Overall Performance Enhancement of Epoxy Resins Loaded with Non-Covalently Modified Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Nanosheets

S/m, respectively. The functionalized graphene nanosheets (G-PY) display significantly greater thermal stability, with degradation temperatures reaching 670 °C, compared to 310 °C for unfunctionalized ones (G). The functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT-PY) show a 10% weight loss at 520 °C due to the degradation of the pyrene groups. Significant improvements in the final properties can be achieved when carbon-based nanofillers are homogeneously dispersed in the matrix and the external load is efficiently transferred through strong filler-polymer interfacial interactions, leading to composites with superior characteristics suitable for advanced applications. Tunneling Atomic Force Microscopy (TUNA) highlights the morphological features of the two types of carbon nanofillers, their dispersion within the polymer matrix and the effect of the functionalization on the electrical pathways and conductivity of the samples at both the micro- and nanometer-scale. The measured electrical conductivities are consistent with the electric currents detected at the micro/nanoscale.