Mussel-tailored carbon fiber/carbon nanotubes interface for elevated interfacial properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites

Based on the Platform effect of polydopamine (PDA), the distribution of metal catalyst on the surface of carbon fiber was investigated in this study. Through PDA-based carbon coating, directional Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are grown on the high strength carbon fiber body without damaging the interface structure and properties of Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) by Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach. The results indicated that the PDA coating endows CNTs with a uniform distribution on the fiber surface, which effectively mitigate the corrosion of the fiber body by the high temperature and metal catalyst during the CVD process, thus augmenting the mechanical properties of the carbon fibers and their composites. The failure mechanism of the composite under stress was clarified by the transverse and longitudinal fracture morphology, which further developed the interface theory of CFRP.