Performance evaluation of fructose-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes/biodegradable poly(amide–imide) based on N,N′-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-S-valine bionanocomposite

Abstract

Carboxyl-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with fructose as a biological active molecule in a green method. Then a simple ultrasonication-assisted solution blending process was used to disperse the fructose-functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNTs) into a biodegradable poly(amide–imide) (PAI) efficiently to obtain PAI/f-MWCNT bionanocomposites. The effect of f-MWCNT on thermal and structural properties of PAI was investigated by several techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FESEM and TEM results showed that the f-MWCNT wholly separated and uniformly dispersed in the PAI matrix. TGA results showed that thermal stability of the composites was significantly increased with the addition of f-MWCNT compared with the pure PAI.