Surface Modification of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes are superior materials over the other materials in the field of nanoscience and material science, due to their potential applications in various fields of science and technology. These materials are used as nanofiller for the preparation of polymer nanocomposites and are useful to enhance their properties exceptionally. However, their problem is associated with their poor solubility in aqueous and organic solvents which restricts their compatibility with polymer matrices, stopping these materials rfom achieving their full potential. To overcome this issue, surface modification of carbon nanomaterials via covalent and noncovalent functionalization with different polymers has previously been studied. This chapter highlights the noncovalent and covalent functionalization of carbon nanomaterials (graphene and CNT) through various types of interactions between polymers and carbon nanomaterials.