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Water-dispersible carbon nanotubes from a mixture of an ethoxy-modified trisiloxane and pluronic block copolymer F127

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Abstract

The ability of a mixture of an ethoxy-modified trisiloxane (a silicone surfactant, named Ag-64) and a block copolymer F127 to disperse carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was investigated by experimental investigation and molecular dynamics simulation. Dispersions with large amounts of individual CNTs were obtained. The quantity of dispersed CNTs was obviously larger than each quantity of the dispersions with individual surfactants at the same concentration, even exceeded the sum of them. The mechanism of dispersing CNTs was also discussed. It can be inferred that Ag-64 and few F127 could wrap onto the surface of CNTs to dispart clusters to individuals, and the other F127 interact with adsorbed Ag-64 and F127 to generate stronger steric stabilization. Thus, a synergistic effect on dispersing CNTs by the mixture of Ag-64 and F127 was observed.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20873077) and the Key Laboratory of Microgravity, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, People’s Republic of China

    Jinyu Pang, Guiying Xu, Yebang Tan & Fang He

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  1. Jinyu Pang
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  2. Guiying Xu
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  3. Yebang Tan
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  4. Fang He
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Correspondence to Guiying Xu.

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Pang, J., Xu, G., Tan, Y. et al. Water-dispersible carbon nanotubes from a mixture of an ethoxy-modified trisiloxane and pluronic block copolymer F127. Colloid Polym Sci 288, 1665–1675 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-010-2306-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-010-2306-7

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