Morphology and thermal properties of environmental friendly nanocomposites using biodegradable poly(amide–imide) based on N-trimellitylimido-S-valine matrix reinforced by fructose-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Herein, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized by fructose as a biological molecule based on a one-pot, rapid, and green methodology. Fructose-functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNT)s were characterized by a set of methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis. Then, an optically active poly(amide–imide) (PAI) based on S-valine as a biodegradable segment was synthesized, as a matrix, to prepare PAI/f-MWCNT bionanocomposites (BNC)s. The morphological characterization based on FE-SEM and TEM has confirmed that f-MWCNTs were distributed uniformly, indicating a good dispersion of nanotubes in the PAI matrix. Also, the thermal stability of the BNCs containing the f-MWCNT was improved due to the increased interfacial interaction between the PAI chains and f-MWCNT and also good dispersion of f-MWCNT in the polymer matrix.