Pyrene-functionalized tetraphenylethylene polybenzoxazine for dispersing single-walled carbon nanotubes and energy storage

Abstract We synthesized the new pyrene-functionalized tetraphenylethylene benzoxazine monomer (TPEP-BZ) through 1,1,2,2-tetra(3-formyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylene with 1-aminopyrene through Schiff base reaction, reduction with NaBH4 and then ring-closing with paraformaldehyde in a mixture of 1,4-dioxane and absolute EtOH. DSC, TGA, and FTIR spectroscopy were performed to understand the ring-opening polymerization and its corresponding thermal stability of this new TPEP-BZ monomer and then blending with different weight ratios of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) before and after thermal treatments. More interestingly, the TPEP-BZ/SWCNT nanocomposites display lower curing temperature (262 °C), but significantly higher Td value (475 °C) and char yield (74 wt%) compared with typical Pa type benzoxazine. In addition, the poly (TPEP-BZ)/SWCNT nanocomposites also display high specific capacitance (84 F g−1) at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability (98.3% capacitance retention over 2000 cycles).