Polymer coatings to functionalize carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were modified by plasma polymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and allylamine (AA) as monomers. Conditions of the MMA and AA plasma polymerization processes in a specially designed reactor and the plasma-polymerized MMA and AA coatings were studied. The chemical composition of the surface was analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS); the polymer deposited on the CNTs surface was visualized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), while Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) allowed checking for the chemical structure of deposited plasma polymers (PP). In this work, we show that plasma functionalization creates C=O and C–O–C functional groups, or C–NH2 at the MWCNT surface, as a result of polymer deposited during the MMA or AA plasma treatments, respectively.

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► Syntheses of PPMMA and PPAA in a simple RF plasma discharge system.
► PPMMA and PPAA polymer coatings were deposited on the surface of CNT.
► Creation of hydroxyl, carbonyl and amine functional groups on the surface of CNT.