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Complexes of conjugated polymer and carbon nanotubes: does blending with nanotubes influence the ordering of semi-crystalline polymers?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Roland Goh ,
Eric Rolfe Waclawik ,
Nunzio Motta  and
John Marcus Bell
Roland Goh
Affiliation:
r.goh@qut.edu.au, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
Eric Rolfe Waclawik
Affiliation:
e.waclawik@qut.edu.au, Queensland University of Technology, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Australia
Nunzio Motta
Affiliation:
n.motta@qut.edu.au, Queensland University of Technology, Centre for Built Environment and Engineering Research, Australia
John Marcus Bell
Affiliation:
j.bell@qut.edu.au, Queensland University of Technology, Centre for Built Environment and Engineering Research, Australia
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Abstract

A detailed study of poly(alkylthiophene) self-assembly and organization on single-walled carbon nanotubes is presented. We show that ordered polymer domains are formed when a conjugated polymer is blended with small amounts of carbon nanotubes. By correlating the lowest energy feature in the absorption spectra of the polymer with ordering, we demonstrate that the degree of ordering in the polymer is enhanced when it is blended with carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, we elucidated the conformation of the polymer chain when it is absorbed onto the nanotube surface and imaged the high degree of ordering in the polymer/carbon nanotube complex by microscopy.

Keywords

nanostructureself-assemblyscanning probe microscopy (SPM)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 901: Symposium R – Assembly at the Nanoscale – Toward Functional Nanostructured Materials , 2005 , 0901-Rb21-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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