Dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in poly(ε-caprolactone)

The dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in poly(epsilon-caprolactone) with the aid of a zwitterionic surfactant is reported. Melt rheology and electrical conductivity measurements indicate geometrical percolation and electrical percolation for nanocomposites with similar to 0.08 wt % SWNT, implying an effective anisotropy for the nanotubes of at least 600. Spectroscopic measurements and comparison of dispersion using other surfactants established that the excellent dispersion is a result of the compatibilizing effect of the zwitterionic surfactant.