and NiCo alloy formed interconnected networks. • The multi-layers networks promoted conductive dissipation, and multiple scattering of EM waves. • A superior EMI SE T of 63.3 dB were achieved in PVDF-CNT-G-8NiCo composite film.

Co-effect of carbon nanotube and nano-sized silica on dispersion and mechanical performance in cementitious system

Due to the advances in science and technology, the creation and application of nanomaterials are becoming more important in the building industry. The synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with nano-sized silica particles was examined in this study. For the dispersion of CNTs, four different polymeric surfactants (Brij35, TritonX100, CTAB, and polycarboxylate-based super-plasticizer) were used. Among these, Brij35 was found most effective for CNT dispersion, which was confirmed using a combination of centrifugation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Furthermore, their impact on compressive strength, flexural strength, and microstructural development of cement matrix in the presence of nano-sized silica has been investigated. When compared to control cement paste, compressive and flexural strength improved by 12 to 15%. SEM micrographs confirm the bridging mechanism of CNTs with cement hydration products. They act as networks and bridges across pores and cracks, ensuring the load transfer in case of tension and certainly enhances the flexural toughness of the cement matrix.