Preparation of Homogeneously Dispersed Trialkyl Imidazolium Compatibilized Multi Walled Carbon Nanotube/Polystyrene Nanocomposites Via Melt Extrusion

Trialkylimidazolium-tetrafluoroborate (IM) compatibilized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were used to prepare well dispersed polystyrene (PS) IM-MWNT nanocomposites via melt extrusion. Quantitative TEM image analysis revealed superior dispersion of the MWNTs in the presence of the imidazolium. Evidence for a π-cation, nanotube-imidazolium interaction comes from FTIR of the 1:1 imidazolium treated MWNTs. XRD showed the conversion from an interdigitated-bilayer, liquid crystal (d = 28 nm, m.p. 70 °C) for the imidazolium salt, to an ordered lamellar structure for the imidazolium on the surface of the MWNT (d = 4.6 nm, no m.p.) in the 1:1 imidazolium treated MWNTs.