Synergetic effect of cyanogen functionalized carbon nanotube and graphene on the mechanical and thermal properties of poly (arylene ether nitrile)

Cyanogen functionalized carbon nanotube and graphene/poly (arylene ether nitrile) (CNT-CN/GN-CN/PEN) nanocomposite films were prepared by a facile solution casting method. The weight ratio of CNT-CN/GN-CN was varied from CNT-dominated to GN-dominated for the purpose of investigating their synergetic effects on the mechanical and thermal properties of PEN nanocomposites. Consequently, GN-CN/PEN composites demonstrated better mechanical and thermal properties than CNT-CN/PEN composites due to larger contact area between GN-CN and PEN matrix. Nevertheless, all CNT-CN/GN-CN/PEN composites exhibit enhanced mechanical properties than those of GN-only nanocomposites. With the increasing of CNT-CN/GN-CN weight ratio, the mechanical properties of CNT-CN/GN-CN/PEN composites increase, then decrease, and reach their maximums when CNT-CN/GN-CN weight ratio is around 4/4. From scanning electron microscope images, it is found that around that point GN-CN is flatly dispersed and CNT-CN is penetrated into GN-CN, capable of transferring stress load and thus decreasing interface loss. Thermal properties of CNT-CN/GN-CN/PEN composites once again confirmed the joint effect of CNT-CN and GN-CN, leading to improved thermal properties. In short, a synergistic effect between one-dimensional (1-D) CNT and two-dimensional (2-D) GN on the mechanical and thermal properties of nanocomposites have been demonstrated in these systems.