Nanotube dispersants and dispersant free nanotube films therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185602-A1
Application number	US-201615065775-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Apr 4, 2011
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant comprises a multiplicity of NT associative groups that are connected to a polymer backbone by a linking group where there are cleavable groups within the polymer backbone and/or the linking groups such that on a directed change of conditions, bond breaking of the cleavable groups results in residues from the degradable polymeric NT dispersant in a manner where the associative groups are uncoupled from other associative groups, rendering the associative groups monomelic in nature. The degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be combined with carbon NTs to form a NT dispersion that can be deposited to form a NT film, or other structure, by air brushing, electrostatic spraying, ultrasonic spraying, ink-jet printing, roll-to-roll coating, or dip coating. The deposition can render a NT film that is of a uniform thickness or is patterned with various thicknesses. Upon deposition of the film, the degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be cleaved and the cleavage residues removed from the film to yield a film where contact between NTs is unencumbered by dispersants, resulting in highly conductive NT films.

First claim

1 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A method of preparing a NT comprising film, comprising:
providing a NT dispersion comprising a plurality of NTs or NT equivalents and a degradable polymeric NT dispersant comprising: a soluble polymer or copolymer comprising a polymer backbone with a multiplicity of repeating units comprising: a NT associative group comprising a polycyclic aromatic group capable of non-covalently association with a NT or other graphene structure; a linking group coupling the polymer backbone to the NT associative group; and at least one cleavable group residing in the polymer backbone or in the linking group, wherein each of the NT associative groups is separated from each other by at least one of the cleavable groups; depositing the NT dispersion on a substrate as a film; promoting the cleavage of cleavable groups by changing one or more conditions of the film; removing the cleaved residues from the degradable polymeric NT dispersant; and removing the solvent.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein depositing comprises air brushing, electrostatic spraying, ultrasonic spraying, ink-jet printing, roll-to-roll coating, or dip coating.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein promoting the cleavage comprises thermolysis, photolysis, addition of a catalyst, addition of one or more reagents, addition of one or more solvents, or any combination thereof.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein removing comprises filtering, washing, or evaporating.

24 . A method of preparing a NT comprising film, comprising:
providing a NT dispersion comprising a plurality of NTs or NT equivalents and a degradable polymeric NT dispersant comprising:
a soluble polymer or copolymer having polymer backbone with a multiplicity of repeating units comprising:
a NT associative group comprising a polycyclic aromatic group capable of non-covalently association with a NT or other graphene structure; a linking group coupling the polymer backbone to the NT associative group; at least one cleavable group residing in the polymer backbone or in the linking group, wherein each of the NT associative groups is separated from each other by at least one of the cleavable groups; depositing the NT dispersion on a substrate as a film; promoting the cleavage of cleavable groups by changing one or more conditions of the film; removing the cleaved residues from the degradable polymeric NT dispersant; and removing the solvent.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein depositing comprises air brushing, electrostatic spraying, ultrasonic spraying, ink-jet printing, roll-to-roll coating, or dip coating.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein promoting the cleavage comprises thermolysis, photolysis, addition of a catalyst, addition of one or more reagents, addition of one or more solvents, or any combination thereof.

27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein removing comprises filtering, washing, or evaporating.

28 - 29 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Walczak Ryan M
• Reynolds John R
• Rinzler Andrew Gabriel
• Spring Andrew M
• Vasilyeva Svetlana V
• Wadhwa Pooja

Classifications

• B05D1/04

  involving the use of an electrostatic field {(B05D1/025 and B05D1/14 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C08J3/02

  Making solutions, dispersions, lattices or gels by other methods than by solution, emulsion or suspension polymerisation techniques · CPC title

• C09D147/00

  Coating compositions based on homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds; Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers (C09D145/00 takes precedence; based on conjugated diene rubbers C09D109/00 - C09D121/00) · CPC title

• H05K1/092

  Dispersed materials, e.g. conductive pastes or inks · CPC title

• C08K3/041

  Carbon nanotubes · CPC title