Nanocomposites of polystyrene-b-polyisoprene copolymer with layered silicates and carbon nanotubes

Nanocomposites of polystyrene-b-polyisoprene (PS-b-PI) copolymer with layered-smectite clays (organically modified montmorillonite) and nanostructured clay-carbon nanotube hybrids were prepared. The diblock copolymer was synthesized by anionic polymerization using high-vacuum techniques and was molecularly characterized by size exclusion chromatography. Carbon nanotubes were developed on clay-supported nickel nanoparticles by the CCVD method. Nanotubes attached on the clay platelets were then chemically modified to create ester groups on their surfaces. PS-b-PI nanocomposites at various polymer to reinforcement loadings were prepared by solution intercalation. The final nanocomposites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The experiments complemented with viscometry measurements reveal the successful incorporation of the reinforcements in the polymer mass. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.