Microscopic morphology of polymer/carbon interfaces

By combining molecular modeling and scanning probe microscopy experiments, we study the supramolecular interactions and organization of different types of macromolecules/carbon interfaces:

• Organic monolayers/graphite interfaces, to reveal the physisorption and self-assembly mechanisms at surface;
• Polymer/carbon nanotubes;
• Polymer/graphene interfaces, for the design of novel materials with improved mechanical or electrical properties. Besides revealing structural aspects, we particularly focus on the development of modeling approaches for a deep understanding of the structure-properties relationships.

Model for a PDMS chain adsorbed on a carbon nanotube (M. Linares et al.)

NanoscaleInvestigation of the Electrical Properties in Semiconductor Polymer-CarbonNanotube Hybrid Materials.

Desbief, N. Hergué, O. Douhéret, M. Surin, P.Dubois, Y. Geerts, R. Lazzaroni, P. Leclère.

Nanoscale 4 (2012) 2705-2712.

Molecular Modeling Study of the Structure andStability of Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Interfaces.

A.Minoia, L. Chen, D. Beljonne, R. Lazzaroni.

Polymer53 (2012) 5480-5490.

Azobenzene-BasedSupramolecular Polymers for Processing MWCNTs”.

L.Maggini, T. Marangoni, B. Georges, J.M. Malicka, K. Yossaf, A. Minoia, R.Lazzaroni, N. Armaroli, D. Bonifazi.

Nanoscale5 (2013) 634-645.

Nanoscale Insight into the ExfoliationMechanism of Graphene with Organic Dyes: Effect of Charge, Dipole, andMolecular Structure.

A.Schlierf, H. Yang, E. Gebremedhn, E. Treossi, L.Ortolani,  L. Chen, A. Minoia, V.Morandi, P. Samori,  C. Casiraghi, D.Beljonne, V. Palermo.

Nanoscale 5 (2013) 4205-4216.