Optical, Mechanical, and Electrical Properties of Polymer Composites Doped by Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes By Gülşen Akın Evingür and Önder Pekcan
Three-dimensional networks can be hydrophilic and/or hygroscopic. Optical, mechanical, and electrical properties of these materials encompass many fields of technology. Composites of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polymeric materials have attracted considerable attention in the research and industrial communities due to their unique optical, mechanical, and electrical properties. CNT polymer nanocomposites possess high stiffness, high strength, and good electrical conductivity at relatively low concentrations of CNT filler. Here, in this chapter, we survey the optical, mechanical, and electrical mechanisms for various polymeric systems. Composite gels and films were prepared with various molar percentages of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The optical, mechanical, and electrical behaviors of various composite gels doped by MWCNT are also discussed in the each sections of the chapter. The optical behaviors of the composites were performed by the UV-Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy in the first part of the chapter. On the other hand, compressive testing technique and rheological measurements were employed to determine the variations of mechanical properties of the composites in the second part of the chapter. Lastly, we review the electrical properties of the composites improved significantly by addition of MWCNTs researches.
Part of the book: Carbon Nanotubes
Functionalization of Nanostructures: Unlocking Optical, Electronic and Biomedical Potential By Bengü Özuğur Uysal and Önder Pekcan
Nanostructures exhibit extraordinary properties, but their full potential is realized only through precise engineering of their surfaces and interfaces. This chapter explores the functionalization of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS, WS, MoSe, etc.), metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO, ZnO, CeO, SiO, AlO, VO, SnO, etc.), and carbon-based nanostructures, including multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene derivatives, to tailor their performance for a broad range of advanced applications. Functionalization strategies, including elemental doping, defect engineering, molecular attachment, surface modification, heterostructure formation, and interface engineering, provide effective routes for controlling optical, electronic, electrochromic, photocatalytic, catalytic, and biological properties. These approaches enable precise tuning of charge transport, light absorption, band structure, catalytic activity, and interfacial interactions, resulting in multifunctional nanomaterials with enhanced stability, efficiency, selectivity, and long-term performance. Particular emphasis is placed on hybrid nanocomposites and hydrogel-based systems, where synergistic interactions among nanomaterials significantly improve mechanical strength, biocompatibility, drug delivery efficiency, antibacterial activity, tissue engineering capability, and regenerative potential. The chapter highlights practical design principles that demonstrate how subtle structural and chemical modifications can be translated into application-specific functionality. Representative examples illustrate recent advances in tunable optical and electronic materials, photocatalytic and electrochromic devices, environmental remediation technologies, energy conversion and storage systems, chemical and biological sensing platforms, and advanced biomedical materials. By integrating recent developments in nanomaterial functionalization with practical engineering strategies, this chapter provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of how rational surface and interface design bridges fundamental nanoscience and real-world technologies, offering valuable guidance for the development of next-generation multifunctional nanomaterials across diverse scientific and industrial fields.
Part of the book: Nanostructures and Functionalization [Working title]
