Effects of Different End Functional Groups Hyperbranched Polymers-Modified Carbon Nanotubes on the Crystallization and Mechanical Properties of Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA)

[Image: see text] Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biodegradable polymer with great mechanical properties and good transparency, but its low crystallization rate greatly limits its application. Hyperbranched polyesters (HBPs) modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an ideal nucleating agent to prove the crystallization of PLLA. To compare different terminal group HBPs’ effect on the modification of CNTs and the crystallization of PLLA, through the condensation reaction and amidation reaction, CNTs-H202 and CNTs-N102 were prepared, respectively. The modification was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we observed the changes on the surface of modified CNTs. PLLA/CNT composites were prepared, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the crystallization behavior of the composites. The mechanical properties of PLLA/CNT composites were investigated as well. The results showed that the modified CNTs had a better promotion on PLLA crystallization and mechanical properties than the unmodified CNTs. CNTs-N102 had a slight advantage on the promotion on PLLA crystallization, which was caused by the lower grafting rate of HBP N102, and CNTs-H202 had a better promotion on the mechanical properties of PLLA, which was caused by the better compatibility with PLLA. In conclusion, hydroxy-terminated HBP is a better CNT modified material than amino-terminated HBP.