Fabrication and electroactive responsive behavior of shape-memory nanocomposite incorporated with self-assembled multiwalled carbon nanotube nanopaper

A novel shapememory nanocomposite that exhibits electrical actuation capabilities was fabricated by incorporating a conductive multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanopaper into shapememory polymer matrix. The self-assembled MWCNT nanopaper was made on hydrophilic polycarbonate membrane. This process was based on well-defined dispersion of the nanosized individual MWCNT and controlled traditional pressure vacuum deposition procedure. The self-assembled MWCNTs in the nanopaper provided a percolating conductive network with a large interfacial area. It not only offered a high electrical conductivity but also simultaneously enhanced recovery speed by electrically resistive heating, with increasing the content of MWCNT nanopaper in nanocomposite. Copyright (c) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.