Abstract
In this work, we investigated a simple one-step process for the formation of chemical bonds between multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and benzyl-type side chain radicals generated by UV photolysis of polystyrene derivatives containing the chloromethyl (–CH2Cl) group. Poly(4-chloromethyl)styrene, or styrene/4-(chloromethyl)styrene random copolymer, was mixed with MWCNTs in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light. Films of polymer/MWCNT mixtures before and after UV irradiation were fabricated, and then examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. According to the XPS analysis, the amount of Cl atoms in the mixture was found to decrease upon UV irradiation, indicating that the Cl atoms generated by photolysis of chloromethyl groups escaped from the reaction system in the form of gaseous Cl2. The structural change of CNTs after UV irradiation was also observed by comparing the G/D ratios (the intensity ratio of the G to D bands) of the Raman spectra obtained before and after UV irradiation. Similar phenomena were also confirmed in the case of the polymer/MWCNT mixture containing hydroxylammonium chloride as a dispersant of MWCNTs. These results confirmed the UV-induced covalent bond formation between polymer side chains and MWCNTs.
Highlights
The fabrication of polymer materials combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has received considerable attention from a technological viewpoint
To check the influence of NH2 OH ̈ HCl on the reaction, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectra of irradiation were confirmed. These results revealed the addition poly-CMSt/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) mixtures containing NH2 OH ̈ HCl were compared with those obtained for of polymer side chain radicals, generated through photo-induced C–Cl bond cleavage, to the the mixtures without NH2 OH ̈ HCl; they are shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively
The adsorption of NH2 OH ̈ HCl did not interfere with the radical addition to the transparent polymer/MWCNT materials will be the subject of future studies
Summary
The fabrication of polymer materials combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has received considerable attention from a technological viewpoint. CNTs are allotropes of carbon and have a cylindrical structure comprising many hexagonal units [1]. They possess attractive electric and thermal characteristics, exhibiting electric conductivity based on their conjugated electronic structure; besides, they can be used as raw materials for fabricating organic electronic devices [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Many researchers have attempted to develop new methods of fabrication of organic conductive materials by combining polymers and CNTs. Grafting of polymers onto CNTs has been widely studied for the fabrication of polymer-CNT hybrid materials [16,17,18,19,20,21,22]. The use of photochemical reactions appears promising for this purpose
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