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Updated: May 31, 2026
Application of a Coupling Agent to Improve the Dielectric Properties of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites
Published on: September 19, 2020
Enhanced electrical conductivity in polystyrene nanocomposites at ultra-low graphene content
Xian-Yong Qi1, Dong Yan, Zhiguo Jiang
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Department of Polymer Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Abstract:
We compared the electrical conductivity of multiwalled-carbon-nanotube/polystyrene and graphene/polystyrene composites. The conductivity of polystyrene increases from ∼6.7 × 10(-14) to ∼3.49 S/m, with an increase in graphene content from ∼0.11 to ∼1.1 vol %. This is ∼2-4 orders of magnitude higher than for multiwalled-carbon-nanotube/polystyrene composites. Furthermore, we show that the conductivity of the graphene/polystyrene system can be significantly enhanced by incorporation of polylactic acid. The volume-exclusion principle forces graphene into the polystyrene-rich regions (selective localization) and generates ∼4.5-fold decrease in its percolation threshold from ∼0.33 to ∼0.075 vol %.
