1. In-situ generation of a well-dispersed multiwall carbon nanotube/syndiotactic polystyrene composite using pentamethylcyclopentadienyltitanium trimethoxide anchored to multiwall carbon nanotubes
- Author
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Go, Min Jeong, Kim, So Han, Lee, Kang Mun, Lee, Hwi Hyun, Park, Hyoung-Ryun, Lee, Junseong, Park, Sungjin, Choi, Insung S., and Kim, Youngjo
- Subjects
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CARBON nanotubes , *DISPERSION (Chemistry) , *POLYSTYRENE , *POLYMERIC composites , *ORGANOTITANIUM compounds , *POLYMERIZATION , *THERMOGRAVIMETRY , *MOLECULAR weights - Abstract
Abstract: A well-dispersed multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) composite was prepared by simple in-situ polymerization of styrene using pentamethylcyclopentadienyltitanium(IV) trimethoxide (Cp*Ti(OMe)3) attached to the shortened and functionalized MWCNT (f-MWCNT). The attachment of Cp*Ti(OMe)3 to the f-MWCNT was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Cp*Ti(OMe)3 attached to pristine MWCNT in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO) did not produce PS, whereas Cp*Ti(OMe)3 attached to f-MWCNT showed a high catalytic activity for the syndiospecific polymerization of styrene under the same polymerization conditions. Obtained sPS showed a narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI ≈ 2), a high SI value (≥90%), and a high melting point (≈272 °C). Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images showed that MWCNT strands were well dispersed in the MWCNT/sPS composite. Such composites had greatly improved thermal stability compared to normal sPS polymers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2012
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