Composites of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Polystyrene: Preparation and Electrical Conductivity

• Published in: Chemistry of materials Vol. 20; no. 9; pp. 3120 - 3126
• Main Authors: Tchoul, Maxim N, Ford, Warren T, Ha, Mai L. P, Chavez-Sumarriva, Israel, Grady, Brian P, Lolli, Giulio, Resasco, Daniel E, Arepalli, Sivaram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 13.05.2008
• Subjects: Carbon Materials; Composites (including Ceramic Composites, Polymer Composites, and Nanocomposites); Nanomaterials (Nanops, Nanotubes, etc.)
• ISSN: 0897-4756; 1520-5002
• DOI: 10.1021/cm703625w

Composites of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and polystyrene have been prepared using three different types of SWNT: HiPco, CoMoCat, and pulsed laser vaporization (PLV). Nanotubes were incorporated into the polystyrene matrix by two methods: (1) evaporation of chloroform solutions of SWNT noncovalently functionalized with poly[(m-phenylenevinylene)-co-(2,5-dioctoxy-p-phenylenevinylene)] (PmPV) and polystyrene; (2) coagulation in water of DMF solutions containing polystyrene and nitric acid oxidized SWNT. From measurements of the electrical conductivities of the composites over a range of concentration from 0.1 to 6 wt % SWNT, the percolation threshold of conductivity was 0.17−0.3% SWNT for the PmPV-coated materials and 0.4–0.5% for those made by coagulation. Of the three types of SWNT, composites made with HiPco tubes had the highest conductivity.