Enhanced mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of carbon-nanotube/TiC hybrid fibers

We report the synthesis of carbon nanotube/TiC hybrid fibers using a polymer-assisted chemical solution approach. Ti metal ions are bound to aqueous polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form precursor solution. Amphiphilic PEI with Ti easily permeates the CNT fibers. Upon annealing in a controlled atmosphere, a homogeneous TiC network is formed in the CNT fibers. The obtained CNT/TiC hybrid fibers show prominent enhancement in mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. The tensile strength and conductivity of CNT/TiC fibers can be improved to 0.67 GPa and 1650 S cm(-1) at room temperature, respectively. More importantly, a tensile modulus as high as 420 GPa has been achieved for the CNT/TiC fibers. Analysis shows that the cross-linking matrix of hard TiC plays a significant role in the improvement of mechanical strength. Furthermore, the electrons are transported in the CNT/TiC fiber by a three dimensional hopping mechanism.