Enhanced dispersion of nanotubes in organic solvents by donor–acceptor interaction between functionalized poly(phenylacetylene) chains and carbon nanotube walls

Abstract Phenylacetylene derivatives containing carbazole ( 1 ) and fluorene ( 2 ) moieties were polymerized by [Rh(nbd)Cl] 2 into corresponding polymers P 1 and P 2 of high molecular weights ( M w ∼ 150 × 10 3 –465 × 10 3 ) in high yields (up to 98%). The polymers were characterized by NMR, IR, UV, PL, and CV techniques. Hybrids of the polymers with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were prepared by simply mixing the two components in common organic solvents such as dichloromethane. The solvating power of the polymer carrying the electron‐donating carbazolyl pendant (P 1 ) is stronger than that of its counterpart carrying fluorenyl pendant (P 2 ), due to the stronger donor–acceptor (D–A) interaction between the P 1 chains and the MWNT walls. This work clearly manifests that D–A effect plays an important role in the polymer‐aided MWNT dispersion in organic solvents. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4995–5005, 2009