Synthesis and characterization of polydopamine modified carbon nanotube (CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have found enormous applicability in most areas of science and engineering because of their excellent electronic and thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. In this study, we prepared polydopamine modified CNT/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites with CNTs possessing different lengths to achieve higher thermal conductivity. We used thermal conductivity meter (Hot disk), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and contact angle goniometer to determine the thermal conductivity, morphology, thermal stability, and wettability, respectively, of the CNT/PDMS composites. We founded that the long-CNT/PDMS composite possessed better electronic and thermal conductivity than the short-CNT/PDMS composite. We also founded that the polydopamine modification could enhance hydrophilicity and surface free energy of CNT/PDMS composites.