Field emission is the emission of electrons from a solid under an intense electric field, of the order of 109 V/m. Emission occurs by the quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons through a potential barrier to vacuum. Field emission sources offer several attractive features such as instantaneous response to field variation, resistance to temperature fluctuation and radiation, a high degree of focusing ability in electron optics, good on/off ratio, ballistic transport, and a nonlinear current-voltage relationship. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are potential candidates as field emitters since they possess high aspect ratio and are chemically inert to poisoning, and physically inert to sputtering during field emission. They can carry a very high current density and do not suffer field-induced tip sharpening like metallic tips. In addition, the CNT field emitters have the advantage of charge transport through 1D channels and electron emission at the sharp tips due to large enhancement. But the injection of electrons from the back contact remains a technical challenge which requires binding of CNT emitters to metallic substrate. Also, detachment of the CNT from the substrate tends to occur with time. The electrically conducting mixtures of CNTs and polymer can provide an alternative route to address these issues in the field emission of CNTs. The composites can be casted on any substrate in desired shape and the polymer matrix provides necessary support. The research work reported in this thesis includes the preparation of high quality multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), MWCNT-polystyrene (PS) composites, and experimental investigation on field emission properties of MWCNT¬PS composites in two different configurations. Electrical conductivity and percolation threshold of the MWCNT-PS composites are also investigated to ensure their high quality prior to the field emission studies. The study has been further extended to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coated on polymer substrate. The main results obtained in present work are briefly summarized below. This thesis contains eight chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of basics of field emission, and the potential of CNT and CNT-polymer composites as field emitters. Chapter 2 deals with the concise introduction of various structural characterization tools and experimental techniques employed in this study. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of MWCNTs and characterization by using electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. MWCNTs are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of toluene [(C6H5) CH3] and ferrocene [(C5H5)2 Fe] mixture at 980 °C. Here toluene acts as carbon source material and ferrocene provides catalytic iron (Fe) particles. The MWCNT formation is based on the thermal decomposition of the precursor mixture. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization shows that the MWCNTs are closely packed and quite aligned in one direction. The average length of MWCNTs is about 200 μm and outer diameter lies in the range of 50-80 nm. The high quality of as-prepared MWCNT sample is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The as-grown MWCNTs are encapsulated with catalytic Fe nanoparticles, revealed by transmission electron microscopy. The Fe nanoparticles trapped within the MWCNT serve as fantastic system for studying the magnetic properties. Three types of MWCNT samples filled with Fe nanoparticles of different aspect ratio (~10, 5 and 2) are synthesized by varying the amount of ferrocene in the precursor material, and their magnetic properties are investigated. Enhanced values of coercivity (Hc) are observed for all samples, Hc being maximum (~2.6 kOe) at 10 K. The enhancement in Hc values is attributed to the strong shape anisotropy of Fe nanoparticles and significant dipolar interactions between Fe nanoparticles. Chapter 4 deals with the field emission studies of MWCNT-PS composites in the parallel configuration. By incorporating as-prepared MWCNTs in PS matrix in a specific ratio, composites with varying loading from 0.01-0.45 weight (wt.) fraction are prepared using solution mixing and casting. High degree of dispersion of MWCNTs in PS matrix without employing any surfactant is achieved by ultrasonication. Low percolation threshold (~0.0025 wt. fraction) in the MWCNT-PS composites ensures the good connectivity of filler in the fabricated samples. Field emission of MWCNT¬PS composites is studied in two different configurations: along the top surface of the film (parallel configuration) and along the cross section of the sample (perpendicular configuration). In this chapter field emission results of the MWCNT-PS composites in parallel configuration are presented. The effect of charge transport in limiting the field emission of MWCNT-PS composite is discussed. Field emission results of MWCNT-PS composites in parallel configuration indicate that the emission performance can be maximized at moderate wt. fraction of MWCNT (0.15). The obtained current densities are ~10 µA/cm2 in the parallel configuration. Chapter 5 presents the study of field emission characteristics of MWCNT¬PS composites of various wt. fractions in the perpendicular configuration. Till date most studies using nanotube composites tend to have the nanotubes lying in two dimensional plane, perpendicular to the applied electric field. In the perpendicular configuration, the nanotubes are nearly aligned parallel to the direction of the applied electric field which results in high field enhancement, and electron emission at lower applied fields. SEM micrographs in cross-sectional view reveal that MWCNTs are homogeneously distributed across the thickness and the density of protruding tubes can be scaled with wt. fraction of the composite film. Field emission from composites has been observed to vary considerably with density of MWCNTs in the polymer matrix. High emission current density of 100 mA/cm2 is achieved at a field of 2.2 V/µm for 0.15 wt. fraction. The field emission is observed to follow the Fowler– Nordheim tunneling mechanism, however, electrostatic screening plays a role in limiting the current density at higher wt. fractions. Chapter 6 highlights the field emission response of rGO coated on a flexible PS film. Field emission of rGO coated PS film along the cross section of the sample is studied in addition to the top film surface of the film. The effect of geometry on the improved field emission efficiency of rGO coated polymer film is demonstrated. The emission characteristics are analyzed by Fowler–Nordheim tunneling for field emission. Low turn-on field (~0.6 V/µm) and high emission current (~200 mA/cm2) in the perpendicular configuration ensure that rGO can be a potential field emitter. Furthermore, stability and repeatability of the field emission characteristics are also presented. Chapter 7 deals with the synthesis, characterization, and field emission of two different kinds of hybrid materials: (1) MWCNT coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (2) ZnO/graphitic carbon (g-C) core-shell nanowires. The field emission from the bucky paper is improved by anchoring ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNT. A shift in turn on field from 3.5 V/µm (bucky paper) to 1.0 V/µm is observed by increasing the ZnO nanoparticle loading on the surface of MWCNT with an increase in enhancement factor from 1921 to 4894. Field emission properties of a new type of field emitter ZnO/g-C core-shell nanowires are also presented in this chapter. ZnO/g-C core/shell nanowires are synthesized by CVD of zinc acetate at 1300 °C. Overcoming the problems of ZnO nanowire field emitters, which in general possess high turn on fields and low current densities, the core-shell nanowires exhibit excellent field emission performance with low turn on field of 2.75 V/µm and high current density of 1 mA/cm2. Chapter 8 presents a brief summary of the important results and future perspectives of the work reported in the thesis.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been recognized as potential candidates for mainstream device fabrication and technologies. CNTs have become a topic of interest worldwide due to their unique mechanical and electrical properties. In addition, CNTs possess high aspect ratio and low density that make them an important material for various technological applications. The field of carbon nanotube devices is rapidly evolving and attempts have been made to use CNTs in the fabrication of devices like field emitters, gas sensors, flow meters, batteries, CNT-field effect transistors etc. These molecular nanostructures are proposed to be an efficient hydrogen storage material. CNT cylindrical membranes are reported to be used as filters for the elimination of multiple components of heavy hydrocarbons from petroleum and for the filtration of bacterial contaminants of size less than 25 nm from water. Recently, CNT bundles have been proposed to be a good material for low-temperature sensing. CNTs have also been considered as promising filler materials due to extraordinary characteristics mentioned above. Fabrication of nanocomposites using CNTs as reinforcing material has completely renewed the research interest in polymer composites. The conductive and absorptive properties of insulating polymer doped with conducting filler are sensitive to the exposure to gas vapors and hence they can be used in monitoring various gases. The application of fiibre reinforced polymer composites in aeronautic industry are well known due to their high mechanical strength and light weight. Also, the conductive composite materials can be used for electromagnetic shielding. Desired properties in CNT-composites can be attained by adding small amount of CNTs in comparison to traditional filler materials. Due to high aspect ratio and low density of CNTs, percolation threshold in CNT-polymer composites can be achieved at 0.1 vol % as compared to ~16 vol. % in case of carbon particles. The research work ׽0.1 vol. %, as compared to reported in this thesis includes the preparation of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNTs) and MWNT-polystyrene composites, experimental investigations on low temperature charge transport, and magnetic properties in these systems. This thesis contains 7 chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of CNTs and CNT-polymer composites. This chapter briefly describes the methods for synthesizing CNTs and fabricating CNT-polymer composites, charge transport mechanisms in CNTs and composites, and their magnetic properties as well. Chapter 2 deals with the concise introduction of various structural characterization tools and experimental techniques employed in the present work. An adequate knowledge of the strengths and limitations of experimental equipment can help in gathering necessary information about the sample, which helps in studying and interpreting its physical properties correctly. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of MWNTs and their use as filler material for the fabrication of composites with polystyrene (PS). The characterization results of as-prepared MWNT and composites show that MWNTs possess high aspect ratio (~4000), and are well dispersed in the composite samples (thickness ~50-70 µm). The composite samples are prepared by varying the MWNT concentration from 0.1 to 15 wt %. The as¬fabricated composites are electrically conductive and expected to display novel magnetic properties since MWNTs are embedded with iron (Fe) nanoparticles. Chapter 4 presents the study of charge transport properties of aligned and random MWNTs in the temperature range 300-1.4 K. The low temperature electrical conductivity follows the weak localization (WL) and electron-electron (e-e) interaction model in both samples. The dominance of WL and e-e interaction is further verified by magneto-conductance (MC) measurements in the perpendicular magnetic field up to 11 T at low temperatures. The MC data of these samples consists of both positive and negative contributions, which originates from WL (at lower fields and higher temperatures) and e-e interaction (at higher fields and lower temperatures). Chapter 5 contains the results of charge transport studies in MWNT-PS composite near the percolation threshold (~0.4 wt %) at low temperatures down to 1.4 K. Metallic-like transport behavior is observed in composite sample of 0.4 wt %, which is quite unusual. In general, the usual activated transport is observed for systems near the percolation threshold. The unusual weak temperature dependence of conductivity in MWNT-PS sample at percolation threshold is further verified from the negligible frequency dependence of conductivity, in the temperature range from 300 to 5 K. Chapter 6 accounts on the experimental results of magnetization studies of MWNTs and MWNT-PS composites. The observation of maxima in coercivity and squareness ratio at 1 wt % of Fe-MWNT in a polymer matrix show the dominance of dipolar interactions among the encapsulated Fe-nanorods within MWNTs. The hysteresis loop of 0.1 wt % sample shows anomalous narrowing at low temperatures, which is due to significant contribution from shape anisotropy of Fe-nanorods. Chapter 7 presents brief summary and future perspectives of the research work reported in the thesis.

A versatilidade das espumas poliuretanas permite sua aplicação em inúmeros setores industriais, devido à possibilidade de se obter diferentes conjuntos de propriedades apenas alterando sua formulação básica. Um tipo recorrente de alteração é a incorporação de diferentes tipos de fibras em matrizes de poliuretano, vastamente estudada com o objetivo de gerar materiais compósitos com melhores propriedades mecânicas do que a matriz original. Inúmeros autores reportaram a utilização de celulose cristalina como uma alternativa renovável aos agentes de reforço e revelaram que a celulose utilizada como aditivo em matrizes poliméricas afetou as propriedades mecânicas da matriz original e, em menor escala, exerceu influência sobre a estabilidade térmica do compósito. O presente trabalho dedicou-se a isolar a celulose cristalina contida nas fibras de bananeira mediante tratamento com ácido acético concentrado. Os tratamentos químicos são necessários para modificar a superfície do material e melhorar a adesão do agente de reforço à matriz. Tendo em vista os resultados associados à estabilidade térmica dos compósitos de poliuretano reforçados com celulose, buscou-se sintetizar materiais híbridos de celulose e MgO.nH2O. Foi observado que, mesmo em pequenas quantidades, a presença do óxido hidratado de magnésio afetou significativamente a estabilidade térmica do HB 98:2. Estudos térmicos indicam que os materiais compósitos estudados apresentaram comportamento semelhante ao da matriz PU. Estudos das propriedades compressivas dos materiais poliméricos gerados mostraram que a incorporação do HB 98:2 ao PU afetou positivamente as propriedades mecânicas do material, sendo que o compósito PU + 1 HB 98:2 apresentou desempenho mecânico superior ao da matriz pura. / The versatility of polyurethanes foams allows its application in numerous industries because of the possibility of obtaining different sets of properties just by changing its basic formulation. A recurrent type of modification is the incorporation of different types of fibers in polyurethane matrices widely studied with the objective of generating composite materials with better mechanical properties than the original matrix. Numerous authors have reported the use of crystalline cellulose as a renewable alternative to fillers and showed that the cellulose used as additive in polymer matrices affect the mechanical properties of the original matrix and, to a lesser extent, influence upon thermal stability of the composite. This work was dedicated to isolate the crystalline cellulose contained in banana fibers by treatment with concentrated acetic acid. The chemical treatments are needed to modify the surface of the material and improve adhesion of the filler to the matrix. In view of the results associated with the thermal stability of the composite polyurethane reinforced with cellulose, sought to synthesize hybrid materials cellulose and MgO.nH2O. It has been observed that even in small quantities, the presence of hydrated magnesium oxide significantly affect the thermal stability of HB 98: 2. thermal studies indicate that the studied composites showed similar behavior to the PU matrix. Studies of the compressive properties of polymeric materials generated showed that the incorporation of HB 98: 2 to PU positively affect the mechanical properties of the material, and the composite PU + HB 98 1: 2 had mechanical performance superior to that of pure matrix.

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2017-01-20T13:13:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013 - Mauro Meliga Wysard Junior.pdf: 3560905 bytes, checksum: 2826a580c7e2ec9ebe3a9e07daacb4f7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-20T13:13:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013 - Mauro Meliga Wysard Junior.pdf: 3560905 bytes, checksum: 2826a580c7e2ec9ebe3a9e07daacb4f7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-10-15 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / The need to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining economic efficiency of various processes has motivated research to develop cheaper and sustainable technologies, to replace those already employed in the industrial sectors. Thus, recycling and utilization of natural materials such as coconut fiber or marine animal shells, is envisioned as an alternative to reduce the environmental impact and at the same time the use of these components in industrial processes reduces operational costs. In this context the biosorbents are included, such as coconut fibers and chitosan, which have high applicability to processes for removing metal ions, and are widely available at low cost. In addition, the problem found in the recovery of these adsorbents and adsorbate after the adsorption process can be bypassed by setting biosorbents in polymeric matrixes, obtaining larger parts, which facilitates the separation steps. Thus, this work aims to develop porous composite adsorbent properties, from the physical mixture of maleic anhydride polyethylene (PE-g-MA), coconut fiber (FC), chitosan (Q), and sodium chloride (NaCl) used as porogen agent), and assess the capacity of these new porous composite in the removal of metallic chromium (III) Ion, since this is a residue present in large industrial activities such as electroplating. The porosity of this material was obtained by leaching of NaCl, present in the composition of composite material. For this assessment, we conducted a trial planning, where could be evaluate the influence of particle size of coconut fiber and the amount of chitosan on adsorption process efficiency, as well as the pH of an aqueous solution containing the chromium (III) adsorbate. With the results could be concluded that the model used in planning was valid for the evaluation of the significance of these variables, as well as the trend of better removal of chromium (III), which took place in the higher pH values (between 6 and 7) and in the presence of increased amounts of chitosan (7.5-8.6 g). The granulometric size range of coconut fiber that was more favorable was between 0.097-0.142 mm. Analyzing these porous composites by spectroscopy in the infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), water absorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), you can see and confirm the strong interaction between the components of the mixture, possibly by interfering in the process efficiency of adsorption of chromium / A necessidade de reduzir impactos ambientais e ao mesmo tempo manter a efici?ncia econ?mica de diversos processos, vem motivando o meio acad?mico a realizar pesquisas voltadas para o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias mais baratas e sustent?veis, que possam substituir as j? empregadas nos setores industriais. Desta forma, a reciclagem e a utiliza??o de mat?rias-primas naturais como a casca de coco e carapa?as de animais marinhos ? vislumbrada como uma alternativa para a redu??o do impacto ambiental, e ao mesmo tempo, pela utiliza??o desses componentes em processos industriais com a finalidade de reduzir custos operacionais. Neste contexto encontram-se os biossorventes naturais, como a fibra de coco e a quitosana, que apresentam alta aplicabilidade em processos de remo??o de ?ons met?licos, e uma grande disponibilidade a baixo custo. Al?m disso, o problema encontrado na recupera??o desses adsorventes e do adsorvato ap?s o processo de adsor??o pode ser contornado pela fixa??o dos biossorventes em matrizes polim?ricas, obtendo-se pe?as de maior volume, o que facilita as etapas de separa??o. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver comp?sitos porosos com propriedades adsorventes, a partir da mistura f?sica de polietileno graftizado com anidrido maleico (PE-g-MA), fibra de coco (FC), quitosana (Q) e cloreto de s?dio (NaCl) utilizado como agente porog?nico), e avaliar a capacidade de adsor??o desses novos comp?sitos porosos na remo??o do ?on met?lico cromo (III), j? que este, ? um res?duo presente em grandes atividades industriais, como a galvanoplastia. Com esta finalidade, foi realizado um planejamento experimental, onde foi avaliada a influ?ncia do tamanho das part?culas de fibra de coco e da quantidade de quitosana na efici?ncia do processo de adsor??o, assim como o pH da solu??o aquosa contendo o adsorvato cromo (III). Com os resultados pode-se concluir que o modelo usado no planejamento experimental foi v?lido para a avalia??o da signific?ncia dessas vari?veis, como para as melhores condi??es de remo??o do cromo (III), as quais aconteceram nos valores mais elevados de pH (entre 6 e 7) e na presen?a de maiores quantidades de quitosana (7,5-8,6 g). A faixa granulom?trica da fibra de coco que se mostrou mais favor?vel foi de 0,097-0,142 mm. Analisando esses comp?sitos porosos por espectroscopia na regi?o do infravermelho (FTIR), difra??o de raios-X (DRX), absor??o de ?gua e microscopia eletr?nica de varredura (MEV), p?de-se constatar e confirmar a forte intera??o ocorrida entre os componentes da mistura, possivelmente, interferindo na efici?ncia do processo de adsor??o do cromo (III).

One of the major directions of research in the area of materials science is to impart multifunctionalities to materials. Carbon stands on the top of the list to provide various multifunctional materials. It exists in all dimensions, zero (fullerene), one (carbon nanotube, CNT), two (graphene) and three (graphite) dimensions are very well-known for their versatility in various studies. They are also used in various applications in nanoelectronics, polymer composites, hydrogen production and storage, intercalation materials, drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, photovoltaics etc. Electrical conductivity of carbon can be tuned from insulator (diamond) to semiconductor (graphene) to conductor (graphite) with varying band gap. The main reason for this versatility and varied properties is that carbon can be involved in different hybridizations. Graphene, a single layer of graphite has fascinated the world during the last several years culminating in a Nobel prize for Physics in 2010. The present study is an attempt to understand the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of graphite oxide and its reduced form. Graphene oxide (GO) possesses oxygen containing functional groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl and epoxy groups distributed very randomly in the extended graphene sheet which makes it ionically conducting and electrically insulating. The AFM images of single layer of graphite (graphene) obtained from micromechanical cleavage method and that of EGO are shown in figure 1. EGO is a layered material similar to graphite and can form very stable aqueous colloids over a wide pH range of 2-11. The stability of the colloid is due to electrostatic repulsive interactions between the functional groups. EGO behaves like a molecule due to its thickness (~1 nm) and like a particle due to its two dimensional nature (lateral size can vary from nm to few microns). It behaves as amphiphilic molecule having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature. Figure 1d shows the STM image of EGO which clearly indicates oxidized and unoxidized regions which will impart hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions respectively. Figure 1: AFM image of (a) graphene (b) EGO. STM image of (c) HOPG and (d) EGO. The present work is related to exploring EGO as a multifunctional material. Both hydrophilic and amphiphilic nature is explored for various studies. Reduced GO (rGO) is synthesized from EGO by assembling at different interfaces (solid-liquid and liquid-air) followed by reduction. Since EGO is hydrophilic, it is brought to the air-water interface with the help of a surfactant (CTAB) through electrostatic interactions. It is reduced chemically by hydrazine vapour to rGO and electrochemically by assembling EGO on gold through electrostatic interactions between EGO and amine groups of cystamine (figure 2). The reduction process is followed by AFM, UV-Visible and in-situ Raman spectroelectrochemistry. Figure 2: Schematic of EGO self assembly, cyclic voltammogram showing electrochemical reduction and schematic for in-situ Raman spectroelectrochemistry. The next section deals with composites of EGO and polymers. EGO/polyaniline (PANI) composite is formed by electrochemical polymerization under applied surface pressure. The in-situ electrochemical polymerization of aniline in the sub-phase of Langmuir-Blodgett trough under applied surface pressure in presence of EGO at the air-water interface leads to preferential orientation of PANI in the polaronic form. This is followed by electrochemistry and Raman spectroscopy. Figure 3 shows differential pulse voltammograms of EGO/PANI obtained under two different conditions. Externally polymerized sample shows three redox peaks at 0.086/0.064 V (A/A‟), 0.390/0.430 V (B/B‟) and 0.520/0.560 mV (C/C‟) which correspond to leucoemaraldine/emaraldine, quinone/hydroquinone and emaraldine/pernigraniline redox states respectively. The peak at C/C‟ vanishes when aniline is polymerized in-trough under applied surface pressure. This implies that oxidation of emaraldine to pernigraniline becomes difficult when sample is prepared in-trough. The Raman spectroscopy clearly reveals the preferential orientation of PANI in planar polaronic structure. Figure 3. Differential pulse voltammograms for EGO/PANI complex obtained through external polymerization (black) and in-trough polymerization (red). In the next part, EGO is used as a proton conducting material for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). EGO possesses hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions similar to nafion (sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer) and hence it can act as a good ionically conducting membrane. EGO is incorporated in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix and used in the present studies. The ionic conductivity increases from 10 μS cm-1 to 370 μS cm-1 when EGO content is increased from 1wt% to 7wt% in PVA matrix. Power densities of 25 and 90 mW cm-2 are obtained for PVA and PVA/EGO membranes in H2-O2 fuel cell at 40 0C respectively. In the next section, EGO is used as receptor for simultaneous electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions such as Cd, Pb, Cu and Hg with detection limit of 5 μM, 1 pM, 5 μM and 5 μM respectively. During the process it is observed that the EGO/PbO composite can give rise to detection limit of 10 nM for arsenic. Along with detection, EGO can also be used as an effective adsorbent for inorganics (metal ions) as well as organics (dye molecules). EGO behaves as good adsorbent for heavy metal ions and cationic dyes and rGO adsorbs anionic dyes effectively. Spectroscopic techniques are used to understand the interactions between adsorbent and adsorbates. The thesis is presented as follows: Chapter 1 gives general introduction about graphene and graphite oxide with particular emphasis on the latter one. Chapter 2 gives details on the experimental methods followed, along with schematics for various adsorption processes. Chapter 3 focuses on assembling EGO at interfaces (solid-liquid and liquid-air) followed by reduction with chemical and electrochemical methods. Chapter 4 explores EGO as an amphiphilic material where EGO is assembled at air-water interface with anilinium and subsequent electropolymerization to EGO/PANI composites. EGO/PVA composite is used as electrolyte for PEMFC. Chapter 5 explores EGO as receptor for heavy metal ion detection (Cd, Pb, Cu and Hg). Chapter 6 deals with EGO as adsorbent for adsorption of inorganics (metal ions) as well as organics (dye molecules). This is followed by summary and conclusions. The appendix section gives details on the studies on preparation of exfoliated graphite with various metal ion intercalation. The covalent functionalization of EGO with metal phthalocyanines and its assembly at air-water interface forms second part of the appendix. (For figures pl see the abstract pdf file)

The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of conductive polymer composites. For this purpose, different studies were performed in this dissertation. In order to investigate the effects of the carbon nanotube (CNT) surface treatment on the morphology, electrical and mechanical properties of the composites, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) based conductive polymer composites were prepared by using as-received, purified and modified carbon nanotubes in a twin screw extruder. During the purification of carbon nanotubes, surface properties of carbon nanotubes were altered by purifying them with nitric acid (HNO3), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) mixtures. Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) results indicated the removal of metallic catalyst residues from the structure of carbon nanotubes and increase in the oxygen content of carbon nanotube surface as a result of purification procedure. Surface structure of the purified carbon nanotubes was also modified by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A (DGEBA). Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the carbon nanotube samples indicated the existence of functional groups on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes after modification. All composites prepared with purified and modified carbon nanotubes had higher electrical resistivities, tensile and impact strength values than those of the composite based on as-received carbon nanotubes, due to the functional groups formed on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes during surface treatment. In order to investigate the effects of alternative composite preparation methods on the electrical and mechanical properties of the composites, in-situ microfiber reinforced conductive polymer composites consisting of high density polyethylene (HDPE), poly(ethylene terephthalate) and carbon nanotubes were prepared in a twin screw extruder followed by hot stretching of PET/CNT phase in HDPE matrix. Composites were produced by using as-received, purified and PEG treated carbon nanotubes. SEM micrographs of the hot stretched composites pointed out the existence of in-situ PET/CNT microfibers dispersed in HDPE matrix up to 1 wt. % carbon nanotube loadings. Electrical conductivity values of the microfibrillar composites were higher than that of the composites prepared without microfiber reinforcement due to the presence of continuous PET/CNT microfibers with high electrical conductivity in the structure. To investigate the potential application of conductive polymer composites, the effects of surfactant usage and carbon nanotube surface modification / on the damage sensing capability of the epoxy/carbon nanotube/glass fiber composite panels during mechanical loadings were studied. Surface modification of the carbon nanotubes was performed by using hexamethylene diamine (HMDA). 4-octylphenol polyethoxylate (nonionic) (Triton X-100) and cetyl pyridinium chloride (cationic) (CPC) were used as surfactants during composite preparation. Electrical resistivity measurements which were performed during the impact, tensile and fatigue tests of the composite panels showed the changes in damage sensing capabilities of the composites. Surface treatment of carbon nanotubes and the use of surfactants decreased the carbon nanotube particle size and improved the dispersion in the composites which increased the damage sensitivity of the panels.

The objective of the study is to improve the interfacial adhesion between the wood fibers and thermoplastic matrix. Efforts were also directed towards improving manufacturing processes so as to realize the full potential of wood fibers as reinforcing fillers. Chemical coupling plays an important role in improving interfacial bonding strength in wood-polymer composites. A novel compatibilizer with isocyanate functional group was synthesized by grafting m-Isopropenyl –α –α –dimethylbenzyl-isocyanate (m-TMI) onto isotactic polypropylene using reactive extrusion process. The compatibilizer was characterized with respect to its nature, concentration and location of functional group, and molecular weight. There are two main process issues when blending polymers with incompatible filler: (1) creating and maintaining the target morphology, and (2) doing so with minimum degradation of fillers. A 28mm co-rotating intermeshing twin screw extrusion system was custom built and the design optimized for (1) blending biological fibers with thermoplastics, and (2) for melt phase fictionalization of thermoplastics by reactive extrusion. To assess the effect of inclusion of wood fibers in polypropylene composites, a series of polypropylene wood fiber/wood flour filled composite materials having 10 to 50 wt % of wood content were prepared using the co-rotating twin screw extrusion system. m-TMI-g-PP and MAPP were used as coupling agents. Addition of wood fibers, at all levels, resulted in more rigid and tenacious composites. The continuous improvement in properties of the composites with the increasing wood filler is attributed to the effective reinforcement of low modulus polypropylene matrix with the high modulus wood filler. Studies on were also undertaken to understand effect of particle morphology, type and concentration of coupling agent, and effect of process additives on mechanical properties. Composites prepared with m-TMI-grafted-PP were much superior to the composites prepared with conventionally used maleated polypropylene in all the cases. Non-destructive evaluation of dynamic modulus of elasticity (MoE) and shear modulus of wood filled polypropylene composite at various filler contents was carried out from the vibration frequencies of disc shaped specimens. The vibration damping behaviour of the composite material was evaluated. MoE and shear modulus were found to increase whereas damping coefficient decreased with the increasing filler content. Knowledge of moisture uptake and transport properties is useful in estimating moisture related effects such as fungal attack and loss of mechanical strength. Hence, a study was undertaken to asses the moisture absorption by wood filled polypropylene composites. Composites prepared with coupling agents absorbed at least 30% less moisture than composites without compatibilizer. Thermo-gravimetric measurements were also carried out to evaluate the thermal stability and to evaluate kinetic parameters associated with thermal degradation of wood fiber and wood flour filled polypropylene composites. The moisture absorption and thermal behaviour are described based on analytical models. High efficiency filler-anchored catalyst system was prepared by substituting of hydroxyl groups present on the cellulosic filler. The process involves immobilizing the cocatalyst onto the cellulosic filler surface followed by addition of metallocene catalyst and then polymerization of ethylene using this filler supported catalyst. The polymerization and composite formation takes place simultaneously. All the polymerization reactions were carried out in a high-pressure stirred autoclave. Effect of temperature, ethylene pressure, and cocatalyst to catalyst ratios (Al/TM ratios) were also studied. Studies on kinetics of polymerization showed that, higher Al/Zr ratio and higher temperature lead to higher polymerization rates but lower the molecular weight. A model incorporating effect of reaction parameter on polymerization rates has been developed.

The thesis consists of four parts of which part 1 presents a brief overview of nanomaterials. Parts 2, 3 and 4 contain results of investigations of graphene, nanofilms of noble metal nanoparticles and ZnO nanostructures respectively. Investigations of graphene are described in Part 2 which consists of six chapters. In Chapter 2.1, changes in the electronic structure and properties of graphene induced by molecular charge-transfer have been discussed. Chapter 2.2 deals with the results of a study of the interaction of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles with graphene. Electrical and dielectric properties of graphene-polymer composites are presented in Chapter 2.3. Chapter 2.4 presents photo-thermal effects observed in laser-induced chemical transformations in graphene and other nanocarbons system. Chapter 2.5 describes the mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites reinforced by fewlayer graphene investigated by nano-indentation. The extraordinary synergy found in the mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites reinforced with two nanocarbons of different dimensionalities constitute the subject matter of Chapter 2.6. Investigations of noble metal nanoparticles have been described in Part 3. In Chapter 3.1, ferromagnetism exhibited by nanoparticles of noble metals is discussed in detail while Chapter 3.2 deals with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of molecules adsorbed on nanocrystalline Au and Ag films formed at the organic–aqueous interface. Factors affecting laser-excited photoluminescence from ZnO nanostructures are examined in great detail in Part 4.

Orientador: Darcy Hiroe Fujii Kanda / Banca: Luiz Francisco Malmonge / Banca: Dante Luis Chinaglia / Resumo: Compósitos poliméricos condutores, também chamados de polímeros condutores extrínsecos, têm sido alvo de intensa pesquisa científica devido ao seu grande potencial de aplicação nos mais diversificados setores industriais. Esses materiais combinam as características de um polímero (leveza, flexibilidade, fácil processamento) com as de cargas condutoras (alta condutividade). O poliuretano derivado de óleo de mamona (PUR) é um polímero obtido pela mistura de pré-polímero e poliol (derivado de óleo de mamona) que apresenta grande potencial para ser utilizado como matriz polimérica em compósitos. Ele possui propriedades equivalentes aos dos poliuretanos (PU) convencionais e tem como vantagem ser um polímero biodegradável e proveniente de fonte renovável. Em relação às cargas condutoras, o negro de fumo (NF) é um dos materiais mais utilizados para esse fim, enquanto que pouco se encontra na literatura sobre o carvão ativado nano em pó (CANP), mesmo possuindo estrutura semelhante e maior condutividade que o NF. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo viabilizar os processos de síntese e fazer a caracterização elétrica dos compósitos poliuretano derivado de óleo de mamona/carvão ativado nano em pó (PUR/CANP) e poliuretano derivado de óleo de mamona/negro de fumo (PUR/NF) na forma de filmes pelo método "casting", mantendo fixa a razão pré-polímero/poliol e variando a fração de volume de CANP e NF. A análise térmica foi feita por Calorimetria Diferencial de Varredura (DSC), o estudo da condutividade dc e ac foram feitas pelo Método de Duas Pontas (tensão x corrente) (MDP) e pela técnica de Espectroscopia de Impedância Elétrica (EIE), respectivamente, e a análise morfológica foi feita em Microscópio Eletrônico de Varredura com canhão de elétrons por... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Conductive polymer composites, also called extrinsic conducting polymers, has been the subject of intense scientific research due to its great potential for industrial application. These materials combine the characteristics of a polymer (lightness, flexibility, easy processing) with the conductive fillers (high conductivity). The castor oil based polyurethane (PUR) is a polymer obtained from pre-polymer and polyol (based castor oil) mixing which has great potential to be used as matrix polymer in composites. It has properties equivalent to those of conventional polyurethane (PU) and has the advantage of being a biodegradable polymer and from a renewable source. In relation to conductive fillers, carbon black (CB) is one of the most widely used materials for this purpose, while in the literature there are few data about activated carbon nanopowder (ACNP), despite having similar structure and that the higher conductivity than CB. In this context, this work aims to provide the synthesis processes and electrically characterize of composite castor oil based polyurethane/activated carbon nanopowder (PUR/ACNP) and castor oil based polyurethane/carbon black (PUR/CB) in the form of films by casting, keeping the ratio pré-polímero/poliol fixed and varying the volume fraction ACNP and CB. The sample were characterized using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Two Points Method (voltage x current) (TPM), Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Scanning Electron Microscope with electron gun for field emission (FEG-SEM). DSC results showed that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of composites do not depend of type or volume fraction of conductive fillers. The results of electrical analysis showed that the samples of PUR/CB have lower percolation threshold than those of PUR/ACNP (20% vs. 40%). This result is due the distribution... (Summary complete electronic access click below) / Mestre

A versatilidade das espumas poliuretanas permite sua aplicação em inúmeros setores industriais, devido à possibilidade de se obter diferentes conjuntos de propriedades apenas alterando sua formulação básica. Um tipo recorrente de alteração é a incorporação de diferentes tipos de fibras em matrizes de poliuretano, vastamente estudada com o objetivo de gerar materiais compósitos com melhores propriedades mecânicas do que a matriz original. Inúmeros autores reportaram a utilização de celulose cristalina como uma alternativa renovável aos agentes de reforço e revelaram que a celulose utilizada como aditivo em matrizes poliméricas afetou as propriedades mecânicas da matriz original e, em menor escala, exerceu influência sobre a estabilidade térmica do compósito. O presente trabalho dedicou-se a isolar a celulose cristalina contida nas fibras de bananeira mediante tratamento com ácido acético concentrado. Os tratamentos químicos são necessários para modificar a superfície do material e melhorar a adesão do agente de reforço à matriz. Tendo em vista os resultados associados à estabilidade térmica dos compósitos de poliuretano reforçados com celulose, buscou-se sintetizar materiais híbridos de celulose e MgO.nH2O. Foi observado que, mesmo em pequenas quantidades, a presença do óxido hidratado de magnésio afetou significativamente a estabilidade térmica do HB 98:2. Estudos térmicos indicam que os materiais compósitos estudados apresentaram comportamento semelhante ao da matriz PU. Estudos das propriedades compressivas dos materiais poliméricos gerados mostraram que a incorporação do HB 98:2 ao PU afetou positivamente as propriedades mecânicas do material, sendo que o compósito PU + 1 HB 98:2 apresentou desempenho mecânico superior ao da matriz pura. / The versatility of polyurethanes foams allows its application in numerous industries because of the possibility of obtaining different sets of properties just by changing its basic formulation. A recurrent type of modification is the incorporation of different types of fibers in polyurethane matrices widely studied with the objective of generating composite materials with better mechanical properties than the original matrix. Numerous authors have reported the use of crystalline cellulose as a renewable alternative to fillers and showed that the cellulose used as additive in polymer matrices affect the mechanical properties of the original matrix and, to a lesser extent, influence upon thermal stability of the composite. This work was dedicated to isolate the crystalline cellulose contained in banana fibers by treatment with concentrated acetic acid. The chemical treatments are needed to modify the surface of the material and improve adhesion of the filler to the matrix. In view of the results associated with the thermal stability of the composite polyurethane reinforced with cellulose, sought to synthesize hybrid materials cellulose and MgO.nH2O. It has been observed that even in small quantities, the presence of hydrated magnesium oxide significantly affect the thermal stability of HB 98: 2. thermal studies indicate that the studied composites showed similar behavior to the PU matrix. Studies of the compressive properties of polymeric materials generated showed that the incorporation of HB 98: 2 to PU positively affect the mechanical properties of the material, and the composite PU + HB 98 1: 2 had mechanical performance superior to that of pure matrix.