In this paper, we report the high proton conductivity of a single high-purity Nafion nanofiber (1.5 S/cm), which is an order of magnitude higher than the bulk Nafion film ( approximately 0.1 S/cm). We also observe a nanosize effect, where proton conductivity increases sharply with decreasing fiber diameter. X-ray scattering provides a rationale for these findings, where an oriented ionic morphology was observed in the nanofiber in contrast to the isotropic morphology in the bulk film. This work also demonstrates the successful fabrication of high-purity Nafion nanofibers ( approximately 99.9 wt %) via electrospinning and higher humidity sensitivity for nanofibers compared to the bulk. These results should have a significant impact on fuel cells and sensors.

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A nanolatex copolymer (25-30 nm) of an imidalozium bromide acrylate is reported that provides stable waterborne dispersions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and thermally and electrically conducting coatings that adhere to plastics. This approach to dispersing SWCNT leaps past previous reports by providing stabilization and binder functions simultaneously. Resulting films exhibit 10-fold anisotropy in both thermal and electrical conductivity and appear free of interfacial phonon scattering problems. The electrically conducting networks assembled upon film formation provide a new route to priming plastics for electrodeposition in addition to providing simple antistatic layer formulations. The efficacy of these nanolatexes is assigned to the imidazolium and bromide components shown in other studies to have an affinity for graphene surfaces.