Q100 calorimeter

Thermal characterization of pure PHEMA and the PHEMA/CNTs_amine nanocomposites was performed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) using a Q100 calorimeter from TA Instruments (New Castle, DE, USA). The mass of samples was in the range from 3 to 5 mg. DSC thermograms were obtained following a heating program from −80 °C (193.15 K) to 200 °C (473.15 K) at a heating rate of 10 K/min using a nitrogen flow rate of 50 cm³/min. All tests were performed while maintaining an inert atmosphere. Two heating scans were recorded, and the second scan is reported.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements were carried out to ensure the homogeneity of the mixture and measure their glass transition temperature. DSC thermograms were acquired using a Q100 calorimeter from TA-Instruments. The thermal protocol used along with further observations in the data analysis can be found in the Supplementary information.

Calorimetric experiments were performed in a TA Instruments Q100 calorimeter connected (New Castle, DE, USA) to a cooling system and calibrated with different standards. The sample weights were around 3 mg. A heating–cooling–heating cycle was used, with a scanning rate of 20 °C/min in the temperature range from −50 to 200 °C. The crystallinity was estimated by considering a melting enthalpy of the 100% crystalline PHB of 146 J/g [24 (link)].

Calorimetric analyses were carried out in a TA Instruments Q100 calorimeter that was connected to a cooling system and that had been calibrated with different standards. The sample weights were around 6 mg. A temperature interval ranging from −80 to 100 °C was studied at a heating rate of 20 °C/min. To determine the crystallinity of the samples, a value of 135 J/g was considered for the melting enthalpy of the 100% crystalline PCL [29 (link),30 (link)]. Errors in the temperature determination, enthalpy calculation, and the crystallinity were estimated at ±0.5 °C, ±4 J/g, and ±0.04 units, respectively.

Calorimetric analyses were carried out in a TA Instruments Q100 calorimeter connected to a cooling system and calibrated with different standards. The sample weights were around 3 mg. A temperature interval from −30 to 180 °C was studied at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. For the determination of crystallinity, a value of 93.1 J/g was used as the enthalpy of fusion of a perfectly crystalline material [28 (link),29 (link)].

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of BNSF nanofibers was investigated with a TA Instruments Q600 SDT instrument (Wilmington, DE, USA). Each sample weighed between 5–10 mg. Measurements were made from 25 °C to 600 °C at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. All experiments were conducted with continuous nitrogen gas flow rate of 50 mL/min.
Temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TM-DSC) was conducted with a Q100 calorimeter (TA Instruments, Wilmington, DE, USA) equipped with a refrigerated cooling system. The N₂ flow rate was set to 50 mL/min, and measurements started at −30 °C and ended at 400 °C. The temperature increased at a rate of 2 °C/min and was modulated every 60 s at an amplitude of 0.318 °C to measure the reversing heat capacity.

Calorimetric analyses were carried out in a TA Instruments Q100 calorimeter (TA Instruments, New Castle (DE) USA) connected to a cooling system and calibrated with different standards. The sample weights were around 3 mg. A temperature interval from −30 to 180 °C was studied at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. For the determination of the crystallinity, a value of 93.1 J/g was used as the enthalpy of fusion of a perfectly crystalline material [16 (link),33 (link)].