Synthesis and Characterization of Exfoliated Polystyrene-Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites Via In Situ Polymerization

Exfoliated nanocomposites of polystyrene (PS) and layered double hydroxide (LDH) compound of zinc, aluminium and sodium dodecyl sulfate, as interlayer anion, have been synthesized via in situ polymerization. The effect from the LDH compositions (0.5, 1, 3, 5% weight) was studied. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The XRD and TEM results showed an exfoliated morphology for the nanocomposites in all compositions. With the 50% weight loss taken as a reference, the TGA results indicated significant improvement in thermal stability for all compositions of the nanocomposites, in comparison to pure polystyrene. This is promising for the application of these new materials in many fields of industry and research.