Facile Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticle-Coated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Its Functional Modification in Epoxy Resin

Magnetic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized in a process consisting of two steps: (a) covalent in situ polymerization and grafting of poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) on the surface of SWCNTs, followed by (b) thermal decomposition of ferric triacetylacetonateto produce magnetite nanoparticles on the PAA-grafted SWCNTs. It was demonstrated that magnetic nanoparticle-coated SWCNTs dispersed in water by sonication would respond to an external magnetic field. On such functionalization, the reorientation of SWCNTs in an epoxy matrix could be produced using a magnet. This endowed the composites with desirable magnetic and mechanical properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:2035-2041, 2010. (C) 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers