A three‐dimensional carbon nanotube–nanofiber composite foam for selective adsorption of oils and organic liquids

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted tremendous research interest area as promising sorbent material due to the large surface area for adsorption, excellent mechanical and chemical properties. To practically employ CNTs as a potential commercial sorbent, it is essential to form loosely packed architecture of CNTs in 3D space. In recent years, a series of CNTs‐based composites have been fabricated. However, these composites showed a highly compact structure and/or junctions with uneven/excessive CNTs deposition, which significantly limit their performance as sorbents. Herein, we report the direct fabrication of three‐dimensional flower‐like CNTs‐nanofibers foams (3D CNTs‐NFs) by freeze‐drying aqueous solutions of electrospun poly‐acetonitrile (PAN) nanofibers and CNTs. As a result, fully expanded multiple layered CNTs nanosheets with sufficient large surface area could be successfully integrated within the 3D nano‐fibrous architecture. The 3D CNFs‐NFs showed excellent mechanical properties and adsorption capacities, which permit this kind of CNTs composite foam could be used in selective adsorption processes and environmental applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E271–E277, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers