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Type: 
Journal
Description: 
Stable chains of carbon-based nanoparticles were formed directly in polymer matrixes through an electrode-free approach. Spontaneous surface charges were generated pyroelectrically onto functionalized ferroelectric crystals, enabling the formation of electric field gradients that triggered the dipole–dipole interactions responsible for the alignment of the particles, while embedded in the polymer solution. The phenomenon is similar to the dielectrophoretic alignment of carbon nanotubes reported in the literature. However, here the electric fields are generated spontaneously by a simple heat treatment that, simultaneously, aligns the particles and provides the energy necessary for curing the host polymer. The result is a polymer sheet reinforced with well-aligned chains of carbon-based particles, avoiding the invasive implementation of appropriate electrodes and circuits. Because polymers with anisotropic features …
Publisher: 
American Chemical Society
Publication date: 
17 Dec 2013
Authors: 

O Gennari, S Grilli, S Coppola, V Pagliarulo, V Vespini, G Coppola, S Bhowmick, MA Gioffré, G Gentile, V Ambrogi, P Cerruti, C Carfagna, P Ferraro

Biblio References: 
Volume: 29 Issue: 50 Pages: 15503-15510
Origin: 
Langmuir