Surface\nProperties of Pristine and Fluorinated Multiwalled\nCarbon Nanotube/Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Composites

Abstract

Incorporation\nof fluorinated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)\ninto poly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was studied as an alternative method\nto improve the surface properties of the latter. The surface properties\nof PDMS matrixes filled with fluorinated MWCNTs were investigated\nand compared to those of pristine MWCNT/PDMS composites. Contact angle\nmeasurements and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy\nrevealed that the surface segregation of the fluorinated MWCNTs in\nPDMS led to changes in the surface chemical composition. The wetting\nbehavior of PDMS when loaded with fluorinated MWCNTs changed relative\nto that of unfilled samples and samples filled with pristine MWCNTs.\nAtomic force microscopy showed that the surface roughness of the PDMS\nincreased in the presence of both pristine and fluorinated MWCNTs.\nDetermination of the surface stability of the samples in water demonstrated\nthat fluorinated MWCNTs are more effective than pristine MWCNTs in\nstabilizing PDMS.