Noncovalently functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube with core-dualshell nanostructure for improved piezoresistive sensitivity of poly(dimethyl siloxane) nanocomposites

Published Date
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
March 2017, Vol.94:124–132, doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.12.008

Author 

• Biao Zhang 
 
• Buyin Li ^,
 
• Shenglin Jiang ^,

• School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037, Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan 430074, China

Received 14 September 2016. Revised 5 December 2016. Accepted 7 December 2016. Available online 9 December 2016.

Abstract

Poor sensitivity in low pressure regimes (<100 kPa) of pressure-sensitive rubbers (PSRs) is one of their major disadvantages compare to other piezoresistive materials. The reasons induced the poor sensitivity include bad dispersion and week interface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) applied in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). A novel vinyl-terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane)-poly(phenylmethyl siloxane)-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (V-P-MWCNTs) with core-dualshell nanostructure is fabricated by noncovalently functionalized method. The V-P-MWCNTs as conductive fillers exhibits homogenous dispersion as well as good interfacial interaction in PDMS matrix. Slightly above the percolation threshold (0.19 vol.%), the PDMS-based nanocomposites with 0.2 vol.% of V-P-MWCNTs shows high piezoresistive sensitivity (22.16 × 10⁻³ kPa⁻¹), high electrical conductivity (5.43 × 10⁻³ S/m) and low Young’s modulus (288.83 kPa). These results demonstrate that the V-P-MWCNTs are of great potential as the conductive fillers for improved piezoresistive sensitivity of PDMS nanocomposites, which can be potentially applied in the flexible touch sensors.

Keywords

A. Smart materials

B. Electrical properties

B. Mechanical properties 

C. Micro-mechanics

---

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 6.

Fig. 7.

 Table 1

Table 1.

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11.

• DOCX (1.3M)

Supplementary data 1

• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 2787542693; fax: +86 2787542693.

For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359835X16304353