Cross-ply laminates reinforced with basalt fibers and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated from unidirectional epoxy prepregs. MWCNTs with varied surface conditions were prepared by oxidization or esterification, and then dispersed into a DGEBA epoxy system. The dispersion of the MWCNTs in the epoxy was improved by surface modification, resulting in improved com...

A simple, one-step method for fabricating single biologically functionalized conducting-polymer (polypyrrole) nanowire on prepatterned electrodes and its application to biosensing was demonstrated. The biologically functionalized polypyrrole was formed by the electropolymerization of an aqueous solution of pyrrole monomer and the model biomolecule, avidin- or streptavidin-conjugated ZnSe/CdSe q...

This study compared the responses of Pd-functionalized and pristine titanate (TiO2) nanotube arrays to ethanol with those to acetone to determine the effects of functionalization of TiO2 nanotubes with Pd nanoparticles on the sensitivity and selectivity. The responses of pristine and Pd-functionalized TiO2 nanotube arrays to ethanol gas at 200 °C were ~2877% and ~21,253%, respectively. On the o...

The electronic properties of carbon nanotubes can be altered significantly by modifying the nanotube surface. In this study, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were functionalized noncovalently using designed surfactant peptides, and the resultant SWCNT electronic properties were investigated. These peptides have a common amino acid sequence of X(Valine)(5)(Lysine)(2), where X indicates an...

We examined the potential of antibody-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) field-effect transistors (FETs) to use as a fast and accurate sensor for a Lyme disease antigen. Biosensors were fabricated on oxidized silicon wafers using chemical vapor deposition grown carbon nanotubes that were functionalized using diazonium salts. Attachment of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme) flagellar a...

Carboxylic functionalization (-COOH groups) of carbon nanotubes is known to improve their dispersion properties and increase the electrical conductivity of carbon-nanotube-polymer nanocomposites. We have studied experimentally the effects of this type of functionalization on the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites. It was found that while even small quantities of carbon nanotubes (~1 wt ...

Carbon nanotubes have unique properties like high stability, high surface to mass ratio and so on which make them suitable for medicinal purpose applications. Treatment of cancer by organoplatinum agents like Cisplatin has become unresponsive in most cases due to low distribution of drug in biological fluids, inability of drug to cross cellular membranes and low stability in biological environm...

Confinement and surface effects provided by nanoparticles have been shown to produce changes in polymer molecules affecting their macroscopic viscosity. Nanoparticles may induce rearrangements in polymer conformation with an increase in free volume significantly lowering the viscosity. This phenomenon is generally attributed to the selective adsorption of the polymer high molar mass fraction on...

Carbon nanotubes – characterized for the first time in 1991 by Iijima [1] – have attracted much attention in terms of both fundamental science and technology because of their unique electrical, mechanical, and chemical proprieties [2]. Since the use of these nanoscale systems, pristine or functionalized, can collaborate to the development of new materials, where in interactions with biological ...