Chitosan particle/multiwall carbon nanotube composites by electrostatic interactions

Chitosan (CS) particle/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite materials were synthesized by electrostatic interactions between CS particles and functionalized CNTs (fMCNTs). Nano-sized and micron-sized CS particles (positively charged) were synthesized. Negatively charged fMCNTs were prepared by chemical oxidation method. With CS nanoparticles, CS nanoparticles-coated fMCNTs were obtained. In other hands, fMCNTs were coated on CS microspheres. The morphology of CS particle/fMCNT composite materials was observed by a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Especially, the electrorheological (ER) properties of fMCNTs-coated CS microspheres were investigated. These CS particle/CNT composite materials with different size of CS particles could be utilized for potential biomedical applications because of the biocompatibility of CS and the interesting properties of CNTs (such as electric, mechanical and chemical proper-ties). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.