Polymer carbon nanotube composites

1. A method for forming polymer carbon nanotube composites, the method comprising:

contacting carbon nanotubes with ozone to functionalize sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes with at least one oxygen moiety; and

reacting the functionalized carbon nanotubes with at least one monomer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes; wherein the at least one oxygen moiety of the carbon nanotubes are reacted to form a macromer carbon nanotube before being reacted with the at least one monomer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying an activating agent to the macromer carbon nanotubes and the at least one monomer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes are contacted with isocyanatoethylmethacrylate to generate methacrylate carbon nanotube macromers which are then contacted with an initiator in a solvent and then reacted with methyl methacrylate and heated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes are contacted with 3-isopropenyl-α,α-dimethyl benzylisocyanate to generate styrene carbon nanotube macromers which are then dispersed in an initiator and then reacted with styrene and heated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are contacted with the ozone in a gas phase at a temperature range of about −78° C. to about 200° C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a protic solvent, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acidic solvents, water, and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the protic solvent is ethanol.

9. A method for forming polymer carbon nanotube composites, the method comprising:

contacting carbon nanotubes with ozone to functionalize sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes with at least one oxygen moiety; and

reacting the functionalized carbon nanotubes with at least one polymer or copolymer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes, wherein the at least one polymer or copolymer is an isocyanate containing polymer or copolymer wherein the isocyanate containing copolymer is prepared by mixing 3-isopropenyl-α,α-dimethyl benzylisocyanate, styrene and an initiator.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the functionalized carbon nanotubes are contacted with the isocyanate containing copolymer for about 48 hours at about room temperature to attach polymer chains to the carbon nanotubes.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are contacted with the ozone in a gas phase at a temperature range of about −78° C. to about 200° C.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a protic solvent, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the protic is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acidic solvents, water, and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising dispersing the functionalized carbon nanotubes in a medium before contacting the copolymer.

15. A method for forming polymer carbon nanotube composites, the method comprising:

contacting carbon nanotubes with ozone to functionalize sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes with at least one oxygen moiety; and

reacting the functionalized carbon nanotubes with at least one polymer or copolymer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes, wherein the at least one polymer or copolymer is an isocyanate containing polymer or copolymer, wherein the isocyanate containing polymer or copolymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(styrene-co-3-isopropenyl-α,α-dimethyl benzylisocyanate), poly(isocyanato-ethylmethacrylate) and poly(3-isopropenyl-α,α-dimethyl benzylisocyanate).

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising dispersing the functionalized carbon nanotubes in a medium before contacting the copolymer.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are contacted with the ozone in a gas phase at a temperature range of about −78° C. to about 200° C.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a protic solvent, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the protic is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acidic solvents, water, and mixtures thereof.

20. A method for forming polymer carbon nanotube composites, the method comprising:

contacting carbon nanotubes with ozone to functionalize sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes with at least one oxygen moiety; and

reacting the at least one oxygen moiety with at least one monomer and applying an activating agent to the functionalized carbon nanotube and the at least one monomer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes, wherein the monomer is methyl methacrylate and the activating agent is heat, the method further comprising dispersing the functionalized carbon nanotubes in toluene before reacting with the methyl methacrylate and heating.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are contacted with the ozone in a gas phase at a temperature range of about −78° C. to about 200° C.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising dispersing the carbon nanotubes in an aprotic solvent in the liquid phase, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 150° C.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the aprotic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, halogenated solvents, carbonylated solvents, ethered solvents, cyanated solvents, anhydride solvents, and mixtures thereof.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a protic solvent, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the protic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acidic solvents, water, and mixtures thereof.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a mixture of a protic and a non-protic solvents, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one oxygen moiety is selected from the group consisting of primary ozonides, secondary ozonides, peroxides, hydroperoxides, alcohol groups and carboxylic acid groups.

28. A method for forming polymer carbon nanotube composites, the method comprising:

contacting carbon nanotubes with ozone to functionalize sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes with at least one oxygen moiety; and

reacting the at least one oxygen moiety with at least one monomer and applying an activating agent to the functionalized carbon nanotube and the at least one monomer to attach polymer chains to the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes, wherein the monomer is acrylic acid and the activating agent is iron (II) sulphate, the method further comprising dispersing the functionalized carbon nanotubes in water before reacting with the acrylic acid and the iron (II) sulphate.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are contacted with the ozone in a gas phase at a temperature range of about −78° C. to about 200° C.

30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising dispersing the carbon nanotubes in an aprotic solvent in the liquid phase, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 150° C.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the aprotic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, halogenated solvents, carbonylated solvents, ethered solvents, cyanated solvents, anhydride solvents, and mixtures thereof.

32. The method of claim 28 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a protic solvent, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the protic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acidic solvents, water, and mixtures thereof.

34. The method of claim 28 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a mixture of a protic and a non-protic solvents, the carbon nanotube dispersion being contacted with the ozone at about −78° C. to about 100° C.

35. The method of claim 28 , wherein the at least one oxygen moiety is selected from the group consisting of primary ozonides, secondary ozonides, peroxides, hydroperoxides, alcohol groups and carboxylic acid groups.