pH and electrical actuation of single walled carbon nanotube/chitosan composite fibers

In the present study, an attempt has been made to utilize the pH responsive nature of chitosan to produce fibers which can respond to an applied electric voltage. Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been used for reinforcing the chitosan fibers. But the SWCNTs are associated with their own challenges of aggregation which have been solved in this study by suitable functionalization. Electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the dispersions. The functionalized SWCNTs showed improved dispersion in chitosan. The SWCNT/chitosan composite fibers were successfully solution spun and heat-set to give stable fibers of 50 +/- 2 mu m. The composite fibers exhibited a significant increase in the mechanical properties. The tenacity of the composite fibers reinforced with functionalized SWCNTs increased from 96 to 226 MPa with an increase in SWCNT content from 0 to 0.2 wt%. The strong interaction of carboxylic functional groups of functionalized SWCNTs with the chitosan matrix may be responsible for the improved dispersion and considerable enhancement of the mechanical properties. Further, the stability of the fibers towards the pH switching environment has also been investigated, along with the response to an applied electric voltage. Composite fibers prepared using 0.1 wt% of functionalized carbon nanotubes were observed to exhibit a stable response with high magnitude of strain and high strain rate.