Curvature-Dependent Polarity of Interfacial Energy Flow in Functionalized CNT Polymer Nanocomposites: A Reactive Molecular Dynamics Perspective

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Hauptverfasser: Hasan, Mehedi, Islam, Khayrul, Kio, Michael T., Masud, AKM
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Hasan, Mehedi
Islam, Khayrul
Kio, Michael T.
Masud, AKM
author_facet Hasan, Mehedi
Islam, Khayrul
Kio, Michael T.
Masud, AKM
contents Carbon nanotube (CNT)-polymer composites are widely engineered using surface coatings and chemical treatments to improve interfacial bonding and load transfer. It has been suggested in the nanocomposite literature that nanotube curvature, in conjunction with surface functionalization such as polydopamine (PDA) coating, could serve as an additional control knob for tuning interfacial bonding and energy dissipation in polymer-CNT systems. While experimental and simulation studies have demonstrated the benefits of PDA functionalization, the fundamental mechanism by which nanotube curvature modulates interfacial energy flow and mechanical polarity remains unresolved. This gap is sharpened by a persistent paradox: identical PDA functionalization strengthens some CNT-polymer systems while weakening others, a curvature-dependent inconsistency that has remained unexplained. Here, we employ reactive molecular dynamics (ReaxFF) simulations to resolve how curvature and PDA functionalization jointly govern interfacial energy evolution in CNT-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposites. Our investigation reveals that curvature and PDA functionalization jointly produce opposite regimes of interfacial energy flow: high-curvature CNTs generate dissipative, frictional interphases, whereas low-curvature CNTs confine energy in rigid, cohesive shells. This polarity inversion originates from a curvature-induced transition in PDA adsorption geometry that transforms the interphase from an energy-releasing to an energy-storing configuration. These results establish curvature as a fundamental design parameter for engineering polymer-nanotube interfaces, offering a predictive route to tune interfacial energy flow, mechanical resilience, and transport properties beyond the limits of conventional chemical functionalization.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_18560
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Curvature-Dependent Polarity of Interfacial Energy Flow in Functionalized CNT Polymer Nanocomposites: A Reactive Molecular Dynamics Perspective
Hasan, Mehedi
Islam, Khayrul
Kio, Michael T.
Masud, AKM
Atomic and Molecular Clusters
Materials Science
Computational Physics
Carbon nanotube (CNT)-polymer composites are widely engineered using surface coatings and chemical treatments to improve interfacial bonding and load transfer. It has been suggested in the nanocomposite literature that nanotube curvature, in conjunction with surface functionalization such as polydopamine (PDA) coating, could serve as an additional control knob for tuning interfacial bonding and energy dissipation in polymer-CNT systems. While experimental and simulation studies have demonstrated the benefits of PDA functionalization, the fundamental mechanism by which nanotube curvature modulates interfacial energy flow and mechanical polarity remains unresolved. This gap is sharpened by a persistent paradox: identical PDA functionalization strengthens some CNT-polymer systems while weakening others, a curvature-dependent inconsistency that has remained unexplained. Here, we employ reactive molecular dynamics (ReaxFF) simulations to resolve how curvature and PDA functionalization jointly govern interfacial energy evolution in CNT-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposites. Our investigation reveals that curvature and PDA functionalization jointly produce opposite regimes of interfacial energy flow: high-curvature CNTs generate dissipative, frictional interphases, whereas low-curvature CNTs confine energy in rigid, cohesive shells. This polarity inversion originates from a curvature-induced transition in PDA adsorption geometry that transforms the interphase from an energy-releasing to an energy-storing configuration. These results establish curvature as a fundamental design parameter for engineering polymer-nanotube interfaces, offering a predictive route to tune interfacial energy flow, mechanical resilience, and transport properties beyond the limits of conventional chemical functionalization.
title Curvature-Dependent Polarity of Interfacial Energy Flow in Functionalized CNT Polymer Nanocomposites: A Reactive Molecular Dynamics Perspective
topic Atomic and Molecular Clusters
Materials Science
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18560