Preparation and characterization of conductive carbon nanotube–polystyrene nanocomposites using latex technology

This study reports the preparation of conductive multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)–polystyrene (PS) nanocomposites using latex technology. The MWCNTs were first well dispersed in methanol solution and then added to a suspension of the monodispersed 230 nm PS latex synthesized by emulsion polymerization with sodium dodecylsulfate anionic surfactant. Both FESEM and HRTEM images indicate that the resulting PS latices are closed to spherical dots with a particle size about 230 ± 4 nm. The HRTEM micrograph of MWCNT–PS nanocomposites shows the MWCNT is well separated and uniformly distributed between the monodispersed PS latices. The Tg of MWCNT–PS nanocomposites is gradually increased with increasing the content of MWCNT, indicating possible interaction between MWCNT and PS latices to limit the motivation of PS. The conductivities of 1.5 wt.% and 6.5 wt.% MWCNT–PS nanocomposites are more than four and ten orders in magnitude higher than that of PS without MWCNT, respectively.