Dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in poly(p-phenylene) thin films and their electrical characteristics

Dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in poly(p-phenylene) composite exposed to toluene was experimentally investigated. 3 mg of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with nominal size of 20 nm was compounded with 30 mg of poly(p-phenylene) with the presence of terpineol as binding initiator. To investigate an optimal condition for homogenizing all constituents, ultrasonication with an output power of 750 W was employed with compounding time of 3, 10, 20 and 30 min. With FTIR analyses, it could be confirmed that homogeneous composite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and poly(p-phenylene) could be prepared. SEM analyses were also conducted to examine the dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix. Then intrinsic electrical resistance of the composites after being exposed to toluene was also investigated. It was found that the composite film prepared with ultrasonication for 20 min could provide sufficiently sensitive response with respect to varied concentration of toluene.