Enhancing interfacial adhesion and functionality of carbon nanotube fibers with depolymerized chitosan

摘要

The infiltration of high molecular weight polymers into carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers to strengthen them is strongly restricted. By depolymerizing chitosan with H2O2 in an acidic environment, the molecular weight was significantly decreased to below 7.5 x 10~4 g mol~(-1), resulting in improved infiltration. The CNT fiber containing depolymerized chitosan was as strong as 1.81 GPa, double the strength of the ethanol-densified fiber. The strengthening ability was greater than that of polyvinyl alcohol, and was attributed to the amino and hydroxyl groups. These groups also provided the composite fiber with muitifunctionality, and we provided two examples. After the adsorption of Cu(n), the fiber's electrical conductivity was increased by 86 S cm~(-1). The chitosan-infiltrated fiber induced the efficient deposition of CdS nanoparticles, and thus became photoluminescent.