Periodic Crystallisation of Polymers on Carbon Nanotubes: Geometrical Confinement versus Epitaxy

Abstract

The objective of the study described here is to address the fundamental mechanism of periodic crystallisation of polymer on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), where the polymer-CNT interface adhesion is derived from electrostatic and van der Waals interaction in the resultant hybrid nanoscale architecture. A theoretical analysis of different possibilities of nucleation of a model polymer on CNTs underscores that the periodic nucleation of polymers on CNTs is a geometrical confinement effect rather than a representative of an epitaxial process. The conclusion derived from the theoretical analysis is consistent with the experimental observation made with CNTs of different diameters.

Acknowledgements

The authors (V.S.A. Challa, and R.D.K. Misra) gratefully acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation through grant # CMMI 1458090 (Program Director, Dr. Khershed Cooper). Thanks are also due to D. Depan for discussion and help.