作者：C. Zhang, W. W. Tjiu, T. X. Liu*, W. Y. Lui, I. Y. Phang, W. D. Zhang
关键字：Carbon Nanotubes, Clay, Hybrid, Nylon, Nanocomposites
论文来源：期刊
具体来源：J. Phys. Chem. B, 2011, 115(13), 3392-3399.
发表时间：2011年

Mechanically robust, magnetic nylon-6 nanocomposites reinforced by one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotube (CNT)−two-dimensional (2D) clay nanoplatelet hybrids have been prepared using a simple melt-compounding technique. The direct iron-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of multiwalled CNTs utilizes iron oxide-immobilized clay nanoplatelets as substrates, carrying out in situ intercalation and exfoliation of clay nanoplatelets. By using such a hybridization and coexfoliation method, the as-obtained heterostructured hybrids used without any purification are demonstrated to be ideal and excellent nanofillers for mechanical reinforcement for fabricating nylon-6 nanocomposites, due to their homogeneous dispersion and strong interfacial interaction with the polymer matrix. The nucleation sites provided by the nanohybrids seem to be favorable to the formation of thermodynamically stable α-phase crystals of nylon-6 with much higher stiffness and hardness than γ-form of nylon-6, namely, a silicate-induced crystal transformation from the α-form to the γ-form of nylon-6 was greatly inhibited or “shielded” by the CNT-wrapped clay nanoplatelets. Furthermore, the nanostructured CNT−clay hybrid heterostructures containing residual iron oxide nanoparticles show novel magnetic properties in both bulk solids and polymer nanocomposites. Therefore, this can be probably developed into a facile and practical method to fabricate polymer nanocomposites with high performance and multifunctionality.