DMREF: Mechanics of Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanotube Aerogels with Tunable Junctions

DMREF：具有可调谐连接的三维碳纳米管气凝胶的力学

• 批准号: 1335417
• 负责人: Elizabeth Holm
• 金额: $ 71.97万
• 依托单位: Carnegie-Mellon University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1335417&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DMREF; Mechanics; Three; Dimensional; Carbon

This Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) grant provides funding for the development of a systematic and comprehensive understanding of how the mechanical properties of three-dimensional carbon nanotube aerogels depend on pore geometry, pore size distribution, and the characteristics of the junctions between nanotubes to improve the performance and to predict an optimal design of nanotube based porous structures. The mechanical properties of the nanotube aerogels can be readily manipulated via modification of the junctions or ?nodes? between the nanotubes. For example, coating the nodes with graphene layers transforms these aerogels into superelastic and fatigue resistant materials. Further, the nanotube aerogel is a strong example of a nearly ideal rigid rod network, and lends itself for comparison with simulations of an ideal percolating network of rigid rods. The project will begin with the development of three-dimensional mechanical models for nanotube aerogels that include realistic network structures as well as nanotube and junction properties that approximate experimental system. The mechanical properties of the aerogels, including modulus and hysteresis, as a function of network and junction parameters will then be measured. By varying the junction properties, the range of available nanotube aerogel properties will be surveyed in order to provide insight and guidance on desirable (and unfavorable) junction characteristics. The guidance from simulations will then be translated to fabricate three-dimensional nanotube networks with diverse junctions that are coated with graphene, covalently crosslinked, and fused with continuous hybridized bonds.If successful, the results of this research will not only facilitate the development of a deep understanding of the behavior of highly porous networks, but also have significant practical applications. Conducting and porous materials with high surface area and mechanical integrity are actively sought for energy applications as an improved electrode material in batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors. The ability to predict, design, and synthesize these structures with computation coupled with experiment will advance the pace at which electrode materials can be designed, and will serve as a model for advancing other porous materials.

“设计材料以革新和工程我们的未来”（DMREF）资助项目为研究三维碳纳米管气凝胶的力学性能如何依赖于孔隙几何形状、孔径分布和纳米管之间的连接特征提供了系统和全面的理解，以提高性能并预测基于纳米管的多孔结构的最佳设计。纳米管气凝胶的力学性能可以很容易地通过修改结或节点来操纵。在纳米管之间。例如，在节点上涂上石墨烯层可以将这些气凝胶转化为超弹性和抗疲劳材料。此外，纳米管气凝胶是近乎理想的刚性棒网络的一个强有力的例子，并使其与理想的刚性棒渗透网络的模拟进行比较。该项目将从开发纳米管气凝胶的三维力学模型开始，包括现实的网络结构以及纳米管和近似实验系统的结性质。然后测量气凝胶的力学性能，包括模量和迟滞，作为网络和结参数的函数。通过改变结的性质，可以对纳米管气凝胶性质的范围进行调查，以便对理想的（和不利的）结特性提供见解和指导。然后，模拟的指导将被转化为制造具有不同结的三维纳米管网络，这些结涂有石墨烯，共价交联，并与连续的杂化键融合。如果成功，本研究的结果不仅将促进对高多孔网络行为的深入理解，而且具有重要的实际应用价值。导电性和多孔性材料具有高表面积和机械完整性，作为电池、燃料电池和超级电容器的改进电极材料，正在积极寻求能源应用。通过计算与实验相结合来预测、设计和合成这些结构的能力将加快电极材料设计的步伐，并将作为推进其他多孔材料的模型。