Development of Expanded Takayanagi Model for Tensile Modulus of Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Nanocomposites Assuming Interphase Regions Surrounding the Dispersed and Networked Nanoparticles

Advancement of the Power-Law Model and Its Percolation Exponent for the Electrical Conductivity of a Graphene-Containing System as a Component in the Biosensing of Breast Cancer

The power-law model for composite conductivity is expanded for graphene-based samples using the effects of interphase, tunnels and net on the effective filler fraction, percolation start and “b” exponent. In fact, filler dimensions, interphase thickness, tunneling distance and net dimension/density express the effective filler fraction, percolation start and “b” exponent. The developed equations are assessed by experimented values from previous works. Additionally, the effects of all parameters on “b” exponent and conductivity are analyzed. The experimented quantities of percolation start and conductivity confirm the predictability of the expressed equations. Thick interphase, large tunneling distance, high aspect ratio and big nets as well as skinny and large graphene nano-sheets produce a low “b” and a high conductivity, because they improve the conduction efficiency of graphene nets in the system. Graphene-filled nanocomposites can be applied in the biosensing of breast cancer cells and thus the developed model can help optimize the performance of biosensors.

Analysis of Three-Phase Structure of Epoxy Resin/CNT/Graphene by Molecular Simulation

In this study, the three-phase structure consisting of epoxy resin, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene, which is assumed to be the surface of carbon fiber, was simulated using molecular dynamics. Models in which the CNT number and initial position of CNT are varied were prepared in this study. Relaxation calculation for each three-phase model was implemented, and the movement of molecules was investigated. When CNTs are located between the graphene and epoxy at initial, how the epoxy approaches to graphene was discussed. Besides, interaction energies between CNT/graphene, CNT/epoxy, and graphene/epoxy were evaluated after relaxations. The value of the interaction energy between two individual molecules (epoxy resin and graphene, CNTs and graphene, epoxy resin and CNTs) among three-phase structure were obtained, respectively, and those mechanisms were discussed in this study.