Reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes nanohybrids as preformed reinforcement for polystyrene composites

Three-dimensional carbon nanohybrids constructed by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are prepared via simultaneous hydrothermal and chemical reduction reactions. The macroscopic rGO/CNTs monolith is used as the preformed reinforcement for polystyrene (PS) composites to function as the continuous conductive pathway. During hydrothermal reaction, interconnected network consisting of rGO and CNTs, driven by the hydrophobic and π-π interactions, is formed and then frozen by the following freeze-drying processing. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction results confirm that CNTs play an important role in tuning the amphiphilicity and pore structure of the as-prepared rGO/CNTs nanohybrids. rGO/CNTs/PS composites prepared via vacuum-assisted impregnation process exhibit the highest electrical conductivity of 1.21 × 10−3 S m−1, which is 11 orders of magnitude higher than that of neat PS. The functional synergies of rGO and CNTs are identified to establish an efficient route for improving the electrical property of polymer based composites. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45054.