Even though the superior electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotubes opens up possibilities of novel composite materials, superiority of the nanotubes alone does not guarantee superior composites because the composite properties strongly depend on the strength of the nanotube-matrix interfaces. Existing studies on polymer-nanotube interfaces are indirect and/or qualitative, which motivates this exploratory research to develop a novel experimental setup that will allow, for the first time, simultaneously qualitative and quantitative nanotube pull-out testing in-situ in the Transmission Electron Microscope. The PI will design and fabricate a MEMS device with pico-Newton force and nanometer displacement resolutions. Physical processes of polymer-nanotube interfacial deformation and failure will be identified and quantified to model the interfacial mechanics at the nanoscale without relying on simple scaling down approach. The findings will also advance our understanding of two closely related interface effects, adhesion and friction, in context of the nanotubes.
