Highly curable epoxy/MWCNTs nanocomposites: An effective approach to functionalization of carbon nanotubes Mohammad Reza Saeb a,b,⇑ , Farhood Najafi a , Ehsan Bakhshandeh a , Hossein Ali Khonakdar b , Mehdi Mostafaiyan b,c , Frank Simon b , Christina Scheffler b , Edith Mäder b a Department of Resin and Additives, Institute for Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran, Iran b Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany c Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany highlights  Proposed here is an effective route for amine functionalization of MWCNTs.  Evaluated elemental surface characteristics of MWCNTs with ANHANH 2 reactive groups.  Raman and XPS evidenced wall defects and intensive nitrogen peak after treatment.  Developed epoxy/anhydride/amino- MWCNTs nanocomposites very potent to cure.  The heat of cure of epoxy/amino- MWCNTs was even higher than the unfilled system. graphical abstract article info Article history: Received 15 April 2014 Received in revised form 27 July 2014 Accepted 28 July 2014 Available online 7 August 2014 Keywords: Carbon nanotubes Epoxy Amine functionalization Elemental surface analysis Cure kinetics abstract This investigation suggests an effective route to functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by which epoxy nanocomposites with very high potential to cure are successfully prepared. The proposed modification ends in covalent attachment of primary (ANH 2 ) and secondary (ANH) functional groups onto MWCNTs capable of facilitating cure mechanism. The modification process has been carried out via free radical polymerization of maleic anhydride derivative by which ANH and ANH 2 reactive groups were introduced onto the surface of MWCNTs. Raman spectroscopy (RS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to appropriately study surface characteristics of modified MWCNTs. The degree of disorderness and elemental composition onto the MWCNTs were quantitatively determined utilizing RS and XPS by tracking peak areas and sensitivity factors reflecting changes in binding energy, height, and width of corresponding peaks of pristine and functionalized MWCNTs. The cure characteristics of epoxy nanocomposites containing unmodified and amino function- alized MWCNTs were ultimately examined by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry to visualize the potential of the developed epoxy nanocomposites to cure. Ó 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2014.07.116 1385-8947/Ó 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Department of Resin and Additives, Institute for Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran, Iran. Tel.: +98 21 22956209. E-mail address: saeb-mr@icrc.ac.ir (M.R. Saeb). Chemical Engineering Journal 259 (2015) 117–125 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Chemical Engineering Journal journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/cej