Concise route to styryl-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes for polystyrene matrix and enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability of composite
writer：Xianhong Chen,* Feng Tao, Jianfeng Wang, Huajun Yang, Jiagui Zou, Xiaohua Chen, Xue Feng
keywords：multi-walled carbon nanotubes, polystyrene, mechanical properties, thermal stability
source：期刊
specific source：Materials Science and Engineering: A
Issue time：2009年
Effective functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with styryl group was carried out via the esterification reaction of the carboxylate salt of carbon nanotubes and 4-vinylbenzyl chlorides in toluene. The functionalized MWCNTs were characterized through FTIR and Raman spectra to confirm the styryl groups covalently connected to the surface of MWCNTs. The weight loss of functionalized moieties determined by thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimertry analysis is around 36%. Nanotube-reinforced polystyrene were fabricated by mixing functionalized MWCNTs and polystyrene. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the functionalized nanotubes had a better dispersion than the unfunctionalized MWCNTs in the matrix. Moreover, styryl-modified MWCNTs/PS nanocompsite presented obvious improvements in mechanical properties and thermal stability.