Morphology and electrical conductivity of polystyrene sulfonic acid-graphite nanosheet composites

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2008

Abstract

Polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) was prepared by sulfonating polystyrene (PS), obtained by emulsion polymerisation of styrene. Sulfonate groups were introduced on the phenyl groups of PS. Nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing nanoscale graphite (NanoG) in PSS aqueous solution with the aid of sonication, and casting the dispersion on a plastic film. The sulfonate anions on PS resulting from the ionisation of sulfonic acid groups facilitated die dispersal of NanoG carrying the positive charges. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterise the morphologies of expanded graphite, NanoG and the nanocomposites, and the results showed that die graphite sheets varied in thickness from 40 to 70 nm. Transmission electron micrographs revealed that the PSS was intercalated into the sub-layers of nanoG homogeneously. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites reached 1.25 x 10"4S.cnr' at a concentration of 0.2 vol.% and the electrical conduction phenomenon could be interpreted by classic percolation theory. © Smithers Rapra Technology, 2008.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Polymers and Polymer Composites

First Page

241

Last Page

247

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