Synthesis of Polythiophene-graft-PMMA and Its Role as Compatibilizer for Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)/MWCNT Nanocomposites

A new compatibilizer, polythiophene-graft-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), for poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite is synthesized. Fluorescence emission spectra and Raman spectra indicate that the polythiophene part of the compatibilizer strongly interacts with the surface of MWCNT, while differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) thermograms show that the PMMA graft of the compatibilizer is miscible with the SAN matrix. The use of new compatibilizer yields well-dispersed SAN/MWCNT nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties, whereas the simple mixture of SAN/MWCNT prepared without the addition of the compatibilizer shows an aggregation of MWCNT in SAN matrix. Particularly, SAN/MWCNT nanocomposites in the presence of the compatibilizer show dramatically improved mechanical properties even with the addition of a very small amount (0.01 wt %) of MWCNT.