(415h) Stuydy of the Incorporation of Cadmium Sulphide-Carbon Nanotubes in a Polymer Matrix

In this work the addition of cadmium sulfide (CdS) particles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix was analyzed. The resulting material was proposed as potential photoconductor because CNTs and CdS could enhance the electrical current, which result from the conductivity and photoconductivity of CNTs and CdS respectively.A new route of synthesis for PMMA-CdS-CNTs materials was proposed which combines sonochemistry and in-situ polymerization. In the case of CdS, the rapid motion occurring in solution for the sonochemical process inhibits agglomeration and settling of the CdS particles, remaining suspended between the chains of the growing monomer. This route of synthesis favors the dispersion of both CdS and CNTs in the polymer, producing films with CNTs and CdS particles closely spaced in the polymer matrix, and increasing the electrical conductivity of the new material when compared with PMMA-CNTs and PMMA-CdS. shintesized films show that the the addition of CNTs (0.5 wt%) to the PMMA-CdS material (20 wt% of CdS) causes an increase of four and three orders of magnitude in conductivity, taking as reference to PMMA-CdS (20 %W CdS) and PMMA-NTsC (0.5%W) respectively. This electrical response was slightly increased when the samples were irradiated by UV light due to electron excitation, promoting a transition from the valence to conduction bands. On the other hand, materials with poor dispersion of nanotubes and CdS for the same level of concentrations, a decrease in electrical conductivity was observed.