Chemical functionalization of carbon nanotubes for the mechanical reinforcement of polystyrene composites.

An organometallic approach was used to functionalize multiwalled carbon nanotubes with n-butyllithium. This procedure was repeated two more times to achieve a higher degree of multiwalled carbon nanotube functionalization. The functionalized nanotubes have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetrical analysis, scanning electron microscopy and sedimentation studies. It was possible to form stable suspensions of the functionalized nanotubes in tetrahydrofuran and they were used to make nanotube polymer composites. The mechanical properties of these new nanotube polymer composites were tested and they were found to show an increase of up to 25% in their Young's moduli and up to 50% in their tensile strength over pure polystyrene.