Dispersants for carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube compositions comprising modified maleated natural oils, salts containing lactam moieties

Abstract

A dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising the reaction product of: (A) a maleated natural oil, including a natural oil having maleated functionality; and (B) at least one lactam having at least one hydroxyl functionality. Further, the present application provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising the reaction product of: (A) a maleated natural oil, including a natural oil having maleated functionality; (B) at least one lactam having at least one hydroxyl functionality; and (C) a base. Further, the present application provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising the reaction product of: (A) a maleated natural oil, including a natural oil having maleated functionality; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiol, or amine functionality; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobic moiety, a hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleated functionality has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (D) an optional base. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising the reaction product of a modified natural oil having a lactam moiety is used in lithium ion or sodium ion batteries.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) at least one lactam having at least one hydroxyl functional group. Furthermore, this application also provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; and (C) a base. Furthermore, this application also provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising a reaction product of the following substances: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (D) an optional base. Background Technology

[0002] Modified natural oils can be incorporated into a wide variety of composition formulations. These compositions include, but are not limited to: personal care products (such as hair care products, sunscreens, skin care products, and oral care products), adhesives, coatings, varnishes, electronics, compositions for household, industrial, and public (HI&I) use, inks, films, metalworking fluids, oilfield chemicals, plastics and plasticizers, textiles, industrial products, biocides, pharmaceuticals / nutritional products, and agrochemical compositions.

[0003] Natural oils are used to synthesize renewable compounds such as polymers, plastics, and plasticizers, which are used in a variety of agricultural compositions. A challenge in using natural oils lies in their nature as blends of triglycerides containing varying degrees of unsaturated groups, which are relatively inert. To make these natural oils reactive, these unsaturated groups typically require chemical modification to make them reactive. For example, these unsaturated groups can react to form epoxy or succinic anhydride functional groups. Despite these chemical modifications, maleated natural oils still exhibit limiting properties, such as insolubility or non-dispersibility in water and alcohols. Therefore, there is a need for modified maleated natural oils that do not exhibit these limiting properties.

[0004] US Patent 9,809,538,B2 describes a modified natural compound synthesized from epoxidized natural fatty acids, maleated natural fatty acids, epoxidized natural oils, or maleated natural oils with a lactam compound having at least one hydroxyl group, wherein the modified natural compound is used in applications such as adhesives or beverage compositions.

[0005] For a discussion of reaction schemes for the maleation reaction in vegetable oils, see the article “Maleated soybean oil and its multifunctional properties” by Gripp, Anna A., Steinberg, and David C, published in Cosmetics Exhibition & Conference Proceedings, Barcelona, ​​Mar. 22-24, 1994.

[0006] For a discussion of reaction schemes for the maleation reaction in vegetable oils, see the article “Microwave Assisted Syntheses of Vegetable Oil Based Monomer” by Rafael T. Alarcon et al., published in Journal of Polymers and the Environment 28:1265-1278, 2020.

[0007] For a discussion of the general reactions between maleic anhydride and unsaturated vegetable oils, see Chapter 3, page 166 of Osama M. Musa’s Handbook of MaleicAnhydride Based Materials: Syntheses, Properties and Applications, published by Springer International Publishing Switzerland in 2016.

[0008] US Patent 2,754,306A describes the reaction of soybean oil, maleic anhydride, and isooctyl alcohol to obtain a modified plasticizer for use in nitrocellulose compositions.

[0009] PCT application 2019113068A1 describes a technology related to metal processing liquids containing maleated soybean oil derivatives.

[0010] For a discussion on maleic anhydride polymerization and plant oils modified with polyols, see the article “Polymerization of Maleic Anhydride–Modified Plant Oils with Polyols” by Tarik Eren, Selim H. Kusefoglu, and Richard Wool, published in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Barcelona, ​​Volume 90, Issue 1, Pages 197-202, 2003.

[0011] European Patent 2754306A describes an adhesive containing condensation polymers and dienophilic modified fatty acids as crosslinking agents.

[0012] PCT application 2005071050A1 describes a metalworking fluid containing an oil-in-water emulsion derived from the reaction product of maleic anhydride and triglyceride oil derived from plants or terrestrial animals, and the reaction product is further reacted with water, Group IA and Group IIA metals, ammonium hydroxide, various amines, alkanolamines, polyols, alkoxylated alkanolamines, poly(alkylene oxides), polyamines, or mixtures thereof.

[0013] US Patent 5,733,970 A discloses a water-dispersible epoxy crosslinked maleic oil (maleic glycerol ester oil) microgel polymer for use in protective coatings.

[0014] US Patent 9065132 B1 discloses a lithium-ion battery using discrete carbon nanotubes, its preparation method, and the product obtained therefrom.

[0015] US Patent 8540902 A1 discloses a carbon nanotube-based paste and its preparation and use methods.

[0016] US Patent 8269021 B2 discloses an aromatic imide-based dispersant for carbon nanofibers and a carbon nanotube composition comprising the same.

[0017] US patents 6,280,697, 6,422,450, and 6,514,395 disclose lithium-ion carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for providing high-energy, non-metallic anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

[0018] While natural fatty acids, natural oils, and their maleated counterparts possess renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and beneficial properties, their characteristics can limit their applications. For example, maleated soybean oil is insoluble and non-dispersible in water or alcohols. As a result, these oils may tend to leach from the formulation or undergo phase separation. This characteristic makes formulation more difficult and often requires additional ingredients to facilitate the formation of solutions, emulsions, or dispersions. Natural oils and maleated natural oils may not impart the properties desired for end applications, such as solubility, glass transition, flexibility, gloss, and / or plasticizing effects. Therefore, their properties (including but not limited to stability, resistance to phase separation, absorbency, cleanliness, solubility, staining potential, lubricity, film-forming properties, spreading uniformity, acne-causing tendency, and removability) may be lower than expected. Finally, although such natural oils are important renewable materials, they are not always the formulator's first choice and, in fact, are often not considered at all.

[0019] Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted considerable attention as potential electrode materials due to their high aspect ratio (LD), high specific surface area (SSA), and low volume resistivity. When used to prepare conductive films, organic solar cells, or electrode materials, CNTs need to be dispersed in a matrix such as a solution or binder. Numerous attempts have been made to develop novel dispersants or methods for uniformly dispersing CNTs in solvents or binders.

[0020] This invention includes a novel dispersant for carbon nanotubes, including multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), thin-walled (single-walled + double-walled) CNTs, few-walled CNTs (FWCNTs), and single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs), which are used as conductive additives in lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. CNT suspensions are novel high-efficiency conductive agents for lithium-ion batteries, capable of replacing traditional conductive agents (such as carbon black, acetylene black, carbon nanotubes, graphene nanotubes, graphene sheets, graphite, and carbon fibers). It possesses excellent properties such as a high LD ratio, significant SSA value, and low volume resistivity. It can be used in various electrode materials, such as cathodes: LFP, LMFP, LCO, LMN, NCM, and anodes: graphite, LTO, and silicon-based materials. Summary of the Invention

[0021] This application provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group, wherein the lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group has the following structure: Wherein: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized alkylene groups (having linear, branched, or cyclic structures), aryl groups, and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

[0022] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) having the following structure: .

[0023] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, having the following structure: .

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleated soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleated functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP), wherein the reaction product is maleated soybean oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP), and the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from: as well as .

[0025] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleized functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the reaction product is maleized soybean oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidones, and the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from the following: as well as ; Among them, R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen atoms and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, and aryl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

[0026] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group, wherein the lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group has the following structure: Wherein: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized alkylene groups (having linear, branched, or cyclic structures), aryl groups, and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and (C) a base.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; and (C) a base.

[0028] Another aspect of the invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleated soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleated functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; and (C) a base selected from sodium oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and bicarbonates. Specifically, the reaction product is a sodium salt of maleated soybean oil substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone groups, and the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from: as well as .

[0029] Another aspect of the invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) a maleic natural oil, including natural oils having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moieties, hydrophilic moieties, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (D) an optional base.

[0030] Another aspect of the invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleized functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleized functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (D) a base, wherein the reaction product comprises a compound having the following structure:

[0031] Where R 7 A hydrophilic or hydrophobic moiety selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl moieties containing about 1 to about 36 carbon atoms; and Each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Co, ½Cu, ½Zn, ammonium, alkylammonium, dialkylammonium, trialkylammonium, and tetraalkylammonium; and the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from the following: as well as ; Where R 7 It is ethyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, 2-ethyl-1-hexyl, 2-butyl-1-octyl, 2-hexyl-1-decyl, 2-octyl-1-dodecyl or a mixture thereof; and wherein R 8 R 9 and R 10 Each independently is: hydrogen, methyl, or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or aralkyl group containing 2 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally containing heteroatoms.

[0032] Another aspect of the invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional groups have partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portions; and (D) a base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer comprising the following structure:

[0033] Where n is greater than 1; Where R 11 A hydrophilic or hydrophobic moiety selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkylene, cycloalkylene, and aryl moieties containing about 2 to about 60 carbon atoms; and Each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Co, ½Cu, ½Zn, ammonium, alkylammonium, dialkylammonium, trialkylammonium, and tetraalkylammonium; and the reaction product is a polymer comprising one or more structures selected from the following: , , as well as ; Where 1 < n < 30; where R 8 R9 and R 10 Each independently comprises: hydrogen, methyl, or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or aralkyl group containing 2 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally containing heteroatoms; and wherein R 11 Choose freely -CH2CH2CH2-, , A group consisting of its mixtures.

[0034] Another aspect of the invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) a dispersant comprising about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a reaction product of: (a) a maleic natural oil, including natural oils having maleic functional groups; and (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0035] Another aspect of the invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) a dispersant comprising about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) a maleic natural oil, including natural oils having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; and (c) a base; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0036] Another aspect of the invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) optionally a base; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0037] Another aspect of the invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) optionally a base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0038] In another aspect, this application provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0039] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) a dispersant comprising about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; and (c) a base; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0040] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) a dispersant comprising about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) a maleic natural oil, including natural oils having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moieties, hydrophilic moieties, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) an optional base; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0041] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) optionally a base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0042] Another aspect of the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions used in lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. Detailed Implementation

[0043] This application provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) a lactam having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group. Furthermore, this application also provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; and (C) a base. Furthermore, this application also provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions comprising a reaction product of the following substances: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (D) an optional base.

[0044] The dispersant of this application for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions is used as a conductive agent in electrode formulations for lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries in the form of suspension or slurry.

[0045] Natural oils are abundant, inexpensive, and derived from sustainable sources. They are used in the synthesis of renewable compounds such as polymers, plastics, and plasticizers, which are used in a variety of compositions. A challenge in using natural oils lies in their nature as blends of triglycerides containing varying degrees of unsaturated groups, which are relatively inert. To make these natural oils reactive, chemical modification is typically required to activate these unsaturated groups. For example, these unsaturated groups can react with maleate esters (salts) to generate epoxy and succinic anhydride functional groups. Despite these chemical modifications, maleated natural oils still exhibit limiting properties, such as insolubility or non-dispersibility in water and alcohols. Therefore, there is a need for modified maleated natural oils that do not exhibit these limiting properties.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined herein, technical terms associated with the disclosed and / or claimed inventive concepts shall have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, unless the context requires otherwise, singular terms shall include plural forms, and plural terms shall include singular forms.

[0047] The singular forms of the indefinite articles ("a", "an") and the definite articles ("the") include the plural forms unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise or the guiding context explicitly implies the opposite. The terms "comprising, comprise of" include more restrictive references such as "consistently made up of" and "comprises of".

[0048] For the purposes of the following detailed description (except in any operational embodiment or where otherwise stated), numerical values ​​indicating, for example, the amounts of components in this specification and claims should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases. The numerical parameters listed in this specification and the appended claims are approximate values ​​and may vary depending on the characteristics desired in practicing the invention.

[0049] Unless otherwise stated, all percentages, parts, proportions and ratios used herein are by weight of the total composition. Unless otherwise stated, all such weights relating to the listed components are based on activity levels and therefore do not include solvents or byproducts that may be present in commercially available materials.

[0050] All publications, articles, papers, patents, patent publications and other references cited in this article are incorporated in their entirety for all purposes to the extent consistent with the content disclosed herein.

[0051] As used herein, the term "at least one / type" will be understood to include one / type as well as any quantity of more than one / type, including but not limited to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, etc. The term "at least one / type" may be extended to up to 100 or 1000 or more, depending on the terms attached to it.

[0052] The term "branched and unbranched alkyl groups" refers to the fact that alkyl groups can be straight-chain or branched. Branched alkyl groups include isopropyl, tert-butyl, etc.

[0053] As used herein, the terms “comprising” (and any of its forms, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any of its forms, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any of its forms, such as “includes” and “include”), or “containing” (and any of its forms, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional unlisted elements or method steps.

[0054] The term "each group selected independently" means that when a group appears more than once in the structure, the group can be selected independently each time it appears.

[0055] The term "polymer" refers to a compound comprising repeating structural units (monomers) linked by covalent chemical bonds. Polymers can be further derivatized, crosslinked, grafted, or end-capped. Non-limiting examples of polymers include copolymers, terpolymers, tetrpolymers, quaternary copolymers, and homologues. The term "copolymer" refers to a polymer consisting essentially of two or more monomers of different types, polymerized to obtain the copolymer.

[0056] The term "reaction product" refers to a substance produced by a chemical reaction of one or more reactants.

[0057] The term "natural oil" refers to compounds containing triglycerides, and may contain varying levels of fatty acids, monoglycerides, and diglycerides, wherein the triglycerides are derived from oils of plant or animal origin. Natural oils also contain fatty acid glycerides, which are synthesized by reacting glycerol with 1, 2, or 3 molar equivalents of fatty acids or mixtures of fatty acids. These compounds may be monoglycerides, diglycerides, or triglycerides of a single fatty acid or a mixture of fatty acids.

[0058] As used herein, the term "maleified natural oil" refers to a natural oil containing at least one or more maleic functional groups. Since the carbon-carbon double bond of maleic anhydride becomes saturated when it is attached to an unsaturated fatty acid chain, the "maleic functional group" can still be considered as the succinyl anhydride moiety attached to one or more fatty acid chains in the natural oil, regardless of whether the "maleification" reaction is achieved through an alkene reaction, a Diels-Alder reaction, or a radical addition to the double bond of maleic anhydride.

[0059] In this specification, the terms "moiety" or "moieties" refer to a part of a molecule or a functional group.

[0060] The term "maleic functional group" refers to the portion formed by attaching maleic anhydride to an unsaturated fatty acyl chain present in natural oils via an olefin reaction. "Maleic functional groups" include, but are not limited to, cyclic anhydride forms (I), diacid forms (II), disodium dicarboxylate forms (III), other dicarboxylate forms, and half-ester forms (IV). Because the carbon-carbon double bond of maleic anhydride transforms into a saturated carbon-carbon single bond during the olefin reaction, the "maleic functional groups" drawn in I, II, III, and IV can also be referred to by those skilled in the art as succinic anhydride, succinic acid, succinate, or succinic acid half-ester functional groups.

[0061]

[0062] As used herein, the term "base" refers to any substance capable of changing the pH of a solution from neutral pH 7.0 to alkaline pH (i.e., 7.1 to 14). Generally, a base is a large class of compounds that possess one or more of the following properties: bitterness, a slippery feel in solution, the ability to turn litmus blue and give other indicators their characteristic color, and the ability to react (neutralize) acids to form salts (including organic or inorganic bases and mixtures thereof).

[0063] As used herein, the term "organic base" includes ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, pyridine, imidazoles, benzimidazoles, histidines, guanidines, and mixtures thereof.

[0064] As used herein, the term "inorganic base" includes oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and bicarbonates of alkali and alkaline earth metals, as well as oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and bicarbonates of transition metals, and combinations thereof.

[0065] The term "alkali metal alkali" includes oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, or bicarbonates of sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr).

[0066] The term "alkaline earth metal alkalis" includes oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, or bicarbonates of beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).

[0067] The term "transition metal alkali" includes oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, or bicarbonates of scandium (Sc), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), technetium (Tc), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), mercury (Hg), α (Rf), β (Db), β (Sg), β (Bh), β (Hs), β (Mt), β (Ds), and β (Rg).

[0068] The term "dispersant" refers to an agent that assists in the dispersion and stabilization of carbon nanotubes in a composite; the composite can be a suspension, paste, or other mixture containing nanotubes and one or more other materials; the suspension is also a mixture containing nanotubes and one or more other materials (usually a dispersant and a liquid carrier).

[0069] As used herein, the term "battery" includes a single electrochemical cell or unicell and / or one or more electrochemical cells connected in series and / or parallel as known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the term "battery" includes, but is not limited to, rechargeable battery packs and / or secondary battery packs and / or electrochemical cells.

[0070] The term "battery pack" as used herein may include: a positive electrode (cathode) and a negative electrode (anode), both of which contain carbon nanotube (CNT) material capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium in an electrochemical system, wherein lithium metal powder is dispersed in the CNTs of the anode or cathode; a separator separating the cathode and anode; and an electrolyte in communication with the cathode and anode.

[0071] The term “lithium-ion battery pack” is used interchangeably with “Li-ion battery pack” and “lithium polymer battery pack” in this article.

[0072] As used in this article, "cathode active material" refers to the electrochemically active material in the cathode, such as a transition metal oxide that inserts / deintercalates lithium or sodium ions during the charging and discharging of the battery pack. Depending on the state of the battery pack (i.e., charging or discharging), the cathode active material contains more or less lithium ions.

[0073] The term "anode active material" as used in this article refers to the electrochemically active material in the anode, such as carbon that inserts / deintercalates lithium or sodium ions during the charging and discharging of the battery pack.

[0074] The term “carbon nanotube” (CNT) used in this article refers to hollow carbon structures with a diameter of approximately 4 nm to 100 nm.

[0075] The term "carbon nanotube" (CNT) as used herein can refer to any suitable type of carbon nanotube. For example, carbon nanotubes can be single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, few-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, bundled carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof. Carbon nanotubes with high electrical conductivity may be particularly suitable.

[0076] The term "binder" as used herein refers to the bonding between the current collector and the electrode layer. The binder may be polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer, styrene-butadiene rubber, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), or mixtures thereof. The electrode may contain 0.01% to 10% by weight of the binder.

[0077] The term "carbon nanotube slurry or paste" refers to a conductive composite in which conductive fillers are combined with carbon nanotubes.

[0078] The term "functionalization" with respect to any part refers to the presence of one or more functional groups in that part. Multiple functional groups can be introduced into a part through one or more functionalization reactions known to those skilled in the art. Non-limiting examples of functionalization reactions include: alkylation, epoxidation, sulfonation, hydrolysis, amidation, esterification, hydroxylation, dihydroxylation, amination, ammonolysis, acylation, nitration, oxidation, dehydration, elimination, hydration, dehydrogenation, hydrogenation, acetalization, halogenation, dehalogenation, Michael addition, aldol condensation, Cannizzaro reaction, Mannich reaction, Clasien condensation, Suzuki coupling, etc. In one non-limiting embodiment, the term "functionalization" with respect to any part refers to the presence of one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl, halogen, alkoxy, amino, imino, and combinations thereof in that part.

[0079] As used in this article, the term "hydrophilic" refers to a compound having an affinity for water, while "hydrophobic" refers to a compound not having an affinity for water.

[0080] These terms are relative, where the hydrophilic portion has a higher affinity for water than the hydrophobic portion, but the hydrophilic portion may be completely soluble in water or incompletely soluble in water.

[0081] Similarly, the hydrophobic portion has a lower affinity for water than the hydrophilic portion, but the hydrophobic portion is not necessarily water-repellent. The hydrophilic portion has an affinity for water and other polar solvents, while the hydrophobic portion tends to have an affinity for oils, fats, and other non-polar solvents.

[0082] The term "hydrocarbon group" includes straight-chain and branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, and combinations thereof, optionally having heteroatoms. The hydrocarbon group can be monovalent, divalent, or polyvalent, and its carbon chain contains at least two carbon atoms, preferably two to 100 carbon atoms.

[0083] The term "alkyl" refers to a functionalized or unfunctionalized monovalent straight-chain, branched, or cyclic C1-C60 hydrocarbon group, optionally having one or more heteroatoms. In one non-limiting embodiment, the alkyl group is a C1-C45 hydrocarbon group. In another non-limiting embodiment, the alkyl group is a C1-C30 hydrocarbon group. Non-limiting examples of alkyl groups include: methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, 2-ethylhexyl, tert-octyl, isonorbornel, n-dodecyl, tert-dodecyl, n-tetradecyl, n-hexadecyl, n-octadecyl, n-eicosyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, etc. The definition of "alkyl" also includes groups obtained from combinations of straight-chain, branched, and / or cyclic structures.

[0084] The term "aryl" refers to a functionalized or unfunctionalized monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, optionally having one or more heteroatoms. The definition of aryl includes aromatic groups with carbocyclic and heterocyclic structures. Non-limiting examples of aryl groups include: phenyl, naphthyl, indenyl, indanyl, azulel, fluorenyl, anthracene, furanyl, thiophene, pyridinyl, pyrroleyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, 2-pyrazolinyl, pyrazolylalkyl, isoxazolyl, isothiazolyl, 1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, pyridazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, 1,3,5-triazinyl, 1,3,5-trithianyl, indoleazinyl, indoleazinyl, etc. Indoyl, isoindoyl, 3H-indoyl, indolinyl, benzo[b]furanyl, 2,3-dihydrobenzofuranyl, benzo[b]thiophenyl, 1H-indazolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzothiazolyl, purine, 4H-quinazinyl, isoquinolinyl, cinnolinyl, phthalazinyl, quinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl, 1,8-naphthidyl, pteridyl, carbazolyl, acridineyl, phenazinyl, phenthiazolyl, phenoxyazinyl, pyrazolo[1,5-c]triazinyl, etc.

[0085] The term "aralkyl" refers to an alkyl group containing one or more aryl substituents, wherein "aryl" and "alkyl" are as defined above. Non-limiting examples of aralkyl groups include benzyl, 2-phenyl-ethyl, 3-phenyl-propyl, 4-phenyl-butyl, 5-phenyl-pentyl, 4-phenylcyclohexyl, 4-benzylcyclohexyl, 4-phenylcyclohexylmethyl, 4-benzylcyclohexylmethyl, etc.

[0086] The term "alkylaryl" refers to an aryl group containing one or more alkyl substituents, wherein "alkyl" and "aryl" are defined as above. Non-limiting examples of alkylaryl groups include 2-methylphenyl, 3-methylphenyl, 4-methylphenyl, 4-ethylphenyl, 4-nonylphenyl, etc.

[0087] The term "alkylene" refers to a functionalized or unfunctionalized divalent, straight-chain, branched, or cyclic C1-C40 hydrocarbon group, optionally having one or more heteroatoms. In one non-limiting embodiment, the alkylene group is a C1-C30 group. In another non-limiting embodiment, the alkylene group is a C1-C20 group. Non-limiting examples of alkylene groups include:

[0088] .

[0089] The term "arylene" refers to a functionalized or unfunctionalized divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, optionally having one or more heteroatoms. The definition of arylene includes both carbocyclic and heterocyclic groups. Non-limiting examples of arylene include phenylene, naphthylene, pyridylene, etc.

[0090] The term "heteroatom" refers to oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, silicon, phosphorus, or halogen. A heteroatom can exist as part of one or more heteroatom-containing functional groups. Non-limiting examples of heteroatom-containing functional groups include: ether groups, hydroxyl groups, epoxy groups, carbonyl groups, amide groups, carboxylic acid ester groups, carboxylic acid groups, imine groups, imide groups, amino groups, sulfonic acid groups, sulfonamide groups, phosphonic acid groups, and silyl groups. Heteroatoms can also exist as part of rings (such as rings in heteroaryl and heteroarylene groups).

[0091] Preferably, the Malaysian natural oil is selected from the group consisting of: Malaysian avocado oil, Malaysian coconut oil, Malaysian corn oil, Malaysian cottonseed oil, Malaysian jojoba oil, Malaysian linseed oils, Malaysian nut oils, Malaysian olive oil, Malaysian raisin oil, Malaysian rapeseed oil, Malaysian safflower oil, Malaysian sesame oil, Malaysian soybean oil, Malaysian pumpkin seed oil, Malaysian sunflower seed oil, Malaysian almond oil, Malaysian canola oil, Malaysian flaxseed oils, Malaysian grapeseed oil, Malaysian palm oil, Malaysian palm kernel oil, Malaysian peanut oil, Malaysian walnut oil, Malaysian chickpea oil, Malaysian basil oil, and mixtures thereof. More preferably, the Malaysian natural oil is Malaysian soybean oil.

[0092] Maleation in natural oils can occur under heating conditions via three different methods. The first method, called the "ene" reaction (the reaction of the allyl moiety with the alkenyl group in a pericyclic reaction), produces a triglyceride structure with an anhydride moiety (succinic anhydride). The second method is radical addition, which consumes the double bond in the fatty acid, introducing succinic anhydride into the natural oil structure. The last reaction, also radical addition, introduces maleic anhydride into the natural oil structure without consuming the C=C bond (fatty acid chain and maleic anhydride), and this reaction occurs due to the abstraction of hydrogen atoms from two olefin groups.

[0093] As a non-limiting exemplary example, the maling reaction can be carried out at high temperatures (e.g., from about 150°C to about 300°C, or from about 170°C to about 230°C, or from about 200°C to about 220°C). The reaction time can be from about 0.5 hours to about 14 hours. In one embodiment, the reaction time is from about 1 hour to about 5 hours; in another embodiment, it is from about 2 hours to about 6 hours; and in yet another embodiment, it is from about 6 hours to about 10 hours.

[0094] In the masification process, the molar ratio of maleic anhydride to natural oil is equal to 1 in some embodiments, 1 to 2 in others, 1 to 2.8 in still others, and 1 to 3.2 moles of maleic anhydride per mole of natural oil in yet others.

[0095] In one non-limiting embodiment, this application provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group, wherein the lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group has the following structure:

[0096] Wherein: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized alkylene groups (having linear, branched, or cyclic structures), aryl groups, and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

[0097] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) with the following structure: .

[0098] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, having the following structure: .

[0099] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleized functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP), wherein the reaction product is maleized soybean oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP), and the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from: as well as

[0100] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleized functional groups; and (B) 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the reaction product is maleized soybean oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidones, and the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from: as well as ; Among them, R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, and aryl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

[0101] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group, wherein the lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group has the following structure:

[0102] Wherein: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized alkylene groups (having linear, branched, or cyclic structures), aryl groups, and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and (C) a base.

[0103] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleated soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleated functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; and (C) a base selected from sodium oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and bicarbonates. Specifically, the reaction product is a sodium salt of a maleated natural oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, comprising one or more structures selected from: as well as .

[0104] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (D) an optional base.

[0105] In one non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing invention, the maleic natural oil (A) is maleic soybean oil. In another non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing invention, the lactam moiety (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group is 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP). In another non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing invention, the base (D) is selected from the group consisting of inorganic bases, organic bases, and mixtures thereof. In another non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing invention, the hydrophobic and / or hydrophilic moiety is selected from hydrocarbon alcohols, hydrocarbon amines, silicon-based compounds, and combinations thereof.

[0106] Hydroxyl alcohols are classified into primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols based on the number of carbon atoms bonded to the carbon atom containing the hydroxyl group. Each class of alcohols can have a general formula. For example: The general formula for primary alcohols is: The general formula for secondary alcohols is: as well as The general formula for tertiary alcohols is R, R′, and R″ represent different alkyl, alkylene, aryl, aralkyl, and arylene groups.

[0107] Preferably, the hydrophobic portion is selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl alcohols and unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl amines, wherein the alcohols and amines contain about 6 to about 36 carbon atoms and may contain heteroatoms; silicon-based compounds; and combinations thereof.

[0108] Preferably, the hydrophilic portion is selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl alcohols and unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl amines, wherein the alcohols and amines contain about 1 to about 5 carbon atoms and may contain heteroatoms; unsubstituted or substituted polyols, wherein the unsubstituted or substituted polyols contain about 2 to about 36 carbon atoms and may contain heteroatoms; silanes; and combinations thereof.

[0109] Preferably, the silane is functionalized by an alcohol or amine and combinations thereof.

[0110] Preferably, the hydrophobic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of: hexanol, heptanol, nonanol, decanol, dodecanol, phenol, ethylbenzyl alcohol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 2-octanol, 2-butyl-1-octanol, 2-octyl-1-dodecyl alcohol, 1-tetradecyl alcohol, 2-tetradecyl alcohol, 1-hexadecyl alcohol, 2-hexadecyl alcohol, behenol, 3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol, 2-propyl-1-pentanol, 4-methyl-1-pentanol, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the hydrophilic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of: methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, methoxy polyethylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the hydrophilic polyol is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, dibutyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, hexanediol, sorbitol, neopentyl glycol, trimethylolpropane, N-methyldiethanolamine, erythritol, mannitol, xylitol, threitol, pentaerythritol, β-cyclodextrin, ribose, 2-deoxygalactose, and mixtures thereof.

[0111] Preferably, the hydrophobic amine is selected from the group consisting of: benzylamine, cyclohexylamine, hexylamine, methylhexylamine, phenethylamine, octylamine, oleylamine, decylamine, dodecylamine, hexadecylamine, octadecylamine, undecylamine, pentadecylamine, 2-methylbutylamine, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the hydrophilic amine is selected from the group consisting of: diethanolamine, serinel hydrochloride, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, dimethylamine, and mixtures thereof.

[0112] Preferably, the hydrophobic polyol is selected from the group consisting of: 1,6-hexanediol, 1,7-heptanediol, 1,8-octanediol, 1,9-nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol, 1,12-dodecanediol, polytetramethylene ether glycol, polytetramethylene carbonate, polyhexamethylene carbonate, and castor oil.

[0113] Preferably, the hydrophobic silicon-based compound is selected from the group consisting of: aminopropylmethylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane, N-ethylaminoisobutyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, poly(1,1-dimethylsilazane) telomer, aminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monoaminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, [tetramethylpiperidoxy]propylmethylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymer, polydimethylsiloxane, methanol-based (hydroxy)-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monohydroxyalkyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monohydroxyalkyl-terminated functional polydimethylsiloxane, [bis(hydroxyethyl)amine]-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, silanol-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, silanol-terminated polydiphenylsiloxane, dodecylmethylsiloxane-hydroxy polyalkyleneoxypropylmethylsiloxane, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the hydrophilic silane is selected from the group consisting of 3-aminopropylsilanetriol, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylsilanetriol and mixtures thereof.

[0114] In one non-limiting embodiment, the hydrophobic portion is a hydrocarbon alcohol containing about 6 to about 36 carbon atoms and being linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, aliphatic, aromatic, monofunctional, or polyfunctional.

[0115] In one non-limiting embodiment, the hydrophilic polyol is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, dibutyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, hexanediol, sorbitol, neopentyl glycol, erythritol, mannitol, xylitol, threitol, pentaerythritol, β-cyclodextrin, ribose, 2-deoxygalactose, and mixtures thereof.

[0116] In one non-limiting embodiment, the selected amine is chosen from the group consisting of primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, and combinations thereof.

[0117] Hydroxyl amines are classified into primary, secondary, or tertiary amines based on the number of carbon atoms attached to the nitrogen atom. Each class of amines can have a general formula. For example, The general formula for primary amines is: as well as The general formula for secondary amines is:

[0118] The general formula for tertiary amines is

[0119] Where R 1 R 2 and R 3 Represents the same or different alkyl, alkylene, aryl, aralkyl or arylene groups.

[0120] In one non-limiting embodiment, the hydrophobic portion is a hydrocarbon amine containing about 6 to about 36 carbon atoms and being linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, aliphatic, aromatic, monofunctional, or polyfunctional.

[0121] In one non-limiting embodiment, the hydrocarbon amine is a hydrophilic amine selected from the group consisting of: 2-methylpentane-1,5-diamine, diethanolamine, serinel hydrochloride, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, dimethylamine, and mixtures thereof.

[0122] In one non-limiting embodiment, the silicon-based compound is a compound having the following structure: or

[0123] Where R represents different alkyl, alkylene, aryl, aralkyl, arylene, or hybrid groups functionalized by at least one or more alcohols, amines, or combinations thereof, and n takes the value from 1 to 10.

[0124] In one non-limiting embodiment, the silicon-based compound is a siloxane, or a silane functionalized with an alcohol, amine, or a combination thereof.

[0125] In one non-limiting embodiment, the silicon-based compound is a linear, branched, saturated, unsaturated, aliphatic, aromatic, monofunctional, or polyfunctional compound.

[0126] In one non-limiting embodiment, the silicon-based compound is a hydrophobic compound selected from the group consisting of: aminopropylmethylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane, N-ethylaminoisobutyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, poly(1,1-dimethylsilazane) telomer, aminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monoaminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, [tetramethylpiperidoxy]propylmethylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymer, polydimethylsiloxane, methanol-based (hydroxy)-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monohydroxyalkyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monohydroxyalkyl-terminated functional polydimethylsiloxane, [bis(hydroxyethyl)amine]-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, silanol-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, silanol-terminated polydiphenylsiloxane, dodecylmethylsiloxane-hydroxy polyalkyleneoxypropylmethylsiloxane, and mixtures thereof.

[0127]

[0128] In one non-limiting embodiment, the silicon-based compound is a hydrophilic compound selected from the group consisting of 3-aminopropylsilanetriol, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylsilanetriol, and mixtures thereof.

[0129]

[0130] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reactive component (D) base, said base comprising an inorganic base, an organic base, or a combination thereof.

[0131] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleized functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleized functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (D) a base, wherein the reaction product comprises a compound having the following structure:

[0132] Where R 7 A hydrophilic or hydrophobic moiety selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl moieties containing about 1 to about 36 carbon atoms; and Each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Co, ½Cu, ½Zn, ammonium, alkylammonium, dialkylammonium, trialkylammonium, and tetraalkylammonium.

[0133] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil, including soybean oil having maleized functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleized functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (D) a base, wherein the reaction product comprises one or more structures selected from:

[0134] as well as ; Where R 7It is ethyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, 2-ethyl-1-hexyl, 2-butyl-1-octyl, 2-hexyl-1-decyl, 2-octyl-1-dodecyl or a mixture thereof; and wherein R 8 R 9 and R 10 Each independently is: hydrogen, methyl, or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or aralkyl group containing 2 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally containing heteroatoms.

[0135] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional groups have partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portions; and (D) a base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer comprising the following structure:

[0136] Where n is greater than 1; Where R 11 for: One or more hydrophilic or hydrophobic moieties selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkylene, cycloalkylene, and aryl moieties containing about 2 to about 60 carbon atoms; and Each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Co, ½Cu, ½Zn, ammonium, alkylammonium, dialkylammonium, trialkylammonium, and tetraalkylammonium.

[0137] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (D) a base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer comprising one or more structures selected from: , , as well as ; Where 1 < n < 30; where R 8 R9 and R 10 Each independently comprises: hydrogen, methyl, or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or aralkyl group containing 2 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally containing heteroatoms; and wherein R 11 Choose from the following groups: -CH2CH2CH2- , and its mixtures.

[0138] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) a dispersant comprising about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a reaction product of: (a) a maleic natural oil, including natural oils having maleic functional groups; and (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0139] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) a dispersant comprising about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a reaction product of: (a) a maleic natural oil, including natural oils having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; and (c) a base; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0140] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) optionally a base; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0141] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a composition for carbon nanotubes comprising: (A) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; and (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) optionally a base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer; (B) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (C) a solvent.

[0142] In one non-limiting embodiment, this application provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups, and (b) a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0143] In one non-limiting embodiment, this application provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (d) an optional base; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0144] In one non-limiting embodiment, this application provides a method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition, comprising mixing: (A) a carbon nanotube composition comprising: (i) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of a dispersant comprising a reaction product of: (a) maleic natural oil, including natural oil having maleic functional groups; a lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group; and (c) a functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic moiety, hydrophilic moiety, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has been partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized moiety; and (d) an optional base, wherein the reaction product is a polymer; (ii) about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt% of carbon nanotubes; and (iii) a solvent; (B) an electrode active material; and (C) a binder.

[0145] In one non-limiting embodiment, the present invention provides a dispersant for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions, said dispersant being used as a conductive agent in electrode formulations for lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries in the form of a suspension or slurry.

[0146] In some embodiments, the dispersant used for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions is a polymer with a weight-average molecular weight of about 3,000 Daltons to about 20,000 Daltons and a weight-average degree of polymerization n of about 3 to about 20.

[0147] In some embodiments, the dispersant used for carbon nanotubes or carbon nanotube compositions is a polymer with a viscosity range of about 100 to about 10,000 centipoises (cps) as measured at 25°C using a Brookfield viscometer.

[0148] In some embodiments of the invention, a suitable range of dispersant in the carbon nanotube composition may be: from about 0.01 wt% to about 1.0 wt%, from about 1 wt% to about 2.5 wt%, from about 2.5 wt% to about 5 wt%, or from about 5 wt% to about 10 wt% based on the total weight of the carbon nanotube composition.

[0149] In some embodiments of the present invention, a suitable range of carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube composition may be: from about 0.01 wt% to about 1.0 wt%, from about 1 wt% to about 2.5 wt%, from about 2.5 wt% to about 5 wt%, or from about 5 wt% to about 10 wt% based on the total weight of the carbon nanotube composition.

[0150] In some embodiments of the present invention, the carbon nanotube composition comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of at least one aqueous solvent, alcohols, ketones, ethylene glycols, propylene glycols, amides, pyrrolidones, hydroxy esters, sulfoxides, lactones, anilines, hydrocarbons, halogenated solvents, aromatic solvents, glycol esters, and combinations thereof.

[0151] In some embodiments of the invention, the carbon nanotube composition comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of: water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, propanol, butanol, terpineol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, propylene glycol, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N-ethylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, γ-butyrolactone, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, methyl β-methoxyisobutyrate, methyl α-hydroxyisobutyrate, aniline, N-methylaniline, hexane, chloroform, toluene, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), and combinations thereof.

[0152] In some embodiments, the present invention discloses a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery comprising an anode electrically connected to a cathode, wherein the anode or cathode comprises a carbon nanotube composition used as a conductive agent in an electrode formulation in the form of a suspension or slurry.

[0153] The reactions and compositions according to this application can be analyzed using known techniques. Particularly preferred... 13 Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography (GC), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, liquid chromatography (LC), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) techniques are used to determine consistency, residual monomer concentration, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution.

[0154] Furthermore, certain aspects of this application are described in detail through the following embodiments. These embodiments given herein are intended to illustrate the application and are not intended to limit it.

[0155] Example Example A1 Maleic anhydride grafted onto soybean oil In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 600 g of soybean oil and 204 g (3 molar equivalents of soybean oil) of maleic anhydride were added. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, then slowly heated to 210 °C and maintained at 210 °C for 6–8 hours. NMR indicated that the reaction was complete, and LC indicated that the residual maleic anhydride was <0.5%.

[0156] Example A2: Maleic anhydride grafted onto palm oil In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of palm oil and 23 g (2 molar equivalents relative to palm oil) of maleic anhydride were added. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, slowly heated from room temperature to 210 °C, and then maintained at 210 °C for 8–10 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR, and LC showed that the residual maleic anhydride was <1%. Yield >96%.

[0157] Example A3: Maleic anhydride grafted onto rapeseed oil In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of canola oil and 22.2 g (2 molar equivalents relative to canola oil) of maleic anhydride were added. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, then slowly heated to 210 °C and held at 210 °C for 8–10 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR, and LC showed that the residual maleic anhydride was <1%. Yield >96%.

[0158] Example A4: Maleic anhydride grafted onto sunflower seed oil In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of sunflower oil and 22.4 g (2 molar equivalents relative to sunflower oil) of maleic anhydride were added. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, then slowly heated to 210 °C and held at 210 °C for 8–10 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR, and LC showed that the residual maleic anhydride content was <1%. Yield >96%.

[0159] Example A5: Maleic anhydride grafted onto castor oil In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of castor oil and 21 g (2 molar equivalents relative to castor oil) of maleic anhydride were added. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, then slowly heated to 210 °C and held at 210 °C for 8–10 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR, and LC showed that the residual maleic anhydride was less than 1%. Yield >96%.

[0160] Example A6: Maleic anhydride grafted onto chickpea oil In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of chickpea oil and 38 g (3.4 molar equivalents relative to chickpea oil) of maleic anhydride were added. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, slowly heated to 210 °C, and then held at 210 °C for 10–14 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR, and LC showed that the residual maleic anhydride was <0.5%. The yield of maleized chickpea oil was >96%.

[0161] Example A7: Maleic anhydride grafted onto perilla oil 100 g of perilla oil and 51.5 g (3 molar equivalents relative to perilla oil) of maleic anhydride were added to a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen bubbling adapter, and mechanical stirrer. The mixture was bubbled with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 minutes, slowly heated to 210 °C, and then held at 210 °C for 8 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR, and LC showed that the residual maleic anhydride was <0.5%. The yield of maleic perilla oil was >96%.

[0162] Example B1 Sodium salts of Malayan soybean oil prepared from sodium hydroxide aqueous solution In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of maleic soybean oil (MSBO) prepared in Example A1 was heated to 90°C, and a mixture of 20.20 g (3 molar equivalents of soybean oil) of 50% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and 70 g of water was added over 1 hour, controlling foaming. After the addition was complete, the mixture was maintained at 90°C for 3 hours. The product contained 70% by weight of solids and was characterized by IR and NMR. Yield >96%.

[0163] Example B2 Sodium salt of Malayan soybean oil (MSBO) prepared from sodium carbonate In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purge adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of MSBO prepared in Example A1 was heated to 90 °C, and 27.86 g (3 molar equivalents of soybean oil) of sodium carbonate dissolved in 85 g of water was added over 3 hours, with foaming controlled. The reaction was maintained at 90 °C for 3 hours. The product contained 56 wt% solids and was characterized by IR. Yield >96%.

[0164] Example B3 Sodium salt of MSBO prepared from aqueous sodium hydroxide solution In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 123 g of MSBO prepared in Example A1 was heated to 90 °C, and a mixture containing 9.04 g (2 molar equivalents of soybean oil) of 50% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and 80 g of water was added over 1 hour, controlling foaming. After the addition was complete, the mixture was maintained at 90 °C for 3 hours. The product contained 70% solids and was characterized by IR and NMR. Yield >96%.

[0165] Example C1 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) grafted onto Malaysian soybean oil (MSBO) In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of MSBO prepared in Example A1 was combined with 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 molar equivalents (relative to MSBO) of 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP), heated to 120 °C, and maintained at 120 °C for 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR, and GC indicated that residual HEP was <5%. Yield >96%.

[0166] Example C2 1-(2-Aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone grafted onto Malaysian soybean oil (MSBO) In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of MSBO prepared in Example A1 was combined with 10.0 g (1 molar equivalent, relative to MSBO) of 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, heated to 80°C and held at 80°C for 6 hours.

[0167] Example D1 Sodium salt of Malayan soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of the product prepared in Example C1 was heated to 85 °C. Water and a 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution were added over 60 minutes to produce a final solution with a solid content of 50% by weight, and the mixture was maintained at 85 °C for 4 hours. The amount of sodium hydroxide added was sufficient to convert each carboxylic acid group generated by the hydrolysis of the anhydride or the reaction of the anhydride with HEP into the corresponding sodium carboxylate salt. The amber liquid product was characterized by NMR and IR. The yield of the MSBO-HEP adduct sodium salt was >98%.

[0168] Example D2 Lithium salts of Malayan soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 152.1 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 41.8 g (2.5 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125°C and maintained at 125°C for 8 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was cooled to 80°C, and 9.31 g (3 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of lithium hydroxide dissolved in 204 g of water was added over 1 hour to produce a final solution with a solid content of 50% by weight. The mixture was heated to 85°C and maintained at 85°C for 2 hours. The amber-colored product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0169] Example D3 Sodium salt of maleic soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen purging adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 100 g of the product prepared in Example C2 was heated to 85 °C. Water and a 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution were added over 60 minutes to produce a final solution with a solid content of 50% by weight, and the mixture was maintained at 85 °C for 4 hours. The amount of sodium hydroxide added was sufficient to convert each carboxylic acid group generated by the hydrolysis of the anhydride or the reaction of the anhydride with 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone into the corresponding sodium carboxylate salt.

[0170] Example E1 Maleated soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP and 2-octyl-1-dodecyl alcohol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 211 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 9.69 g (0.4 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125 °C, and maintained at 125 °C for 8 hours. The mixture was adjusted to 85 °C, and 72.8 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of 2-octyl-1-dodecyl alcohol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85 °C for 8 hours. Glycerol (17.3 g, 1.0 molar equivalent) was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85 °C for an additional 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0171] Example E2 Maleated soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 200 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 9.10 g (0.4 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125°C, and maintained at 125°C for 8 hours. The mixture was cooled to 85°C, and 29.8 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for 6 hours. The mixture was heated to 90°C, and 16.2 g (1.0 molar equivalent) of glycerol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 90°C for 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0172] Example E3 Maleated soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP and benzyl alcohol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 167 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 11.0 g (0.6 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125°C, and maintained at 125°C for 8 hours. The mixture was cooled to 85°C, and 20.0 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of benzyl alcohol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for 8 hours. Glycerol (13.1 g, 1.0 molar equivalent) was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for an additional 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0173] Example E4 Maleated soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP and 1-naphthyl alcohol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 167 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 11.0 g (0.6 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125°C, and maintained at 125°C for 8 hours. The mixture was cooled to 85°C, and 29.2 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of 1-naphthylethanol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for 8 hours. Glycerol (13.1 g, 1.0 molar equivalent) was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for an additional 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0174] Example E5 Malaysian soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP and lauryl alcohol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 161 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 7.34 g (0.4 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125 °C, and maintained at 125 °C for 8 hours. The mixture was cooled to 85 °C, and 34.4 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of lauryl alcohol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85 °C for 6 hours. The mixture was heated to 90 °C, and 13.1 g (1.0 molar equivalents) of glycerol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 90 °C for 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0175] Example E6 Malaysian soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with HEP and behenol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 151 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 6.87 g (0.4 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125 °C, and maintained at 125 °C for 8 hours. The mixture was cooled to 85 °C, and 59.4 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of behenol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85 °C for 6 hours. The mixture was heated to 90 °C, and 12.24 g (1.0 molar equivalents) of glycerol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 90 °C for 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0176] Example E7: Maleated soybean oil (MSBO) reacted with 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone and 2-octyl-1-dodecyl alcohol and cross-linked with glycerol. In a 1 L four-necked reactor equipped with a thermocouple, condenser, nitrogen adapter, and mechanical stirrer, 211 g of MSBO prepared according to Example A1 was combined with 9.69 g (0.4 molar equivalents relative to MSBO) of HEP, heated to 125°C, and maintained at 125°C for 8 hours. The mixture was adjusted to 85°C, and 72.8 g (1.3 molar equivalents) of 2-octyl-1-dodecyl alcohol was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for 8 hours. Glycerol (17.3 g, 1.0 molar equivalent) was added, and the mixture was maintained at 85°C for an additional 6 hours. The amber-colored viscous product was characterized by NMR and IR. Yield >96%.

[0177] Example 1: Preparation of solvent-based CNT dispersions Dispersant (0.3 g) is completely dissolved in 30 g of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP, Micropure™ EG from Ashland) solvent for approximately 1-8 hours at a temperature of 5-35°C and a mixer speed of 200-1000 rpm until no particles are visible to the naked eye. Carbon nanotubes (JiangSu Cnano, 0.3 g) are added to the NMP mixture, and the mixture in the sealed container is manually shaken for 10 seconds, followed by premixing twice using a vortex mixer for 30 seconds each time, or premixing with a thinky mixer at 2000 rpm for 5 minutes. The container is then sonicated for 15 minutes, followed by ultrasonic mixing in a 5-second on-time and 10-second off-time cycle for 5 minutes. The container is then removed from the ultrasonic mixer and allowed to cool.

[0178] Example 2: Analysis of CNT dispersions based on solvent The dispersant and ethyl cellulose (Aqualon) in Example C1 were compared using different proportions. TM The particle size distribution and resistivity of the solvent-based CNT dispersion prepared according to Example 1 (EC-N4, Ashland) were analyzed. The results in Table 1 show that the dispersant in Example C1 improved the particle size distribution and resistivity of the CNT dispersion compared to ethyl cellulose.

[0179] Table 1. Characteristics of CNT dispersions using the dispersant of Example C1

[0180] Example 3: Preparation of water-based CNT dispersions Dissolve the dispersant (0.25 g) completely in 49.5 g of distilled water for approximately 1-8 hours at a temperature of 5-35°C and a top-mounted mixer speed of 200-1000 rpm, until no particles are visible to the naked eye. Add carbon nanotubes (JiangSu Cnano, 0.25 g) to the aqueous mixture, manually shake the mixture in a sealed container for 30 seconds, and then treat the container in an ultrasonic bath for 15 minutes. Transfer the container to an ultrasonic mixer equipped with a cooling water bath and sonicate for approximately 2-4 hours. Remove the container from the ultrasonic mixer and allow it to cool.

[0181] Example 4: Analysis of water-based CNT dispersions The dispersant and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in Example B1 were used in different proportions. TMThe particle size distribution and resistivity of the water-based CNT dispersion prepared according to Example 3 (1221, Ashland) were analyzed. The results in Table 2 show that the dispersant in Example B1 improved the particle size distribution and resistivity of the CNT dispersion compared to carboxymethyl cellulose.

[0182] Table 2. Characteristics of CNT dispersions using the dispersant of Example D1

[0183] Although the compositions and methods of the disclosed and / or claimed inventive concepts have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations may be made to the compositions and / or methods described herein, as well as the steps or order of steps of the methods, without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the disclosed and / or claimed inventive concepts. All such similar substitutions and modifications that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the disclosed and / or claimed inventive concepts.

Claims

1. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product of the following substances: (A) Malay-processed natural oils, including natural oils with Malay functional groups; and (B) A lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group.

2. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 1, wherein the maleic natural oil is selected from the group consisting of: Malaysian avocado oil, Malaysian coconut oil, Malaysian corn oil, Malaysian cottonseed oil, Malaysian jojoba oil, Malaysian flaxseed oil, Malaysian nut oil, Malaysian olive oil, Malaysian palm oil, Malaysian raisin oil, Malaysian rapeseed oil, Malaysian safflower oil, Malaysian sesame oil, Malaysian soybean oil, Malaysian pumpkin oil, Malaysian sunflower seed oil, Malaysian almond oil, Malaysian canola oil, Malaysian flaxseed oil, Malaysian grapeseed oil, Malaysian palm kernel oil, Malaysian peanut oil, Malaysian walnut oil, Malaysian chickpea oil, Malaysian perilla oil, and mixtures thereof.

3. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 1, wherein the maleic natural oil is maleic soybean oil.

4. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 1, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group has the following structure: in: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized linear, branched or cyclic alkylene, arylene and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 Selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

5. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 4, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is selected from the group consisting of: and its combinations, among which Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized linear, branched or cyclic alkylene, arylene and combinations thereof, wherein any of the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; Each R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 and R 6 Independently selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

6. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 5, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is selected from the group consisting of: and its combinations, wherein: Q is a linear alkylene chain (–CH2–CH2–) having at least two carbon atoms; and X is selected from OH, SH, and NH2.

7. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 6, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group is 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) having the following structure: 。 8. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 1, comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil; and (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the reaction product is maleized soybean oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone.

9. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 8, comprising one or more structures selected from the following: as well as .

10. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 6, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone having the following structure: 。 11. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 1, comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleated soybean oil; and (B) 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the reaction product is maleated soybean oil partially substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-pyrrolidone.

12. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 11, comprising one or more structures selected from the group consisting of: as well as ; Where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, and aryl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

13. A carbon nanotube composition comprising (a) about 0.01% by weight to about 10.0% by weight of the dispersant according to claim 1; (b) Carbon nanotubes, approximately 0.01 wt% to approximately 10.0 wt%; and (c) Solvent.

14. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 13, wherein the carbon nanotubes are mixed with the dispersant at a weight ratio of 1:0.001 to 1:

10.

15. The carbon nanotube composition according to claim 13, wherein the carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, triple-walled carbon nanotubes, tetra-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns, carbon nanofibers, short nanotubes, carbon particle nanotubes, and combinations thereof.

16. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 13, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of at least one aqueous solvent, alcohols, ketones, ethylene glycols, propylene glycols, amides, pyrrolidones, hydroxy esters, sulfoxides, lactones, anilines, hydrocarbons, halogenated solvents, aromatic solvents, glycol esters, and combinations thereof.

17. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 13, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, propanol, butanol, terpineol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, propylene glycol, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N-ethylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, γ-butyrolactone, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, methyl β-methoxyisobutyrate, methyl α-hydroxyisobutyrate, aniline, N-methylaniline, hexane, chloroform, toluene, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), and combinations thereof.

18. A lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery comprising the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 13.

19. A lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition comprising the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 13.

20. A method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition according to claim 19, comprising mixing: (a) a carbon nanotube composition according to claim 13, (b) an electrode active material, and (c) a binder.

21. A method for preparing the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 13, wherein the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes in the solvent is accomplished by using an apparatus selected from the group consisting of: an ultrasonic processor, a homogenizer, a spiral mixer, a planetary mixer, a disperser, a ball mill, and a stirred mixer.

22. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product of the following substances: (A) Malay-based natural oils, including natural oils with Malay functional groups; (B) A lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; and (C) Alkali.

23. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 22, wherein the Malaysian natural oil is selected from the group consisting of: Malaysian avocado oil, Malaysian coconut oil, Malaysian corn oil, Malaysian cottonseed oil, Malaysian jojoba oil, Malaysian flaxseed oil, Malaysian nut oil, Malaysian olive oil, Malaysian palm oil, Malaysian raisin oil, Malaysian rapeseed oil, Malaysian safflower oil, Malaysian sesame oil, Malaysian soybean oil, Malaysian pumpkin oil, Malaysian sunflower seed oil, Malaysian almond oil, Malaysian canola oil, Malaysian flaxseed oil, Malaysian grapeseed oil, Malaysian palm kernel oil, Malaysian peanut oil, Malaysian walnut oil, Malaysian chickpea oil, Malaysian perilla oil, and mixtures thereof.

24. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 22, wherein the maleic natural oil is maleic soybean oil.

25. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 22, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group has the following structure: in: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized linear, branched or cyclic alkylene, arylene and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 Selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

26. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 25, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is selected from the group consisting of: and its combinations, among which Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized linear, branched or cyclic alkylene, arylene and combinations thereof, wherein any of the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; Each R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 and R 6 Independently selected from hydrogen, functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 It is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl and aralkyl groups, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

27. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 26, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is selected from the group consisting of: and its combinations, wherein: Q is a linear alkylene chain (–CH2–CH2–) having at least two carbon atoms; and X is selected from OH, SH, and NH2.

28. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 27, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group is 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) having the following structure: 。 29. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 22, wherein the base (C) is selected from the group consisting of inorganic bases, organic bases, and mixtures thereof.

30. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 29, wherein the inorganic base is selected from the group consisting of: oxides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, hydroxides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, carbonates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, bicarbonates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, oxides of transition metals, hydroxides of transition metals, carbonates of transition metals, bicarbonates of transition metals, and combinations thereof.

31. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 29, wherein the organic base is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, pyridine, imidazole, benzimidazole, histidine, guanidine, and mixtures thereof.

32. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 30, wherein the alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, and mixtures thereof.

33. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 30, wherein the alkaline earth metal is selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium and mixtures thereof.

34. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 30, wherein the transition metal is selected from scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, The group consisting of , , , , , , , , , and mixtures thereof.

35. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 29, wherein the inorganic base is selected from the group consisting of: oxides of sodium and calcium, hydroxides, carbonates and bicarbonates, and combinations thereof.

36. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 22, comprising a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; and (C) a base selected from oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and bicarbonates of sodium, wherein the reaction product is a sodium salt of maleized soybean oil substituted with one, two, or three 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone groups.

37. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 36, comprising one or more structures selected from the following: as well as .

38. A carbon nanotube composition comprising (a) about 0.01% by weight to about 10.0% by weight of the dispersant according to claim 22; (b) Carbon nanotubes, approximately 0.01 wt% to approximately 10.0 wt%; and (c) Solvent.

39. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 38, wherein the carbon nanotubes are mixed with the dispersant at a weight ratio of 1:0.001 to 1:

10.

40. The carbon nanotube composition according to claim 38, wherein the carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, triple-walled carbon nanotubes, tetra-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns, carbon nanofibers, short nanotubes, carbon particle nanotubes, and combinations thereof.

41. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 38, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of at least one aqueous solvent, alcohols, ketones, ethylene glycols, propylene glycols, amides, pyrrolidones, hydroxy esters, sulfoxides, lactones, anilines, hydrocarbons, halogenated solvents, aromatic solvents, glycol esters, and combinations thereof.

42. The carbon nanotube composition according to claim 38, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, propanol, butanol, terpineol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, propylene glycol, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N-ethylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, γ-butyrolactone, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, methyl β-methoxyisobutyrate, methyl α-hydroxyisobutyrate, aniline, N-methylaniline, hexane, chloroform, toluene, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), and combinations thereof.

43. A lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery comprising the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 38.

44. A lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition comprising the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 38.

45. A method for preparing a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition according to claim 44, comprising mixing: (a) the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 38, (b) an electrode active material, and (c) a binder.

46. ​​A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product of the following substances: (A) Malay-based natural oils, including natural oils with Malay functional groups; (B) A lactam moiety having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group; (C) A functionalized or unfunctionalized portion, selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein the maleic functional group has partially reacted with the functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (D) An optional base.

47. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 46, wherein the Malaysian natural oil (A) is selected from the group consisting of: Malaysian avocado oil, Malaysian coconut oil, Malaysian corn oil, Malaysian cottonseed oil, Malaysian jojoba oil, Malaysian flaxseed oil, Malaysian nut oil, Malaysian olive oil, Malaysian palm oil, Malaysian raisin oil, Malaysian rapeseed oil, Malaysian safflower oil, Malaysian sesame oil, Malaysian soybean oil, Malaysian pumpkin oil, Malaysian sunflower seed oil, Malaysian almond oil, Malaysian canola oil, Malaysian flaxseed oil, Malaysian grapeseed oil, Malaysian palm kernel oil, Malaysian peanut oil, Malaysian walnut oil, Malaysian chickpea oil, Malaysian perilla oil, and mixtures thereof.

48. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 46, wherein the maleic natural oil is maleic soybean oil.

49. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 46, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group has the following structure: in: Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group containing 2 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein 2 to 4 carbon atoms are located in the lactam ring. Groups and Between groups; Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized linear, branched or cyclic alkylene, arylene and combinations thereof, wherein the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 Selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, and aryl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and R is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

50. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 49, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is selected from the group consisting of: and its combinations, among which Q is selected from functionalized and unfunctionalized linear, branched or cyclic alkylene, arylene and combinations thereof, wherein any of the aforementioned groups may or may not contain oxygen atoms; Each R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 and R 6 Independently selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms; and X is selected from OH, SH, and NHR. 1 , where R 1 The group is selected from hydrogen and functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups, wherein the functionalized and unfunctionalized alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl groups may or may not contain heteroatoms.

51. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 50, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxyl, or amine functional group is selected from the group consisting of: and its combinations, wherein: Q is a linear alkylene chain (–CH2–CH2–) having at least two carbon atoms; and X is selected from OH, SH, and NH2.

52. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 51, wherein the lactam (B) having at least one hydroxyl, thiohydroxy, or amine functional group is 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) having the following structure: 。 53. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 46, wherein the hydrophobic portion (C) is selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl alcohols and unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl amines, wherein the alcohols and amines contain about 6 to about 36 carbon atoms and may contain additional heteroatoms; unsubstituted and substituted polyols, with or without additional heteroatoms, containing about 37 to about 60 carbon atoms; silicon-based compounds; and combinations thereof.

54. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 46, wherein the hydrophilic portion (C) is selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl alcohols and unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl amines, wherein the alcohols and amines contain about 1 to about 5 carbon atoms and may contain additional heteroatoms; unsubstituted and substituted polyols, wherein the unsubstituted and substituted polyols contain about 2 to about 36 carbon atoms and may contain additional heteroatoms; polyethylene glycol monomethyl ethers (mPEGs) containing 5 to 45 carbon atoms; silanes; and combinations thereof.

55. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 54, wherein the silane is functionalized by an alcohol, an amine, or a combination thereof.

56. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 53, wherein the hydrophobic portion is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of: hexanol, heptanol, nonanol, decanol, dodecyl alcohol, phenol, ethylbenzyl alcohol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 2-octanol, 2-butyl-1-octanol, 2-hexyl-1-decanol, 2-octyl-1-dodecyl alcohol, 1-tetradecyl alcohol, 2-tetradecyl alcohol, 1-hexadecyl alcohol, 2-hexadecyl alcohol, 1-octadecyl alcohol, 3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol, 2-propyl-1-pentanol, 4-methyl-1-pentanol, behenol, 1-naphthalenemethanol, benzyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

57. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 54, wherein the hydrophilic portion is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, and mixtures thereof.

58. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 54, wherein the hydrophilic portion is a polyol selected from the group consisting of: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, dibutyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, glycerol, hexanediol, sorbitol, neopentyl glycol, erythritol, mannitol, xylitol, threitol, pentaerythritol, β-cyclodextrin, ribose, 2-deoxygalactose, glucosamine, mannitol, galactosamine, N-methylglucosamine, and mixtures thereof.

59. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 53, wherein the hydrophobic portion is an amine selected from the group consisting of: benzylamine, cyclohexylamine, hexylamine, methylhexylamine, phenethylamine, octylamine, oleylamine, decylamine, dodecylamine, hexadecylamine, octadecylamine, undecylamine, pentadecylamine, 2-methylbutylamine, and mixtures thereof.

60. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 54, wherein the hydrophilic portion is an amine selected from the group consisting of: diethanolamine, serine, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, dimethylamine, 2-methylbutane, 3-amino-1-propanol, their hydrochlorides, their ammonium salts, and mixtures thereof.

61. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 53, wherein the silicon-based compound is a hydrophobic compound selected from the group consisting of: aminopropylmethylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane, N-ethylaminoisobutyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, poly(1,1-dimethylsilazane) telomer, aminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monoaminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, (tetramethylpiperidoxy)propylmethylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymer, polydimethylsiloxane, methanol-based (hydroxy)-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monohydroxyalkyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, monohydroxyalkyl-terminated functional polydimethylsiloxane, [bis(hydroxyethyl)amine]-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, silanol-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, silanol-terminated polydiphenylsiloxane, dodecylmethylsiloxane-hydroxy polyalkyleneoxypropylmethylsiloxane, and mixtures thereof.

62. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product according to claim 54, wherein the silane is a hydrophilic compound selected from the group consisting of 3-aminopropylsilanetriol, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylsilanetriol, and mixtures thereof.

63. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product according to claim 46, wherein the base (D) is selected from the group consisting of inorganic bases, organic bases, and mixtures thereof.

64. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 63, wherein the inorganic base is selected from the group consisting of: oxides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, hydroxides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, carbonates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, bicarbonates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, oxides of transition metals, hydroxides of transition metals, carbonates of transition metals, bicarbonates of transition metals, and combinations thereof.

65. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 63, wherein the organic base is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, pyridine, imidazole, benzimidazole, histidine, guanidine, and mixtures thereof.

66. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 64, wherein the alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, and mixtures thereof.

67. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 64, wherein the alkaline earth metal is selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium and mixtures thereof.

68. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 64, wherein the transition metal is selected from scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, The group consisting of , , , , , , , , , and mixtures thereof.

69. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product according to claim 46, said reaction product being a reaction product of: (A) maleized soybean oil; (B) 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone; (C) a functionalized or unfunctionalized portion selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic portions, hydrophilic portions, and combinations thereof, wherein said maleized functional group has partially reacted with said functionalized or unfunctionalized portion; and (D) optionally a base.

70. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product according to claim 69, wherein the reaction product has the following structure: Where R 7 A hydrophilic or hydrophobic moiety selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, and aralkyl moieties containing about 1 to about 36 carbon atoms; and Each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Co, ½Cu, ½Zn, ammonium, alkylammonium, dialkylammonium, trialkylammonium, and tetraalkylammonium.

71. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 70, comprising one or more structures selected from the group consisting of: as well as ; Where R 7 It is ethyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, 2-ethyl-1-hexyl, 2-butyl-1-octyl, 2-hexyl-1-decyl, 2-octyl-1-dodecyl or a mixture thereof; and wherein R 8 R 9 and R 10 Each independently is: hydrogen, methyl, or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or aralkyl group containing 2 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally containing heteroatoms.

72. A dispersant for carbon nanotubes, comprising the reaction product according to claim 46, wherein the reaction product is a polymer having the following structure: Where n is greater than 1; Where R 11 for One or more hydrophilic or hydrophobic moieties selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted or substituted alkylene, cycloalkylene, and aryl moieties containing about 2 to about 60 carbon atoms; and Each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, ½Mg, ½Ca, ½Co, ½Cu, ½Zn, ammonium, alkylammonium, dialkylammonium, trialkylammonium, and tetraalkylammonium.

73. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 72, wherein the polymer comprises one or more structures selected from the group consisting of: ， ， as well as ; Where 1 < n < 30; where R 8 R 9 and R 10 Each independently comprises: hydrogen, methyl, or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or aralkyl group containing 2 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally containing heteroatoms; and wherein R 11 A hydrophilic or hydrophobic moiety selected from the group consisting of: unsubstituted and substituted alkylene, cycloalkylene, and aryl moieties containing about 2 to about 60 carbon atoms.

74. The dispersant for carbon nanotubes according to claim 73, wherein R 11 -CH2CH2CH2-, 、 、 Or a mixture thereof.

75. A carbon nanotube composition comprising (a) about 0.01% by weight to about 10.0% by weight of the dispersant according to claim 46; (b) carbon nanotubes, from about 0.01 wt% to about 10.0 wt%; and (c) Solvent.

76. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 75, wherein the carbon nanotubes are mixed with the dispersant at a weight ratio of 1:0.001 to 1:

10.

77. The carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75, wherein the carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, triple-walled carbon nanotubes, tetra-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns, carbon nanofibers, short nanotubes, carbon particle nanotubes, and combinations thereof.

78. The carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of at least one aqueous solvent, alcohols, ketones, ethylene glycols, propylene glycols, amides, pyrrolidones, hydroxy esters, sulfoxides, lactones, anilines, hydrocarbons, halogenated solvents, aromatic solvents, glycol esters, and combinations thereof.

79. The carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, propanol, butanol, terpineol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, propylene glycol, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N-ethylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, γ-butyrolactone, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, methyl β-methoxyisobutyrate, methyl α-hydroxyisobutyrate, aniline, N-methylaniline, hexane, chloroform, toluene, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), and combinations thereof.

80. A lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery comprising the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75.

81. A lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition comprising the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75.

82. A method for preparing a carbon nanotube dispersion for use in a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery composition according to claim 81, comprising mixing: (a) the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75, (b) an electrode active material, and (c) a binder.

83. A method for preparing the carbon nanotube composition according to claim 75, wherein the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes in the solvent is accomplished by using an apparatus selected from the group consisting of: an ultrasonic processor, a homogenizer, a spiral mixer, a planetary mixer, a disperser, a ball mill, and a stirred mixer.

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