CH2OH-terminated regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was grafted onto carboxylic groups of acid-oxidized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via esterification reaction. The P3HT-attached CNTs (P3CNTs) are soluble in common organic solvents, facilitating an intimate mixing with free P3HT chains for strong electronic interactions. The optical and electrochemical properties of the resultant nanocompos...

Mesoporous silica, specifically SBA-15, acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a hybrid nanocomposite of SBA-15 coated onto the sidewalls acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared and used as supports for anatase TiO2. Sol-gel methods were adapted for the synthesis of selected supports and for coating the materials with selected wt% loading of titania. Physical and...

We report the first attempt to prepare a flexoelectric nanogenerator consisting of direct-grown piezoelectrics on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (mwCNT). Direct-grown piezoelectrics on mwCNTs are formed by a stirring and heating method using a Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT)-mwCNT precursor solution. We studied the unit cell mismatch and strain distribution of epitaxial PZT nanoparticles, and found tha...

Uncured solid bisphenol-A epoxy resins containing up to 20 wt% carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared using melt blending in a high shear mixer. The extrudate was ground produce fine nanocomposite (NC) powders. This simple method produced well-dispersed NC, with CNT agglomerate sizes below 1 μm. Consolidated NCs displayed improved tensile moduli and strengths 3.3 GPa (+32%) 78 MPa (+19%), respec...

One-dimensional (1D) ionic nanowires are extremely rare materials due to the difficulty in stabilizing 1D chains of ions under ambient conditions. We demonstrate here a theoretical prediction of a novel hybrid material, a nanotube encapsulated 1D ionic lithium monophosphide (LiP) chain, featuring a unique double-helix structure, which is very unusual in inorganic chemistry. This nanocomposite h...

Several generations of ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuators have been developed since 1992. It has been discovered that the composite electrodes which are composed of electronic and ionic conductors, have great impact on performance of ionic polymer actuators by affecting strain level, efficiency and speed. One of important factors in composite electrodes is the shape and morphology o...

A new hybrid homogenization approach is proposed for simulating the homogenized and local response of unidirectional fuzzy fiber nanocomposites undergoing inelastic deformations. Fuzzy composites are hierarchical reinforcing structures where fibers coated with radially aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in matrix. In this spirit, modeled as a three-scale medium. At microscale, CNTs-reinfo...

A novel Nafion®-based nanocomposite membrane was synthesized to be applied as direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated with a layer of silica and then reacted by chlorosulfonic acid to produce sulfonate-functionalized silicon dioxide coated carbon nanotubes (CNT@SiO2-SO3H). The functionalized CNTs were then introduced to Nafion®, and subsequently, methanol permeab...