| Water-soluble SWNT-substituted ionic Polyacetylene (SIPA) nanocomposites have been synthesized by using the surface initiated "grafting-from" method. The FT-IR spectra confirmed the formation of an amide bond between the functionalized SWNTs and the initiator, 4-(2-aminoethyl) pyridine, used to polymerize N-Methyl-2-Ethynylpyridinium Triflate (2EPyMeTf). UV-Vis spectroscopy indicated that the degree of polymerization of P2EPyMeTf in the SWNT-SIPA composites is 15, based on the Lewis-Calvin equation. The SWNT-PA composites have been characterized by TGA, AFM and TEM. From TGA analysis, the loading of SWNTs in the SWNT grafted ionic polyacetylenes is estimated to be 24%. AFM and TEM images clearly showed that the nanotube structure is wrapped by the SIPA. The SWNT-SIPA composites displayed high water solubility (up to 8 mg/mL). The room temperature electrical conductivity of the doped SWNT-SIPA composites was found to be in the range of 10-3 ∼ 10 -4 S/cm, which as an order of magnitude higher than neat P2EPyMeTf and two order of magnitude higher than Dendrimer-PA composites. |
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