# US 7,744,844 B2 · Functionalized carbon nanotube-polymer composites and interactions with radiation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,844 B2 - Document ID: US7744844B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/163,752 - Filed: 2008-06-27 - Published: 2009-04-16 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2002-11-27 - Assignees: William Marsh Rice University - Inventors: Enrique V. Barrera; Richard Wilkins; Meisha Shofner; Merlyn X. Pulikkathara; Ranjii Vaidyanathan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744844B2 ## CPC - C01B 32/15: Nano-sized carbon materials - B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - C01B 32/174: Derivatisation; Solubilisation; Dispersion in solvents - G01T 1/02: Dosimeters (G01T1/15 takes precedence) - G01T 1/16: Measuring radiation intensity (G01T1/29 takes precedence {; self-powered detectors G01T3/006; using an ionisation chamber filled with a liquid or solid, e.g. frozen liquid, dielectric G01T3/008}) - H10K 85/221: {Carbon nanotubes} - C01B 2202/02: Single-walled nanotubes - H10K 85/225: {comprising substituents} - Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells - Y10S 977/842: for carbon nanotubes or fullerenes - Y10S 977/901: having step or means utilizing electromagnetic property, e.g. optical, x-ray, electron beamm - Y10T 428/26: Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The present invention involves the interaction of radiation with functionalized carbon nanotubes that have been incorporated into various host materials, particularly polymeric ones. The present invention is directed to chemistries, methods, and apparatuses which exploit this type of radiation interaction, and to the materials which result from such interactions. The present invention is also directed toward the time dependent behavior of functionalized carbon nanotubes in such composite systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising the steps of: a) dispersing functionalized carbon nanotubes in a solvent to form a dispersion of functionalized carbon nanotubes; b) incorporating the dispersion of functionalized carbon nanotubes into a polymer host matrix to form a functionalized carbon nanotube-polymer composite; and c) modifying the functionalized carbon nanotube-polymer composite with a radiation selected from the group consisting of protons, neutrons, alpha particles, heavy ions, cosmic radiation, solar wind, and combinations thereof; and wherein the modifying comprises effecting a modification of the functionalized carbon nanotubes in situ within the polymer host matrix; wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of crosslinking, curing, vulcanization, hardening, bonding, oxidation, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes are fluorinated carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, N,N-dimethylformamide, benzene, toluene, xylene, dichlorobenzene, chloroform, dichloromethane, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of incorporating comprises an incipient wetting of a polymer material; wherein the polymer material has a form selected from the group consisting of particles, fibers, and combinations thereof; and wherein the step of incorporating is followed by steps comprising solvent removal and blending. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of incorporating comprises mixing the dispersion with polymeric precursors and polymerizing in situ. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes comprise about 0.001 weight percent to about 99 weight percent of the functionalized carbon nanotube-polymer composite. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes comprise about 0.2 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of the functionalized carbon nanotube-polymer composite. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is proton radiation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises crosslinking. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the crosslinking comprises crosslinking the functionalized carbon nanotubes with each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the crosslinking comprises crosslinking the functionalized carbon nanotubes with the polymer host matrix. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises curing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises vulcanization. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises hardening. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the hardening comprises surface hardening. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises bonding. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises oxidation.