Son Thanh Nguyen

Densely Packed Linear Assembles of Carbon Nanotube Bundles in Polysiloxane-Based Nanocomposite Films

Linear assemblies of carbon nanotubes (LACNTs) were fabricated and controlled in polysiloxane-based nanocomposite films and the effects of the LACNTs on the thermal and electrical properties of the films were investigated. CNTs were dispersed by mechanical stirring and sonication in a prepolymer of polysiloxane. Homogeneous suspensions were cast on polyamide spacers and oriented by linear-assembly by applying DC and switching DC electric fields before the mixture became cross-linked. Densely packed LACNTs that fixed the composite film surfaces were fabricated with various structures and thicknesses that depended on the DC and switching DC conditions. Polymer nanocomposites with different LACNT densities exhibited enhanced thermal and electrical conductivities and high optical transmittances. They are considered promising structural materials for electronic sectors in automotive and aerospace applications.

Oxidation of nanodiamonds and modulation of their assembly in polymer-based nanohybrids by field-inducement

Linear assembly of densely packed oxidized nanodiamonds (OxNDs) was performed in polymer-based nanohybrid films. A homogeneous suspension of the pre-polymer polyepoxide and OxNDs was placed onto a polyamide spacer and subjected to an electric field in order to induce the relocation and assembly of the fillers before the mixture became cross-linked. The OxNDs suspended readily, forming linear assemblies of OxNDs (LAOxNDs) of varying thicknesses, aligned perpendicular to the film surfaces. Nanohybrid films with linear assemblies of LAOxNDs exhibited a moderate increase in thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical insulation properties of the polyepoxide. Mechanisms for the field-induced fabrication and the structural variation of LAOxNDs in the pre-polymer matrix are elucidated in relation to the variations in physical properties. The present air oxidation process and field-induced application are simple but effective in enhancing the physical properties of polymer-based hybrids, and hence, has the potential for applying in the fabrication and modulation of nanocomposite materials.

Linear Assembly of Oxidized Surface Treated Nanodiamonds in Polymer-Based Nanohybrids by Electric Field Inducement

Linear assembly of densely packed oxidized nanodiamonds (OxNDs) was achieved in polyepoxide-based nanohybrid films. A homogeneous suspension of pre-polymer of polyepoxide and OxNDs was cast onto a polyamide-spacer and subjected to an electric field in order to induce relocation and stretched-assembles of the fillers before the mixture became cross-linked. The OxNDs suspended readily, forming linear assemblies of OxNDs (LAOxNDs) of varying thicknesses, and aligned vertical to the film surfaces. Nanohybrid films with assemblies of LAOxNDs led to a significant enhancement in thermal conductivity while maintained the electrical insulation property of the polyepoxide. Mechanisms for the formation and structural variation of LAOxNDs in the matrix are elaborated regarding the improvement in physical properties. The present ambient-oxidation process and field-induced application are simple, but effective in enhancing the thermal properties of the polymer-based hybrids, and hence, promising for applications in the semiconductor industry, such as thermal interface materials.