Preparation of electrically conductive bucky-sponge using CNT-cement: Conductivity control using room temperature ionic liquids

We present CNT bucky-sponges prepared using CS-NH2/CNT-cement (CNT nanohybrid molecules individually wrapped with chitosan molecules) as a construction material and an imidazolium based room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as a liquid porogen. The nano-sized and micro-sized pores with various width (respectively, about <20 nm and 20–300 μm) were controllably produced by increasing the amount of RTIL used (from 1 to 5 g). It was confirmed by SEM characterization that both types of pores coexist within the CNT frameworks with chitosan skin. Total pore volumes calculated from the volume increase of the sponge samples ranged in percentage from 89 to 98. Porosity of the CNT bucky-sponges, caused by the micro-pores and measured with a mercury porosimeter, ranged between 5 and 28% controlled by the amount of RTIL used. BET surface area and volume resistivity of the CNT sponges were in the ranges of, respectively, 19.7–94.5 m2/g and 0.022–3.22 Ω cm. The prepared CNT sponges showed important characteristics indicating broad applicability as a conductive polymer framework, drug carrying scaffold, catalyst support, oil adsorbents, and molecular sieve membrane.