Controllable synthesis of leaflet-like poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/single-walled carbon nanotube composites with microwave absorbing property

Highly conductive leaflet-like poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/single-walled carbon nanotube (PEDOT/SWCNT) composites were successfully synthesized via a facile method in a ternary phase system. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observation denoted that SWCNT core was uniformly coated with PEDOT shell. More interestingly, on the surface of the resultant PEDOT shell a large number of PEDOT substructures were found to form by adjusting the molar ratio of water to the surfactant (defined as N). The leaflet-like PEDOT/SWCNTs entangled together as a nanoporous conductive network. Measurements of microwave absorption revealed that the conductivity, layer thickness and mass fraction of the leaflet-like PEDOT/SWCNTs have great impacts on the microwave absorbing property. It was found that the sample with 10 wt% PEDOT/SWCNT content exhibited much more effective absorption performances.