Interfacial engineering of 0D–2D hierarchical MXene@PEI@AgNC nanohybrids to achieve flame retardant, mechanical and antibacterial properties of ABS nanocomposites

It is an intractable challenge that the hierarchical MXene-based nanohybrid fillers are intended to modify the inherent flammability and easily breeding bacteria property of ABS polymeric materials, thereby facilitating wide applicability of ABS composites. Here, an interface engineering strategy was proposed, wherein polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified silver nanocubes (AgNCs) was firmly assembled on MXenes via electrostatic interaction to construct 0D–2D hierarchical MXene-based nanohybrids (MXene@PEI@AgNC). The MXene was protected and the interface compatibility between MXene-based nanohybrid and ABS matrix was enhanced. Results revealed that the unique hierarchical structure of the composite promoted enhanced dispersion of MXene@PEI@AgNC in the ABS matrix. Combustion tests showed that 1.0 wt%MXene@PEI@AgNC provided the ABS with effective fire safety. Moreover, ABS-1.0 wt%MXene@PEI@AgNC exhibited a 31.88 % decrease in peak heat release rate, a 39.60 % decrease in peak smoke release rate, a 41.50 % decrease in peak CO 2 production rate, and a 50.04 % reduction in the smoke factor. Meanwhile, 1.0 wt%MXene@PEI@AgNC improved the tensile strength of ABS-1.0 %MXene@PEI@AgNC (+18.1 %) without reducing the elongation at break. They also enhanced the antibacterial properties of ABS-1.0 %MXene@PEI@AgNC. This study proposed a novel and feasible approach to address the interfacial stability of MXene and to construct MXene-based hierarchical nanoblends, thereby facilitating the wide practical applications of polymeric nanomaterials in industry.