The use of surfactants for dispersing carbon nanotubes and graphene to make conductive nanocomposites

Applications of composites based on carbon nanotubes and graphene require their exfoliation and dispersion in a polymer matrix. One of the main approaches to disperse and exfoliate carbon nanotubes and graphene is based on the use of surfactants. Here we review the surfactants utilized for dispersing carbon nanotubes and graphene, the mechanisms of filler stabilization and the methods for composite preparation based on the use of surfactants to get conductive polymer composites with minimum nanofiller loading.

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► Surfactants can improve the CNT/graphene dispersion in polymer composites.
► Composite preparation methods using surfactants are mainly based on the latex technology.
► Conductive surfactants are applied for the preparation of thin transparent films.
► For dispersion in water mainly low-molecular weight ionic surfactants are used.
► Non-ionic surfactants show some disadvantages in terms of percolation threshold and conductivity.