LAUSR

The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified by different amount of silane coupling agents named 3-(methacryloxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS), were incorporated into dental resin matrix in a series of mass ratio, with the aim to enhance the mechanical properties of dental resin matrix. The double bond conversion (DC) of dental resin matrix was investigated with a FT-IR instrument. Water sorption (WS) and solubility (SL) were obtained until the mass variation of dental resin matrix in distilled water kept stable. Flexural strength (FS) and modulus (FM) of dental resin matrix were measured using a three-point bending set up in a Universal testing machine. The fracture surfaces of specimens were observed with a scanning electron microscope. The results showed that all of CNTs containing dental resin matrix had lower DC (p < 0.05) than control resin matrix. Only adding 0.025 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (modified with 1.0 wt.% of γ-MPS) into dental resin matrix could enhance the FS and FM of dental resin matrix, as well as reducing the WS and SL of dental resin matrix. Therefore, the best properties of dental resin matrix could be obtained by incorporating 0.025 wt.% of CNTs, which were modified by 1.0 wt.% of silane coupling agents.