Shear-induced preferential alignment of carbon nanotubes resulted in anisotropic electrical conductivity of polymer composites

Simulations and electrical conductivity of percolated networks of finite rods with various degrees of axial alignment

“…Before concluding, we compare our simulation results with recent electrical conductivity measurements of polymer nanocomposites containing single-walled carbon nanotubes ͑SWCNTs͒. The effects of carbon nanotube orientation on electrical conductivity in polymer composites have been observed in doctor-bladed composites of multiwalled carbon nanotubes ͑MWCNTs͒ and cross-linked poly͑furfuryl alcohol͒ 12 and in stretched composites of SWCNT and poly͑methyl methacrylate͒ ͑PMMA͒. 13 These composites exhib- Table I. ited anisotropic electrical conductivity, with different values parallel and perpendicular to the alignment direction.…”

Nanostructured composites based on carbon nanotubes and epoxy resin for use as radar absorbing materials

“…Considering high aspect ratio and good dispersion, nanotubes can reach conductivity thresholds at lower loading levels and can create networks that facilitate the electron transport. In addition to the aspect ratio and the dispersion, several studies have shown that various processing parameters affect the properties of the resulting nanostructured composites 27,30,[35][36][37][38][39][40] . The processes of covalent and noncovalent functionalization have been suggested as one of the options for better dispersion of nanotubes 27,[41][42][43] .…”

High‐Performance Organic Thin‐Film Transistors through Solution‐Sheared Deposition of Small‐Molecule Organic Semiconductors

“…Our SS method is related to doctor-blading, which has been used to deposit polymers, [20,21] inorganic materials, [22] organic semiconductors [23] and nanostructures. [24] Doctor-blading is typically used to deposit micron-thick films from viscous solutions or slurries, and uses mechanical spacers between the substrate and blade to control the film thickness. In contrast, SS deposits thin films from extremely-dilute (<1% w/v), nonviscous solutions in volatile solvents also, mechanical spacers are not strictly required.…”