Probing Interfacial Interactions in Ternary Nanocomposites of Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanoplatelets, Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes, and Poly(vinyl alcohol) toward Synergistic Reinforcement

The fabrication of ternary nanocomposites has been proven to be a successful method to achieve synergistic reinforcement resulting from the combination of nanofillers within a polymer matrix. In this study, Ti3C2Tx MXene nanoplatelets and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) were combined to prepare ternary poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites. The Ti3C2Tx MXene/f-CNT hybrids were cross-linked through hydrogen bonds, which promoted homogeneous dispersion of the nanofillers and enabled strong interfacial interactions between the nanofillers and the PVA matrix. Compared to pure PVA, Young’s modulus and the tensile strength of the nanocomposites with only 1.2 wt % of MXene/f-CNT hybrids were improved by about 52% and 48%, respectively. The ternary nanocomposites display synergistic effects as revealed by micromechanics and stress-induced Raman band shifts. The in situ Raman deformation studies allowed the observation of more effective stress transfer in the nanocomposites due to hydrogen bonds between the hybrids and the matrix that ultimately prevented the formation of aggregates.