den Hoed, F.; Pucci, A.; Picchioni, F.; Raffa, P. Design of a pH-Responsive Conductive Nanocomposite Based on MWCNTs Stabilized in Water by Amphiphilic Block Copolymers. Nanomaterials2019, 9, 1410.
den Hoed, F.; Pucci, A.; Picchioni, F.; Raffa, P. Design of a pH-Responsive Conductive Nanocomposite Based on MWCNTs Stabilized in Water by Amphiphilic Block Copolymers. Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 1410.
den Hoed, F.; Pucci, A.; Picchioni, F.; Raffa, P. Design of a pH-Responsive Conductive Nanocomposite Based on MWCNTs Stabilized in Water by Amphiphilic Block Copolymers. Nanomaterials2019, 9, 1410.
den Hoed, F.; Pucci, A.; Picchioni, F.; Raffa, P. Design of a pH-Responsive Conductive Nanocomposite Based on MWCNTs Stabilized in Water by Amphiphilic Block Copolymers. Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 1410.
Abstract
Homogeneous water dispersions of MWCNTs were prepared by ultrasonication in the presence of an amphiphilic polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) copolymer. The ability of PS-b-PAA to disperse and stabilize MWCTNs was investigated by UV-vis, SEM and zeta potential. It is shown that the copolymer can disperse nanotubes directly by sonication in water. The results show that the addition of a styrene block to PAA enhances the dispersion efficiency compared to pure PAA, possibly due to the nanotube affinity with the polystyrene moiety. Notably, the dispersions show an evident pH-responsive behavior, being MWCNTs reaggregation promoted in basic environment. Furthermore, composites obtained by drop casting display electrical conductivity responsive to pH variations, showing the potential of such materials for sensing applications.
Chemistry and Materials Science, Polymers and Plastics
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