title: Regulated dielectric loss of polymer composites from coating carbon nanotubes with a cross-linked silsesquioxane shell through free-radical polymerization.
abstract: We report a synthetic strategy for coating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with cross-linked octa-methacrylate-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (MA-POSS) by direct, in situ free-radical polymerization in a controlled manner. This strategy resulted in a core-shell structure with an MWCNT center. The shell thickness could be varied from ∼ 7 nm to 40 nm by choosing different initiators, solvents, and weight ratios of MWCNT and octa-MA-POSS. Coated MWCNT hybrids had controlled electrical performance depending on the coating layer thickness and were well-dispersed in the polymer matrix. POSS-coated MWCNTs were compounded with poly(vinylidene fluoride) to obtain a composite with high dielectric permittivity and low dielectric loss.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education and ‡College of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guang-Xin
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qifang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: carbon nanotubes; composites; dielectric loss; free-radical polymerization