A biomimetic approach to improve the dispersibility, interfacial interactions and toughening effects of carbon nanofibers in epoxy composites

Wanshuang Liu; Yiru Wang; Pengfei Wang; Yan Li; Qiuran Jiang; Xiaoyu Hu; Yi Wei; Yiping Qiu; Seyed Ismail Seyed Shahabadi; Xuehong Lu

doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2017.01.040

A biomimetic approach to improve the dispersibility, interfacial interactions and toughening effects of carbon nanofibers in epoxy composites

Wanshuang Liu, Yiru Wang, Pengfei Wang, Yan Li, Qiuran Jiang, Xiaoyu Hu, Yi Wei, Yiping Qiu, Seyed Ismail Seyed Shahabadi, Xuehong Lu^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

56 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this work, the surface of stacked-cup carbon nanofibers (CNFs) was coated with polydopamine (PDA) via a facile biomimetic method based on catecholic chemistry. The modified CNFs (D-CNFs) were incorporated into an epoxy resin in a solvent-free manner. In addition to hydrogen bonding, covalent bonding is also present between amino groups in PDA and epoxy, as verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Owing to the strong interfacial interactions brought by PDA, D-CNFs show significantly improved dispersibility in epoxy matrix. Consequently, the reinforcing effects of D-CNFs clearly outperform those of pristine CNFs (P-CNFs), especially in terms of fracture toughness. Dynamic thermo-mechanical studies show that the addition of D-CNFs can increase storage modulus more effectively without deteriorating the thermal stability of epoxy matrix. This study confirms that enhancing interfacial interactions in polymer composites by coating nanofillers with PDA is a useful strategy to obtain simultaneous stiffening and toughening in rigid thermoset polymers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	197-205
Number of pages	9
Journal	Composites Part B: Engineering
Volume	113
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2017.01.040
Publication status	Published - Mar 15 2017
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Ceramics and Composites
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Keywords

Carbon nanofibers
Epoxy toughening
Interface
Polydopamine
Polymer-matrix composites

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10.1016/j.compositesb.2017.01.040

Cite this

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title = "A biomimetic approach to improve the dispersibility, interfacial interactions and toughening effects of carbon nanofibers in epoxy composites",

abstract = "In this work, the surface of stacked-cup carbon nanofibers (CNFs) was coated with polydopamine (PDA) via a facile biomimetic method based on catecholic chemistry. The modified CNFs (D-CNFs) were incorporated into an epoxy resin in a solvent-free manner. In addition to hydrogen bonding, covalent bonding is also present between amino groups in PDA and epoxy, as verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Owing to the strong interfacial interactions brought by PDA, D-CNFs show significantly improved dispersibility in epoxy matrix. Consequently, the reinforcing effects of D-CNFs clearly outperform those of pristine CNFs (P-CNFs), especially in terms of fracture toughness. Dynamic thermo-mechanical studies show that the addition of D-CNFs can increase storage modulus more effectively without deteriorating the thermal stability of epoxy matrix. This study confirms that enhancing interfacial interactions in polymer composites by coating nanofillers with PDA is a useful strategy to obtain simultaneous stiffening and toughening in rigid thermoset polymers.",

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author = "Wanshuang Liu and Yiru Wang and Pengfei Wang and Yan Li and Qiuran Jiang and Xiaoyu Hu and Yi Wei and Yiping Qiu and Shahabadi, {Seyed Ismail Seyed} and Xuehong Lu",

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AU - Liu, Wanshuang

AU - Wang, Yiru

AU - Wang, Pengfei

AU - Li, Yan

AU - Jiang, Qiuran

AU - Hu, Xiaoyu

AU - Wei, Yi

AU - Qiu, Yiping

AU - Shahabadi, Seyed Ismail Seyed

AU - Lu, Xuehong

PY - 2017/3/15

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AB - In this work, the surface of stacked-cup carbon nanofibers (CNFs) was coated with polydopamine (PDA) via a facile biomimetic method based on catecholic chemistry. The modified CNFs (D-CNFs) were incorporated into an epoxy resin in a solvent-free manner. In addition to hydrogen bonding, covalent bonding is also present between amino groups in PDA and epoxy, as verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Owing to the strong interfacial interactions brought by PDA, D-CNFs show significantly improved dispersibility in epoxy matrix. Consequently, the reinforcing effects of D-CNFs clearly outperform those of pristine CNFs (P-CNFs), especially in terms of fracture toughness. Dynamic thermo-mechanical studies show that the addition of D-CNFs can increase storage modulus more effectively without deteriorating the thermal stability of epoxy matrix. This study confirms that enhancing interfacial interactions in polymer composites by coating nanofillers with PDA is a useful strategy to obtain simultaneous stiffening and toughening in rigid thermoset polymers.

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KW - Epoxy toughening

KW - Interface

KW - Polydopamine

KW - Polymer-matrix composites

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A biomimetic approach to improve the dispersibility, interfacial interactions and toughening effects of carbon nanofibers in epoxy composites

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

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