Carbon Nanotube-Modified PMMA/PAN Copolymer Blends to Creating High-Surface-Area Electrode for Water Splitting
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초록
내용
This research explores blending carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with multi-phase polymers to create superior composite materials. PMMA/PAN copolymers serve as the matrix, while CNTs adjust the mixture's surface properties and microstructure. This process creates CNTs-in-copolymer nanofibers (CCNF), later carbonized with a unique structure of thin nanofibers assembled into larger fiber bundles. CNTs significantly increase CCNF's surface area and pore volume, with the highest specific surface area reaching 600 m2/g and meso/macropore volume of 60 cm3/g. Additionally, incorporating binary transition metal oxides like Ni-Fe, Co-Fe, and Ni-Co onto carbonized CCNF fiber bundles creates electrodes with high electrocatalytic activity for water splitting compared to control samples. The research demonstrates that tuning multi-phase polymer behavior by adding CNTs can extend to various precursor polymer combinations, opening new pathways towards high-performance heterogeneous electrocatalysts.