Fabrication of polystyrene/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite films synthesized by in situ microemulsion polymerization

Abstract

A microemulsion polymerization method was used to achieve better compatibility between polystyrene (PS)/ multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites and the host PS matrix to form films with excellent electrical and thermal properties. The films were prepared by embedding the PS/MWCNTs nanocomposite into the PS matrix. The MWCNTs were functionalized with PS nanoparticles to avoid the phase separation problem between the filler and host matrix and to enhance the good dispersibility of MWCNTs in the PS host matrix. The confirmation of the synthesis was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and Raman spectroscopy. The variation effect of the PS-linking density on the MWCNT was revealed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. An enhancement of the thermal and mechanical properties was revealed by thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning colorimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis. POLYM. ENG.

Tuning the Dispersibility of Carbon Nanostructures from Organophilic to Hydrophilic: Towards the Preparation of New Multipurpose Carbon‐Based Hybrids

“…The dispersion of carbon nanotubes into polystyrenic matrices for the fabrication of polymer carbon nanocomposites has naturally stimulated significant interest among researchers. [19,[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] A polymer composite of Gr-f-ONH 3 C 18 in polystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene block co-polymer (PS-PBu-PS; 0.2-2 % w/w) was prepared by dispersing Gr-f-ONH 3 C 18 in a solution of the co-polymer in toluene and spread on a glass substrate to form a thin transparent film in which the graphitic material was finely dispersed in the polymer matrix. In Figure 6, films formed by the dispersion of Gr-f-ONH 3 C 18 in PS-PBu-PS are presented.…”

Electrical conductivity of poly(vinyl alcohol)/carbon nanotube multilayer thin films: Influence of sodium polystyrene sulfonate mediated carbon nanotube dispersion

“…[21] The adsorption of polyelectrolytes or ionic surfactants on to the CNT surface has shown to be effective on the dispersion state of CNTs both in aqueous and organic solvents. [17,22,23] Polyelectrolyte assisted self-assembly approaches are being currently explored to fabricate a wide range of functional coatings containing CNTs [24][25][26][27][28] including biomolecules, proteins, clay platelets, nanorods and nanowires. [29][30][31][32] White et al have prepared highly charged nanotube dispersion with zeta potential value of −95 mV by wrapping with a higher concentration of anionic surfactant (Dowfax).…”

“…Polyelectrolyte assisted self‐assembly approaches are being currently explored to fabricate a wide range of functional coatings containing CNTs [ 24‐28 ] including biomolecules, proteins, clay platelets, nanorods and nanowires. [ 29‐32 ] White et al have prepared highly charged nanotube dispersion with zeta potential value of −95 mV by wrapping with a higher concentration of anionic surfactant (Dowfax).…”

Polyurethane/amino‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites: Microstructure, thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties

“…3,4 Many reports on inclusion of CNTs in different polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, epoxy resins, polypropylene, polyethylene, and nylon, whereas there are few reports on polyurethane-CNTs nanocomposites. [5][6][7] Amine functionalized MWNTs are uniformly dispersed in polymeric matrices due to efficient interactions between the MWCNTs and the polymer-matrix interface. 8 Polyurethanes are the most versatile types of polymers because they are formulated with a great variety of raw materials including polyols, diisocyanates, and chain extenders.…”