High-Efficiency Flexible Nano-Energetic Composite Films: CuO/Al Nanoparticle-Decorated Carbon Nanotube Architectures

In this work, a flexible and highly efficient nanoenergetic material was successfully fabricated. Bending tests were conducted on carbon nanotube thin films (CNTs) to evaluate the influence of bending on electrical conductivity. After 1,000 to 3,000 bending cycles, the electrical conductivity of the CNTs was maintained above 84%, demonstrating their potential for use in flexible electronic devices. Subsequently, CuO nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and Al nanoparticles (Al NPs) with a size distribution of 100–400 nm are uniformly synthesized on the CNT substrate via a carbon thermal shock (CTS) method. This process is both simple and rapid, resulting in a homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles without elemental aggregation or segregation. After 1,000 to 3,000 bending cycles, the maximum electrical loss of CNTs reached 12.8%, whereas that of CuOAl/CNTs was only 1.38%, demonstrating that the nanocomposite loading significantly enhances the bending resistance of CNTs. Ignition tests were carried out on both CNTs and CuO/Al@CNTs under different current conditions, utilizing CuO NPs and Al NPs as igniters and combustion promoters. The results indicate that the presence of CuO and Al nanoparticles triggers a thermite reaction during the ignition and combustion process. Compared with pristine CNTs, CuO/Al@CNTs exhibited a significantly enhanced heating rate of up to 5.0 × 10⁴ K/s and reached a peak temperature of approximately 2600 K. These findings suggest that CuO/Al@CNTs hold great promise as a flexible and highly efficient nanoenergetic fuel material.