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Charge transport properties in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be significantly modified through doping, tuning their electrical and thermoelectric properties. In our study, we used more than 40 nitrogen-bearing compounds as dopants and determined their impact on the material's electrical conductivity. The application of nitrogen compounds of diverse structures and electronic configurations enabled us to determine how the dopant nature affects the SWCNTs. The results reveal that the impact of these dopants can often be anticipated by considering their Hammett's constants and pKa values. Furthermore, the empirical observations supported by first-principles calculations indicate that the doping level can be tuned not only by changing the type and the concentration of dopants but also by varying the orientation of nitrogen compounds around SWCNTs.

The use of graphene materials, i.e. graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene nanoplatelets and their functionalized forms as fillers of epoxy composites, is reviewed. The purpose of...

Partial oxidation of nanocarbon materials is one of the most straightforward methods to improve their compatibility with other materials, which widens its application potential. This work studied how the microstructure and properties of high crystallinity single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be tailored by applying the modified Hummers method. The influence of temperature (0, 18, 40 °C), reaction time (0 min to 7 h), and the amount of KMnO4 oxidant was monitored. The results showed that depending on the oxidation conditions, the electronic characteristics of the material could be adjusted. After optimizing the parameters, the SWCNTs were much more conductive (1369 ± 84 S/cm with respect to 283 ± 32 S/cm for the untreated material). At the same time, the films made from them exhibited hydrophilic character of the surface (water contact angle changed from 71° to 27°).

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) demonstrate unique properties of both electrical and thermal conductivity, but at the moment of producing a network composed of multiple nanotubes, these values sharply decrease. It is associated with the presence of defects in the nanotube network structure, as well as with the dissipation phenomena at the junctions between SWCNTs. One of the methods to alleviate this problem is doping. In our study, we obtained a film made of high-quality SWCNTs doped with three types of iodonium salts: Barluenga’s reagent (bispyridineiodonium tetrafluoroborate, IPy2BF4), pyridine iodine monochloride (IPyCl) and diphenyliodonium chloride (DPIC). We recorded a significant improvement in electrical properties after doping with IPy2BF4 and IPyCl, by as much as 224% and 322%, respectively. What is more, we noted improvement in thermal conductivity, which amounted to over 50% when the material was doped with IPyCl. Our research indicates that permanent doping of CNT-based ensembles is possible with iodonium salts. The process significantly improves electrical conductivity, and the compounds themselves are more convenient to work with rather than when other halogen-based dopants are used commonly for this purpose.

Depending on their structure and order (individual, films, bundled, buckypapers, etc.), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) demonstrate different values of thermal conductivity, from the level of thermal insulation with the thermal conductivity of 0.1 W/mK to such high values as 6600 W/mK. This review article concentrates on analyzing the articles on thermal conductivity of CNT networks. It describes various measurement methods, such as the 3-ω method, bolometric, steady-state method and their variations, hot-disk method, laser flash analysis, thermoreflectance method and Raman spectroscopy, and summarizes the results obtained using those techniques. The article provides the main factors affecting the value of thermal conductivity, such as CNT density, number of defects in their structure, CNT ordering within arrays, direction of measurement in relation to their length, temperature of measurement and type of CNTs. The practical methods of using CNT networks and the potential directions of future research in that scope were also described.

In this work, DC conductivity and EMI shielding characteristics in the frequency range of 25.5–37.5 GHz (Ka-band) of polymer composites based on ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) containing different types of nano- and microfillers were studied. Graphene nanoplatelets (Gr), thermally exfoliated graphite (TEG), thermally treated anthracite (A) and dispersed metals such as iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) were used as conductive fillers. Two types of composites were formed: 1 – with ordered distribution of the filler particles in the form of conductive 3D network in polymer matrix (segregated structure), 2 – with random distribution of the filler particles. It was found that the percolation threshold for Gr and A filler is 100 and 10 times lower in the segregated system was 100 and 10 times lower than that for A filler with its random distribution in polymer matrix. Distinctly increased value of shielding efficiency (SET) in the segregated system can be explained by multiple internal reflection of electromagnetic wave in the network formed in the segregated structure. It was also found that the value of SE corresponds with the electrical conductivity of composites. However, for the same conductivity, higher values of SE were observed for the formed segregated structure in comparison with the literature data for composites with random filler distribution.

The connection of carbon nanostructures such as graphene or carbon nanotubes with other materials like metals [1] or polymers [2] is often beneficial. For example, composites consisting of copper and nanocarbon materials have improved electrical [1] and mechanical [3] properties due to the synergy effect. Unfortunately, the integration between copper and nanocarbon is not an easy task because of the “cuprophobic” nature of nanocarbon [4]. Recently, many methods have been developed to accomplish this challenge. Out of all available techniques, physical (casting, spark plasma sintering or metal spinning) and electrochemical [5] gained a considerable share of attention. In particular, electrodeposition is a commonly employed strategy to deposit copper onto nanocarbon electrodes. In this method, nanocarbon surface plays the role of working electrode, onto which copper ions are reduced, thereby creating a Cu coating on the surface. This study demonstrates the recovery of copper from industrial wastewater by thin films based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Such a substrate was found as an ideal surface for the electrodeposition of metallic particles. Single/multi-walled CNTs, oxidized CNTs, nitrogen-doped CNTs and graphene were combined to obtain nanocarbon-nanocarbon composite electrodes, which were then used as substrates in Cu electrodeposition [6]. To establish the coating process parameters, synthetic solution of CuSO4 was first used as a source of copper ions. Then, wastewater of complex composition was employed directly for the electrodeposition process. Besides the 40 ppm of Cu, the wastewater contained other elements like salts Fe, Mg, Al, Zn and As in much greater amounts. It was discovered that such nanocomposite materials may be an excellent substrate for electrochemical recovery of Cu also from such a problematic waste, while simultaneously giving a product of high added value. Interestingly, the product was free from other metals, and only copper was detected on the nanocarbon surface. After just 1-hour of electrodeposition at -0.1V vs. SCE, a nanocarbon-based composite evenly coated with Cu was manufactured. Thorough investigation of the microstructure, and chemical composition of the nanocomposites correlated with the properties of the Cu coated materials enabled us to deduce critical parameters needed to make the Cu coating process effective [7]. [1] C. Arnaud, F. Lecouturier, D. Mesguich, N. Ferreira, G. Chevallier, C. Estournès, A. Weibel, C. Laurent, High strength - High conductivity double-walled carbon nanotube - Copper composite wires, Carbon N. Y. 96 (2016) 212–215. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2015.09.061. [2] S.N. Beesabathuni, J.G. Stockham, J.H. Kim, H.B. Lee, J.H. Chung, A.Q. Shen, Fabrication of conducting polyaniline microspheres using droplet microfluidics, RSC Adv. 3 (2013) 24423–24429. doi:10.1039/c3ra44808h. [3] R. Jiang, X. Zhou, Q. Fang, Z. Liu, Copper-graphene bulk composites with homogeneous graphene dispersion and enhanced mechanical properties, Mater. Sci. Eng. A. 654 (2016) 124–130. doi:10.1016/j.msea.2015.12.039. [4] D. Janas, B. Liszka, Copper matrix nanocomposites based on carbon nanotubes or graphene, Mater. Chem. Front. 2 (2018) 22–35. doi:10.1039/c7qm00316a. [5] A. Singh, T. Ram Prabhu, A.R. Sanjay, V. Koti, An Overview of Processing and Properties of CU/CNT Nano Composites, Mater. Today Proc. 4 (2017) 3872–3881. doi:10.1016/J.MATPR.2017.02.286. [6] D. Janas, M. Rdest, K.K.K. Koziol, Free-standing films from chirality-controlled carbon nanotubes, Mater. Des. 121 (2017) 119–125. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2017.02.062. [7] G. Stando, P.-M. Hannula, B. Kumanek, M. Lundström, D. Janas, Copper recovery from industrial wastewater - Synergistic electrodeposition onto nanocarbon materials, Water Resour. Ind. 26 (2021) 100156. doi:10.1016/J.WRI.2021.100156. G.S. and P.S. would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland for financial support of research (under Diamond Grant, grant agreement 0036/DIA/201948). G.S. also would like to thank European Union for thanks for financing the costs of the conference (European Social Fund, grant nr POWR.03.05.00-00-Z305) and National Agency for Academic Exchange of Poland (under the Iwanowska program, grant agreement PPN/IWA/2019/1/00017/UO/00001) for financial support during the stay at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA. G.S. and H.L. acknowledge NSF (CBET-2028826) for partial support of this work. G. S. and D.J. acknowledge the National Agency for Academic Exchange of Poland (under the Academic International Partnerships program, grant agreement PPI/APM/2018/1/00004) for supporting training in the Aalto University. G.S, B.K. and D.J. would like to thank the National Centre for Research and Development, Poland (under the Leader program, grant agreement LIDER/0001/L-8/16/NCBR/2017).

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) remain one of the most promising materials of our times. One of the goals is to implement semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs in photonics and microelectronics, respectively. In this work, we demonstrated how such materials could be obtained from the parent material by using the aqueous two-phase extraction method (ATPE) at a large scale. We also developed a dedicated process on how to harvest the SWCNTs from the polymer matrices used to form the biphasic system. The technique is beneficial as it isolates SWCNTs with high purity while simultaneously maintaining their surface intact. To validate the utility of the metallic and semiconducting SWCNTs obtained this way, we transformed them into thin free-standing films and characterized their thermoelectric properties.

Graphenic materials have been produced from thermally treated highly metamorphosed carbon material – anthracite using two different methods: (1) the improved Hummers method followed by thermal redu...

The concept of application of crumbled carbon foam obtained from polymer precursor as a filler in polymer/carbon composite was described. The carbon foam used as powdered reinforcement of composites was prepared from epoxy resin cross-linked with phenol–formaldehyde resin (novolac) in a self-foaming process followed by carbonization at not very high temperature and ambient pressure. The structure of the carbon foam filler and resultant composites was studied by microscopic and spectroscopic methods. In the final composites, there were observed good quality dispersion of micronized grains of carbon foam, with the sizes that preserve their specific porous structure, in epoxy matrix and excellent adhesion at interfacial areas. The influence of the CF filler on the properties of resultant composites were investigated. Due to valuable properties of carbon foam, resultant composites occurred to have interesting characteristics: densities similar to those of pure polymer matrix, advantageous thermal and viscoelastic properties and enhanced tribological features.

Funding Information: G.S, B.K, and D.J. would like to thank the National Center for Research and Development, Poland (under the Leader program, grant agreement LIDER/0001/L-8/16/NCBR/2017). G.S. and D.J. also acknowledge the National Agency for Academic Exchange of Poland (under the Academic International Partnerships program, grant agreement PPI/APM/2018/1/00004) for supporting training in the Aalto University , which enabled the execution of the study. G.S. acknowledges the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland for financial support of scientific work from budget funds for science in the years 2019–2023 as a research project under the “Diamond Grant” program (grant agreement 0036/DIA/201948). P-M.H. and M.L. acknowledge the support of the “NoWASTE” project (Grant 297962) funded by Academy of Finland . Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) In this study, copper present in industrial waste water with a variety of other impurities (Fe, Mg, Al, Zn, As) was subjected for selective electrochemical recovery. The recovery was conducted directly on carbon nanostructures in order to create added-value products synergistically. In-depth electrochemical and structural analysis showed that single/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene composites could provide an excellent substrate for Cu's electrochemical recovery. Furthermore, formulations based on them also enabled the formation of even Cu deposits on the surface directly from wastewater solutions without further bath condition adjustments. After just 1-h electrodeposition at −0.1V vs. SCE, a nanocomposite based on CNTs was obtained. Cu was recovered exclusively and accounted for 45% of the total weight of the composite.

Carbon nanotubes have been intensively researched for many years because of a wide array of promising properties that they have. In this paper, we present the impact of synthesis parameters on thermoelectric properties of nanocarbon material. We conducted a number of syntheses of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at different temperatures (800 and 900 °C) using various amounts of catalyst (2%, 5.5%, and 9.6%) to facilitate the process. We also tested the influence of injection rate of precursor and the necessity of material purification on thermoelectric properties of MWCNTs. The electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient were measurement for all samples. Based on these parameters, the values of Power Factor and Figure of Merit were calculated. The results show that the most important parameter in the context of thermoelectric properties is purity of employed MWCNTs. To obtain appropriate material for this purpose optimum synthesis temperature and appropriate content of the catalyst must be selected. The study also reveals that post-synthetic purification of nanocarbon is essential to produce an attractive material for thermoelectrics.

We have demonstrated that the aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) can differentiate between large diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by electrical character. Introduction of &ldquo, hydration modulators&rdquo, to the ATPE machinery has enabled us to isolate metallic and semiconducting CNTs with ease. We have also shown that often there is a trade-off between the purity of the obtained fractions and the ability to separate both metallic and semiconducting CNTs at the same time. To isolate the separated CNTs from the matrices, we have proposed a method based on precipitation and hydrolysis, which can eliminate the need to use lengthy dialysis routines. In the final step, we prepared thin free-standing films from the sorted material and probed how electrical charge is transported through such macroscopic ensembles.

The study of interfacial interactions between polymer matrix and particulate fillers is essential for producing composites with enhanced properties. In this work, the influence of the unique glassy carbon (GC) structure on the properties of its binary epoxy composites as well as hybrid nanocomposites with GC and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. The purpose of incorporating MWCNTs into the epoxy matrix (EP) as an addition filler was to obtain nanocomposites with improved properties. The influence of GC particles alone or in combination with MWCNTs on morphological, thermomechanical, and electrical properties of composites was studied in detail. There were found good, homogeneous dispersion of GC and MWCNTs in epoxy matrix as well as strong interfacial interactions between the carbon fillers and epoxy. Mechanical measurements demonstrated that both the tensile and bending properties of the composites, especially the hybrid composites, were greatly improved compared with those of pure epoxy due to the uniform dispersion of fillers in epoxy and significant adhesion between the filler and matrix. The electrical resistivity of hybrid composites, which is directly related to the presence of MWCNTs in addition to the GC, decreased sharply by 9–11 orders of magnitude compared to the insulating matrix. Such composites with enhanced mechanical and electrical properties could be applied in various branches of industry.

The aim of this review article is to report the most recent developments in the understanding of and beliefs about the properties of polymer hybrid composites that are reinforced with various combinations of nanometer-sized carbon and mineral fillers. The discussions are primarily focused on an analysis and comparison of the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. It is shown that the introduction of a mixed (hybrid) system of filler nanoparticles into polymer matrices enhances the macro- and microproperties of the composites as a result of the synergistic interactions between the fillers and the simultaneous creation of a unique filler network in the polymer. The synergy of various types of carbon nanofillers and combinations of nanocarbon materials with inorganic fillers manifests itself as modifications of most of the properties of hybrid polymer composites relative to the properties of a polymer system containing a single filler. The reinforcing effect is related to the structure and particle geometry of the hybrid fillers, the interactions between the fillers, the concentrations and the processing methods. The existence of synergy between different types of carbon nanofillers, as well as with mineral fillers, shows great potential and could significantly increase applications of carbon-based nanomaterials.

The aim of this study was to obtain carbon foams (CFs) of various pore structure and high mechanical strength using a simple and efficient method to fabricate carbonization products from bisphenol A-based cyanate ester and their copolymer with low-molecular diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A. The physical–chemical characteristics, surface structure and thermal stability of cured cyanate and cyanate/epoxy matrices as well as the CFs were investigated by vibrational Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The relation between the physical–chemical properties of carbon materials obtained and the chemical composition of polymer precursor, and the conditions of their production were determined. The results showed that CF with the pore size of 50–200 μm could be directly prepared by carbonization of the polymer matrix at ambient pressure.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have recently emerged as one of the most promising structures for thermoelectrics (TE). As compared with typical thermoelectric materials, CNTs can be made from almost any carbon-bearing precursor, and so at present thousands of tonnes of them are produced annually at every corner of the world. In this work, we synthesized multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) and doped them with heteroatoms of nitrogen, boron or phosphorus to tune their thermoelectric performance. The research showed that MWCNTs doped with nitrogen or boron had improved thermoelectric properties by up to three orders of magnitude as compared with the undoped material. Because of the different modes of charge transport by electrons and holes, respectively, they could be used to construct functional thermoelectric modules.

Despite the widespread use of sonication for individualization of nanomaterials, its destructive nature is rarely acknowledged. In this study, we demonstrated how exposure of the material to a hostile sound wave environment can be limited by the application of another preprocessing step. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were initially ground in a household coffee grinder, which enabled facile deagglomeration thereof. Such a simple approach enabled us to obtain high-quality CNT dispersion at reduced sonication time. Most importantly, electrical conductivity of free-standing films prepared from these dispersion was improved almost fourfold as compared with unground material eventually reaching 1067 &plusmn, 34 S/cm. This work presents a new approach as to how electrical properties of nanocarbon ensembles may be enhanced without the application of doping agents, the presence of which is often ephemeral.

The adsorption of ethyl acetate, a volatile organic compound, on activated carbons, synthesized from various precursors based on by-products and waste materials—polymer, biomass, coal tar pitch—was studied. The activated carbons were prepared by thermochemical treatment of the precursors, carbonization, and subsequent activation with water vapor. Surface and textural properties of obtained carbon adsorbents were characterized by low-temperature N2 adsorption, Boehm’s method, etc. The activated carbons are distinguished by relatively high surface area and developed pore structure. The adsorption investigations were performed with water solutions of ethyl acetate, and the obtained results fit well the Langmuir model, as well as the Freundlich model. All activated carbons demonstrated considerably high adsorption capacity in the range 160–450 mg/g. The obtained data indicate that the adsorption ability of activated carbon toward ethyl acetate depends on the surface area, and it increases with increasing the content of mesopores, where ethyl acetate molecules are preferably adsorbed.