Electrical behavior of polymer grafted nanotubes/polymer nanocomposites using N-doped carbon nanotubes

Benjamin Fragneaud, Karine Masenelli-Varlot, Alfonso González-Montiel, Mauricio Terrones, Jean Yves Cavaillé

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe the fabrication of nanocomposites and study their electrical properties using two different types of polymers: polystyrene (PS) and poly(butadiene-co-styrene) (PSBS), in conjunction with N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNx MWNTs). The N-doped tubes were embedded in the polymer matrix in two ways: as produced and PS-grafted using an atomic transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). We found that the grafted tube composites displayed higher percolation thresholds when compared to ungrafted tubes: from 0.45 vol.% for ungrafted to 1 vol.% for PS-grafted tubes in PS matrices, and from 1 vol.% for ungrafted tubes to almost 2.5 vol.% for PS-grafted tubes in PSBS matrices. The results demonstrate that PS coated tubes result in more efficient dispersions but exhibit higher percolation thresholds, whereas pristine doped-tubes result in better electrical conducting nanocomposites.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1-8
Number of pages8
JournalChemical Physics Letters
Volume444
Issue number1-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 17 2007

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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