Effect of Nanostructuring in Nanocomposites of Carbon Nanotubes with poly(3-methylthiophene) on their Physico-Chemical and Sensor Properties
摘要
The role of nanostructuring of a conductive polymer phase and the nature of a dopant in composites of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MT) with core-shell morphology is considered. It is found that sharp changes occur in the crystallinity of the P3MT phase of the composite at a polymer shell thickness of ~9 monomolecular layers; sharp changes occur in its thermal stability, electrical conductivity, and spectral characteristics at 4-6 layers; and sharp changes occur in the magnitude of sensor responses to isopropanol vapor and their time at ~3 layers. It is shown that the nature of a surface active dopant (anions of dodecylbenzenesulfonic and perfluorooctanoic acids) significantly affects the crystallinity, doping degree, and thermal stability of P3MT in composites, as well as the charge transfer from CNTs to doped P3MT.