Synthesis and characterization of polyimide/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites containing quinolyl moiety

A series of functional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polyimide (PI) nanocomposites were prepared using a two‐step approach. First, octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane (OAPS) was mixed with poly(amic acid) (PAA) prepared by reacting bis(4‐amino‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐3‐quinolylmethane and 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride. Second, the resulting solution was subjected to thermal imidization. The well‐defined ‘hard particles’ (POSS) and the strong covalent bonds in the amide linkage between the carbon atom of the carboxyl side group in PAA and the nitrogen atom of the amino group in POSS lead to a significant improvement in the thermal and mechanical properties. Homogeneous dispersion of POSS cages in the PI is evident from scanning electron microscopy, which further confirms that the POSS molecule becomes an integral part of the organic‐inorganic inter‐crosslinked network system. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis show that the glass transition temperatures of the POSS‐containing nanocomposites are higher than that of the corresponding neat PI system, owing to the significant increase of the crosslinking density in the PI/POSS nanocomposites. Increasing the concentration of OAPS in the PI networks decreases the dielectric constant. Pure PI and PI/POSS systems have good antimicrobial activity. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microwave‐assisted preparation of polylactide/organomontmorillonite nanocomposites via in situ polymerization

Microwave technology was introduced to assist the synthesis of polylactide (PLA)/organomontmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites in bulk by the in situ ring‐opening polymerization of D,L ‐lactide. Factors that influenced the polymerizing effects, such as the microwave power, irradiation time, and dosages of the catalyst and OMMT, were studied in terms of tensile strength. The polymerization time was decreased dramatically to 10 min under 90 W of microwave irradiation, and the mechanical and thermal properties of the PLA/OMMT nanocomposites were significantly improved. The composite with the highest mechanical properties was obtained when the dosages of the OMMT and the catalyst were 1.0 and 0.6 wt % of the lactide, respectively. The initial decomposition temperature of the PLA/OMMT(1.0 wt % OMMT) nanocomposite was heightened 11.5°C compared with that of pure PLA. The results of scanning electron microscopy confirmed an improvement in the toughness with the addition of OMMT. The transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction results indicate that an exfoliated and intercalated nanocomposite was successfully prepared. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Preparation and characterization of polyimide/silica‐barium titanate nanocomposites

The silica‐barium titanate (SiO₂‐BaTiO₃) nanocomposites coated with polyimide had been synthesized successfully by a dispersion polymerization method. The conformation, structure, and size of SiO₂‐BaTiO₃ nanocomposites coated with polyimide were investigated by using FT‐IR, EDAX, XRD,TEM, SEM, and TGA. The results indicate that there is a thin layer polymer of SiO₂‐BaTiO₃ nanocomposites surface, in which the polymer thickness is about 10 nm and the size of them are about 50–60 nm, and the particles are well‐dispersed with even particle size. In addition, the crystal structure of BaTiO₃ is stable in preparing composite process and the chemical bond is formed between the inorganic phase and the polymer matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis and properties of the amino‐functionalized multiple‐walled carbon nanotubes/polyimide nanocomposites

The 1,6‐hexanediamine‐functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes(a‐MWNTs)/polyimide(PI) nanocomposite films were prepared through in‐situ polymerization followed by mixture casting, evaporation, and thermal imidization. To increase the compatibility of carbon nanotubes with the matrix polyimide, a‐MWNTs was used as the filler. According to the results, a‐MWNTs were homogeneously dispersed in the nanocomposite films. With the incorporation of a‐MWNTs, the mechanical properties of the resultant films were improved due to the strong chemical bonding and interfacial interaction between a‐MWNTs and 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride(ODPA)/4,4′‐Oxydianiline(ODA) polyimide matrix. The thermal stability of the a‐MWNTs/polyimide nanocomposite was also improved by the addition of a‐MWNTs. The electrical tests showed a percolation threshold at about 0.85 vol% and the electrical properties were increased sharply. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis of polyglycerol from glycerol carbonate

Microwave irradiation of glycerol carbonate allows formation of glycidol, which readily polymerizes to form polyglycerol under mild conditions comparatively to the classical polyetherification reaction involving high temperature and basic conditions. Analysis of the crude reactional mixture indicated the presence of low‐molecular weight oligomers constituted mainly of di, tri, and tetraglycerols with small quantities of higher molecular weights oligomers. Molecular size distribution was relatively similar to that of polyglycerols obtained under basic condition, even if these latter contained slightly higher amounts of high‐molecular weight oligomers. Structure of oligomers differs slightly according to the conditions of polymerization, and polyglycerols are obtained under microwave activation containing higher contents of cyclic isomers, whereas polyglycerols obtained under basic conditions contain more ramified isomers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Synthesis and characterization of polyimide/multi‐walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites

Polyimide/multi‐walled carbon nanotube (PI‐MWNT) nanocomposites were fabricated by an in situ polymerization process. Chemical compatibility between the PI matrix and MWNTs is achieved by pretreatment of the carbon nanotubes in a mixture of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. The dispersion of MWNTs in the PI matrix was found to be enhanced significantly after acid modification. The glass transition (T_g) and decomposition (T_d) temperature of PI‐MWNT nanocomposites were improved as the MWNT content increased from 0.5 to 15 wt%. The storage modulus of the PI/MWNT nanocomposites is nine times higher than that of pristine PI at room temperature. The tensile strength of PI doubles when 7 wt% MWNTs is added. The dielectric constant of the PI‐MWNT nanocomposites increased from 3.5 to 80 (1 kHz) as the MWNT content increased to 15 wt%. The present study demonstrates that enhanced mechanical properties can be obtained through a simple in‐situ polymerization process. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Surfactant‐assisted processing of polyimide/multiwall carbon nanotube nanocomposites for microelectronics applications

The dispersion and stability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) inside a polymer matrix, especially with a high CNT content, are still big challenges. Moreover, the interaction between CNTs and the polymer matrix should be strong enough to improve the mechanical properties. The efficient dispersion of CNTs is essential for the formation of a uniform distribution of a CNT network in a polymer composite. Polyimide/multiwall CNT nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization with the aid of a surfactant. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study proved that the surfactant did not hamper the polymerization of the polyimide. The microstructure, storage modulus and electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites were improved using a particular amount of the surfactant. Environmental stability test results showed that the polyimide with 1 wt% of CNTs produced with the aid of the surfactant possessed excellent reliability in high‐temperature and high‐humidity environments. Surfactants were successfully used to obtain fine‐structure polyimide/CNT nanocomposites by in situ polymerization. The enhancement of the mechanical properties was attributed to the incorporation of the surfactant. A percolation of electrical conductivity could be achieved with 1 wt% of CNTs. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation and characterization of polyimide/organoclay nanocomposites

Organically modified montmorrillonite clay, containing a long chain aliphatic quarternary ammonium cation, was used to prepare polyimide/organoclay hybrids. Several approaches were examined in an attempt to achieve fully exfoliated nanocomposites. These included simple mixing of the clay in a pre-made high molecular weight poly(amide acid) solution; simple mixing followed by sonication of the organoclay/poly(amide acid) solutions; and the preparation of high molecular weight poly(amide acid)s in the presence of the organoclay dispersed in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The best results were obtained using the in-situ polymerization approach. The resulting nanocomposite films (both amide acid and imide), containing 3-8% by weight of organoclay, were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thin film tensile properties. A significant degree of dispersion was observed in the nanocomposite films of the amide acid and the imide. After thermal treatment of amide acid films to effect imidization, in both air and nitrogen, the films were visually darker than control films without clay and the level of clay dispersion appeared to have decreased. In the latter case, the separation between the layers of the clay decreased to a spacing less than that present in the original organoclay. These observations suggest that thermal degradation of the aliphatic quarternary ammonium cation occurred likely during thermal treatment to effect imidization and solvent removal. These thermal degradation effects were less pronounced when thermal treatment was performed under nitrogen. The polyimide/organoclay hybrid films exhibited higher room temperature tensile moduli and lower strength and elongation to break than the control films.     

Preparation,characterization and dielectric properties of polyetherimide nanocomposites containing surface‐functionalized BaTiO3 nanoparticles

Polyetherimide (PEI)/hydroxyl‐functionalized barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanocomposite films were successfully prepared through solution‐casting followed by subsequent thermal imidization. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the chemical treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) could efficiently derive hydroxyl groups on the surface of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. The strong interaction between the hydroxyl‐functionalized BaTiO₃ and the PEI matrix greatly enhanced the particle dispersion as well as the interfacial adhesion, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The PEI nanocomposite with hydroxyl‐functionalized BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (50 vol% BaTiO₃ loading) showed an increased dielectric permittivity of 52.78 at 1 kHz compared with the dielectric permittivity (33.87) of PEI/raw BaTiO₃ composite. The loss tangent was still low (less than 0.03) when the content of hydroxyl‐functionalized BaTiO₃ was 50 vol%. For PEI/BaTiO₃ nanocomposites, the frequency and temperature dependences of the dielectric properties were significantly reduced through functionalizing the surface of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles with H₂O₂. Different theoretical approaches were employed to predict the effective permittivity of the nanocomposite systems and the results are compared with the experimental results. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation and characterization of polyimide nanocomposites with different organo‐montmorillonites

Poly(amic acid) nanocomposites were synthesized from a dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solution with two organophilic montmorillonites (organo‐MMTs). It was then heated at various temperatures under vacuum, yielding 15–20 um thick films of polyimide/organo‐MMT hybrid with different clay contents (1–8 wt%). Dodecy‐lamine (C₁₂‐) and hexadecylamine (C₁₆‐) were used as aliphatic alkylamines in organo‐MMT. The ultimate strength monotonically increased with increasing clay content in the polymer matrix. Maximum enhancement in the initial modulus was observed for the blends containing 2 wt% clay with two kinds of organo‐clays, and values did not alter significantly with further increases in clay content. Additions of only 2 wt% C₁₂‐ and C₁₆‐MMT to the polyimide were shown to cause 94%‐95% reduction in oxygen gas permeability. This is caused by the barrier properties of the clay layers dispersed in the composite. In general, C₁₆‐MMT is more effective than C₁₂‐MMT in increasing both the tensile property and the gas barrier in a polyimide matrix. Intercalations of the polymer chains in clay were examined through wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microscopies (SEM and TEM).     

High‐frequency dielectric characterization for liquid crystalline polyimide/SiO2 nanocomposites

In this study, we investigated the influence of frequency, film thickness, and SiO₂ content on the dielectric constant (K) and loss tangent (tan δ) of liquid crystalline polyimide (LCPi) and liquid crystalline polyimide/SiO₂ (LCPi/SiO₂) nanocomposites in a high frequency environment. We tested the loss tangent of the LCPi and LCPi/SiO₂ nanocomposites within the high frequency 1 MHz to 3 GHz range, and determined its value to be between 0.01 and 0.001. In addition, we found a formant for frequencies ranging from 0.5 GHz to 1 GHz. We also inferred from the dielectric loss graphs of films with different thicknesses that the formants of the loss tangent shifted toward higher frequencies with increasing thicknesses. When measuring the dielectric constant at high frequencies, we found that the dielectric constant decreased markedly with increased SiO₂ contents. Using the dielectric constant of high‐frequency circuit board materials as the standard, the dielectric constant of the LCPi/SiO₂ nanocomposites at the frequency range from 1 MHz to 3 GHz was found to be as high as 2.2–3.4, thereby confirming the viability of LCPi/SiO₂ nanocomposites as candidate materials for high‐frequency circuit board. In addition, the volume resistivity (ρ_V) of the LCPi and LCPi/SiO₂ nanocomposites also increased with increased SiO₂ contents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Ultrasound–assisted synthesis and characterization of polymethyl methacrylate/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

This article reports ultrasound–assisted synthesis of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites by in situ emulsion polymerization coupled with in situ reduction of graphene oxide. The thermal degradation kinetics of the nanocomposites was also assessed with Criado and Coats‐Redfern methods. Intense microconvection generated by ultrasound and cavitation results in uniform dispersion of RGO in the polymer matrix, which imparts markedly higher physical properties to resulting nanocomposites at low (≤1.0 wt %) RGO loadings, as compared to nanocomposites synthesized with mechanical stirring. Some important properties of the PMMA/RGO nanocomposites synthesized with sonication (with various RGO loadings) are: glass transition temperature (0.4 wt %) = 124.5°C, tensile strength (0.4 wt %) = 40.4 MPa, electrical conductivity (1.0 wt %) = 2 × 10^?7 S/cm, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (1.0 wt %) = 3.3 dB. Predominant thermal degradation mechanism of nanocomposites (1.0 wt % RGO) is 1D diffusion with activation energy of 111.3 kJ/mol. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 673–687, 2018     

Synthesis and characterization of polyimide/silica hybrid nanocomposites

Polyimide/silica (PI/SiO₂) hybrid nanocomposites were prepared by the sol‐gel process directly from a soluble polyimide. This soluble PI was synthesized from a diamine with a pendant phenyl hydroxyl group, 4,4′‐diamino‐4″‐hydroxy triphenyl methane (DHTM) and a dianhydride, pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), followed by cyclodehydration. Three ways of preparing PI/SiO₂ hybrid nanocomposites were investigated in this study. Two of them used the coupling agent 3‐glycidyloxy propyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMOS) to enhance the compatibility between PI and silica. The coupling agent can react with the PI to form covalent bonds. The structures of the modified hybrid nanocomposites were identified with a FTIR, whereas the size of the silica in polyimides was characterized with a scanning electron microscope. The size of silica particles in the modified system was <100 nm. The covalently bonded PI/SiO₂ hybrid nanocomposites prepared by the novel third approach exhibited good transparency when the silica content was <15%. Moreover, their thermal and mechanical properties exhibited a significant improvement. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 382–393, 2004     

Microwave irradiation synthesis and characterization of RGO‐AgNPs/polystyrene nanocomposites

Polystyrene and reduced graphene oxide/silver (PSTY/RGO/AgNPs) nanocomposites were prepared via an in situ bulk polymerization method using two different preparation techniques. In the first approach, a mixture of silver nitrate, hydrazine hydrate, and polystyrene containing graphene oxide (PSTY/GO) were reduced by microwave irradiation (MWI) to obtain R‐(PSTY‐GO)/AgNPs nanocomposites. In the second approach, a mixture of the (RGO/AgNPs) nanocomposite, which was produced via MWI, and STY monomers were polymerized using an in situ bulk polymerization method to obtain PSTY‐RGO/AgNPs nanocomposites. The two nanocomposites were compared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, Differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicate that the nanocomposites obtained using the first approach, which involved MWI, exhibited a better morphology and dispersion with enhanced thermal stability compared to the nanocomposites prepared without MWI. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:2318–2323, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis of polyaspartic acid and its effect on calcium carbonate precipitate

Without organic solvent or catalyst, polyaspartic acid (PASP) was synthesized from maleic anhydride (MA) and ammonia (AN) under microwave irradiation. The influences of the molar ratio of maleic anhydride to ammonia and the microwave output power and irradiation time on product yield were investigated. Also, the function of microwave in the process was simply addressed. The results showed that when the molar ratio of MA/AN was 1.2, the output power was 900 W, the irradiation time was 3.5 min, and the product yield was highest and its inhibition performance on calcium carbonate was as good as the polymer synthesized by conventional pyrocondensation polymerization. The main function of microwave was its heat effect. Characterization of the product was carried out by IR, ¹HNMR, and ¹³CNMR spectra and the results showed that the product was PASP. The microwave‐assisted synthesis process of PASP has many advantages, including quicker reaction rate, high purity, lower cost, and little pollution. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103:358–364, 2007     

Electrospun PVDF/MWCNT/OMMT hybrid nanocomposites: preparation and characterization

Electrospinning technique was employed to prepare neat PVDF, nanoclay-PVDF and carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-PVDF nanocomposites, and nanoclay-carbon nanotube-PVDF hybrid nanocomposites. A mixture of dimethyl formamide/acetone (60/40) was used to fluidize the polymer and nanofillers. Electrospinning process was conducted under optimized conditions. Maximum modification was achieved at 0.15 wt% nanofiller. Rheological measurements on the prepared solutions revealed decreased material functions in the presence of nanoclay, whereas the rheological properties of MWCNT-PVDF solution did not show any significant reduction compared with those of neat PVDF solution. The behaviors of the hybrid nanocomposite solutions, though dependent on their composition and their material functions, increased with MWCNT concentration. These differences, together with variations in electrical properties of nanoclay and MWCNT, led to changes in morphology of the fiber during electrospinning process. Under electrospinning conditions designed for neat PVDF solution, mats with beads and with the highest fiber diameter were produced. Meanwhile, incorporation of both nanoclay and MWCNT into the solutions resulted in bead-free fibers with thinner diameter. Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to measure the β-phase crystalline content in electrospun mats. Complete agreement was found between the FTIR and XRD results. The lowest and highest β-phase contents were obtained for neat PVDF mat and hybrid nanocomposite mat containing 0.1 wt% clay, respectively. The mixing procedure of nanofillers and the PVDF solution was also found to be important. In case of hybrid nanocomposites, more β-crystals were formed when the nanoclay was first mixed in the absence of MWCNT.     

Hydrogel‐MWCNT nanocomposites: Synthesis,characterization, and heating with radiofrequency fields

Hydrogel nanocomposites are attractive biomaterials for numerous applications including tissue engineering, drug delivery, cancer treatment, sensors, and actuators. Here we present a nanocomposite of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and temperature responsive N‐isopropylacrylamide hydrogels. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the nanocomposites was tailored for physiological applications by the addition of varying amounts of acrylamide (AAm). The addition of nanotubes contributed to interesting properties, including tailorability of temperature responsive swelling and mechanical strength of the resultant nanocomposites. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were studied over a range of temperatures (25–55°C) to characterize the effect of nanotube addition. A radiofrequency (RF) field of 13.56 MHz was applied to the nanocomposite discs, and the resultant heating was characterized using infrared thermography. This is the first report on the use of RF to remotely heat MWCNT‐hydrogel nanocomposites. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Matrix tacticity controlled tuning of microstructure,constitutive behavior and rheological percolation effect of melt‐mixed amino‐functionalized MWCNT/PP nanocomposites

Amino‐functionalized multi walled nanotube (MWCNT‐NH₂) filled isotactic PP and isotactic‐syndiotactic (70:30) mixed PP based melt‐mixed nanocomposites have been comparatively evaluated with regard to morphological, rheological and thermo‐mechanical properties. The ratio of mean free space lengths (L_f) to infiltrated mean free space lengths (L_inf) between nanotubes in isotactic‐syndiotactic (70:30) blended matrix based nanocomposites increased relatively indicating a dispersed‐morphology. The rheological percolation threshold increased up to a higher extent of MWCNT‐NH₂ loading (from ø_c ～ 2.3 × 10^?4 in isotactic to ø_c ～ 11 × 10^?4 in iso‐syndio blend) accompanied with the formation of a mechanically responsive network structure. van‐GurpPalmen plot showed a transition in the rheological response as a consequence of network morphology getting shifted to higher concentration of MWCNT‐NH₂ in the isotactic‐syndiotactic mixed PP based nanocomposites than in the isotactic based one. Constitutive modeling of complex viscosity response of the nanocomposites led to functional correlation between the percolation and relaxation dynamics of polymer chains. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1115–1126, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Development and characterization of co‐polyimide/attapulgite nanocomposites with highly enhanced thermal and mechanical properties

A series of co‐polyimide/attapulgite (co‐PI/AT) nanocomposites have been successfully fabricated from anhydride‐terminated polyimide (PI) and γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)‐modified fibrous attapulgite (AT). Co‐PI was prepared from 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA), 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), and 2,2‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride (BPADA) by using the method of chemical imidization. Different amount of AT (0, 1, 3, 5, 7 wt%) were introduced into co‐PI via strong covalent interactions between terminal anhydride and amino groups. The properties of co‐PI/AT nanocomposites such as morphology, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and UV transparency were investigated to illustrate the contribution of the introduction of AT into the PI matrix. FTIR spectra and SEM images revealed that network structures between co‐PI and AT are formed, which endowed the nanocomposites with outstanding thermal and mechanical properties. The co‐PI/AT nanocomposites exhibited excellent thermal and thermo‐oxidative stabilities with the onset decomposition temperature and 10% weight loss temperature increasing to the ranges of 502–510°C and 555–562°C from 480°C to 526°C for the pristine co‐PI, respectively. The glass transition temperatures of these co‐PI/AT nanocomposites increased to the range of 231–238°C from 222°C for pure co‐PI. The co‐PI/AT nanocomposites films were found to be transparent, flexible, and tough. By incorporating 5 wt% AT into the co‐PI matrix, the tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus of the co‐PI/AT nanocomposites reached 110.7 MPa, 14.5%, and 1.2 GPa, respectively, which are 50%, 120%, and 80% increased compared with the values of pristine PI. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:86–96, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of alkylated carbon nanotube/polyimide nanocomposites

BACKGROUND: The development of carbon nanotube‐reinforced composites has been impeded by the difficult dispersion of the nanotubes in polymers and the weak interaction between the nanofiller and matrices. Efficient dispersion of carbon nanotubes is essential for the formation of a functional nanotube network in a composite matrix. RESULTS: Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were incorporated into a polyimide matrix to produce MWNT/polyimide nanocomposites. To disperse well the MWNTs in the matrix and thus improve the interfacial adhesion between the nanotubes and the polymer, ‘branches’ were grafted onto the surface of the nanotubes by reacting octadecyl isocyanate with carboxylated MWNTs. The functionalized MWNTs were suspended in a precursor solution, and the dispersion was cast, followed by drying and imidization to obtain MWNT/polyimide nanocomposites. CONCLUSION: The functionalized MWNTs appear as a homogeneous dispersion in the polymer matrix. The thermal stability and the mechanical properties are greatly improved, which is attributed to the strong interactions between the functionalized MWNTs and the polyimide matrix. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry