(3gg) Synthesis of Ti3C2Tx Mxene/Polyacrylate Nanocomposites with High-Temperature Free-Radical Polymerization

Research Interests: Polymerization science, Polymer nanocomposites, Mathematical modeling, Polymer coatings and thin films, MXene synthesis and surface modification, Polymer melt processing

MXenes are a class of a 2D, hydrophilic, electrically- and thermally-conductive nanomaterials with surface functional groups including hydroxyl, oxygen and fluorine. Like graphene oxide and clay, MXenes have layered structures, excellent antibacterial properties, and high light-to-heat conversion efficiency. MXenes are obtained by etching its parental material, the MAX phase, by hydrofluoric acid. The product is usually in the form of an aqueous suspension. However, the suspending medium can be exchanged with an organic solvent such as DMF and ethanol using a repetitive centrifuge/decantation process.

Spontaneous high-temperature free-radical polymerization of acrylate monomers is appealing, as it does not require any conventional initiators like potassium persulfate. The polymers synthesized at high temperatures, >140 , have low average molecular weights due to the strong presence of secondary reactions at the high temperatures . A polymer with low average molecular weights has a low solution viscosity. This is advantageous in case of synthesizing polymer nanocomposites. The addition of a filler, especially a 2D filler, like Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, to a monomer and in-situ polymerization of the system cause viscosity build up, specially at high filler loading contents. Thus, it seems using high-temperature free-radical polymerization is an appropriate technique for nanocomposite synthesis as it produces chains with low average molecular weights.

In this work we report on in-situ high-temperature polymerization of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and acrylate monomers. This approach is versatile as various kinds of monomers bearing unsaturated carbon double bond can be used in this technique. Characterization techniques including TGA, conductometry, XPS and FTIR are used to fully characterize these nanocomposites. The main focus of this research is the evaluation of polymerization conditions on inherent properties of MXene after embedment in polyacrylate matrix.