Ionic Liquid Integrated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube in a Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Matrix: Formation of a Piezoelectric β-Polymorph with Significant Reinforcement and Conductivity Improvement

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are functionalized covalently with ionic liquid (IL, 3-aminoethyl imidazolium bromide) which helps good dispersion of IL-functionalized MWNTs (MWNT-IL) in the poly(vinylidenefluoride) (PVDF) matrix. Analysis of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs suggests similar to 10 nm coating thickness of MWNTs by ILs, and the covalent linkage of ILs with MWNTs is confirmed from FT-IR and Raman spectra. PVDF nanocomposites with full beta-polymorphic (piezoelectric) form are prepared using MWNT-IL by both the solvent cast and melt-blending methods. The FE-SEM and TEM micrographs indicate that IL-bound MWNTs are homogeneously dispersed within the PVDF matrix. Increasing MWNT-IL concentration in the composites results in increased beta polymorph formation with a concomitant decrease of the alpha polymorph, and a 100% beta polymorph formation occurs for 1 wt % MWNT-IL in both the fabrication conditions. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study shows that the MWNT-ILs are an efficient nucleating agent for PVDF crystallization preferentially nucleating the beta form due to its dipolar interactions with PVDF. The glass transition temperature (T-g) gradually increases with an increase in MWNT-IL concentration, and the storage modulus (G') of the composites increases significantly, showing a maximum increase of 101.3% for 0.5 wt % MWNT-IL. The Young's modulus increases with MWNT-IL concentration, and analysis of the data using the Halpin-Tsai equation suggests that at low concentration they adopt an orientation parallel to the film surface; however, at higher MWNT-IL concentration it is randomly oriented. The tensile strength also increases with an increase in MWNT-IL concentration, and both the Young's modulus and the tensile strength of solvent cast films are lower than melt-blended samples. The elongation at break in the solvent cast samples shows a maximum, but in melt-blended samples it decreases continuously with increasing MWNT-IL concentration. The composites exhibit a very low conductivity percolation threshold at 0.05 wt %, and the three-dimensional conducting network is produced. Higher conductivity (similar to 1 S/cm for 1% MWNT-IL) than other MWNT/PVDF composites has been attributed to the anchored ionic liquid.