Improvement of interfacial interaction via ATRP in polycarbonate/carbon nanotube nanocomposites

In this study, the electrical, rheological, and mechanical properties of polycarbonate nanocomposites with functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile onto the MWCNT surface were characterized. These properties were also compared to those of pristine MWCNT/polycarbonate nanocomposites. The functionalized nanocomposites demonstrated improved electrical and mechanical properties which became significant with increasing amounts of grafted SAN. The functionalized polycarbonate nanocomposites formed an electrical and rheological percolation structure at a low concentration of MWCNTs compared to the pristine MWCNTs. This result is attributed to the improved interfacial behavior due to the miscibility between grafted SAN and polycarbonate.