Synthesis of cyclo-olefin copolymer latexes and their carbon nanotube composite nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of polymer science. Part A, Polymer chemistry Polymer chemistry, 2013-11, Vol.51 (21), p.4584-4591
• Main Authors: Ban, Hoang The, Shigeta, Masahiro, Nagamune, Tsutomu, Uejima, Mitsugu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Aqueous solutions; Carbon; carbon nanotube; Carbon nanotubes; Colloids; composite; Composites; Copolymerization; Copolymers; cyclo-olefin polymer; emulsion polymerization; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Latex; nanoparticle; Nanoparticles; Nanotubes; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Ring opening; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 0887-624X; 1099-0518
• DOI: 10.1002/pola.26875

ABSTRACT An efficient and environmentally benign synthetic method for the production of the stabilized cyclo‐olefin copolymer latexes and their carbon nanotube composite nanoparticles has been developed using an emulsion ring opening metathesis copolymerization catalyzed by the 2nd generation Grubbs catalyst in aqueous solution. Homopolymerizations of norbornene (NB) and dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) in aqueous solution yield unstable polymer latexes in combination with a large amount of their flocculation fractions. Copolymerizations of NB or DCPD with a selected liquid cyclo‐olefin comonomer dramatically improve not only the colloidal stability of the copolymer latexes but also the thermal stability of the copolymer nanoparticles. The liquid cyclo‐olefin comonomer plays a double role as a liquefied agent for the solid NB and DCPD monomers before the emulsification treatment, and a reactive comonomer itself to control entirely the copolymerization system. The as‐prepared cyclo‐olefin copolymer latexes exhibit an exceptionally high compatibility with a well‐dispersed carbon nanotube (CNT) in aqueous solution due to strong π–π interactions between the graphitic surfaces of the CNT with the C‐C double bonds located on the cyclo‐olefin copolymer main chains. Accordingly, a binary blending of these two well‐dispersed colloidal systems in aqueous solution led to the fabrication, for the first time, of the highly electrical conductive cyclo‐olefin copolymer/CNT composite nanoparticles. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 4584–4591 A highly efficient and environmentally benign synthetic method for the production of cyclo‐olefin copolymer latexes using an emulsion ring opening metathesis polymerization catalyzed by the 2nd generation Grubbs catalyst in aqueous solution was reported. The as‐prepared cyclo‐olefin copolymer latexes show exceptionally high compatibility with a well‐dispersed carbon nanotube in aqueous solution. A binary blending of these stabilized colloidal systems in aqueous solution thus led to the fabrication of highly electrical conductive cyclo‐olefin copolymer/carbon nanotube composite nanoparticles.