Reinforcement of silica with single-walled carbon nanotubes through covalent functionalization

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as reinforcing components were extended into silica monoliths and thin films via covalent functionalization for the first time. Silica materials have poor mechanical attributes, which limit their applications. Because of the extreme flexibility of SWCNTs and their large interfacial area, they may be very intriguing as reinforcing fillers for the silica matrix. To get more uniform dispersion and stronger interfacial interaction, SWCNTs were covalently functionalized with silane, and then integrated into silica via a sol–gel process, and their properties were also compared with those of pristine SWCNTs. Results show that the silane-functionalized nanotubes resulted in better mechanical properties (for example, 33% increase in stress, and 53% increase in toughness), as well as higher electron-transfer kinetics.

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