Thermal stability and structural study of the poly(3-hexyl thiophene)/HiPCO single walled carbon nanotubes (P3HT/SWCNT) nanocomposites

Abstract

In this work we present the effect of HiPCO single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) introduction into the conjugated polymer matrix poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) on the structural and thermal stability of these nanocomposites. The P3HT/SWCNT nanocomposite films were prepared using chloroform and chlorobenzene as solvents and optimised ultrasonication duration. The prepared samples were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to study the effect of carbon nanotubes on the thermal stability and structure of the polymer matrix. The measurements carried out for different SWCNT loadings show that the thermal stability was enhanced for a 0.5 wt.%, but exhibits a decrease with increasing the SWCNT content. Our results prove the structural enhancement which is in favor of a better organisation for both P3HT chains and carbon nanotubes due to their interaction.