Synthesis of silver nanoparticles decorated MWCNTs and their application in antistatic polyetherimide matrix nanocomposite

•Silver nanoparticles was decorated onto PSA functionalized MWCNTs.•Percolation threshold of composite was at MWCNTs@PSA@Ag loading 0.75 wt%.•Percolation threshold was decreased to 0.5 wt% after humidity absorption balance.

A facile approach for fabricating antistatic polyetherimide (PEI) had been carried out by introducing poly(sodium acrylate) bonded multi-walled carbon nanotubes and silver nanoparticles (MWCNTs@PSA@Ag). The electrostatic discharge channel was well constructed through homogenously dispersed MWCNTs with polar PSA layer and enhanced by Ag nanoparticles. Chemical structures of MWCNTs@PSA@Ag were characterized by FTIR, XPS, Raman, TGA, UV–vis and TEM. Results revealed that PSA was covalently bonded onto the surface of MWCNTs. Thereby, the ester bond in PSA could improve the dispersion of MWCNT in PEI matrix, and assemble size controlled Ag nanoparticles through coordination bond. Thus, the percolation volume conductivity of MWCNTs@PSA@Ag/PEI nanocomposite was increased to 8.3 × 10−8 S/cm at 0.75 wt% concentration. Moreover, the percolation threshold was further declined to 0.5 wt% concentration because ionic conduction of PSA could be formed after moisture absorption of MWCNTs@PSA@Ag/PEI nanocomposite in environment.

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