Invited Speaker

Dr. Sergei Bronnikov

Dr. Sergei Bronnikov

Professor, Physical Department, Institute of Macromolecular Compounds (IMC), Russian Academy of Science, Russia
Speech Title: Electrical Conductivity of Polymer-based Composites Filled with 0D, 1D, 2D, and 1D:2D Carbon Nanoparticles

Abstract: Polyazomethine (PAZ)-based composites filled with carbon nanoparticles, such as fullerene C60, muli-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), reduced grapheme oxide (rGO), and MWCNTs:rGO hybrids, amounted between 0 and 2 wt% have been prepared. Their electrical conductivity was investigated in wide ranges of frequency (1– 106 Hz) and temperature (-130 – 150 °C) with a broadband dielectric spectroscopy technique. We found that the PAZ/MWCNTs composite exhibit the highest electrical conductivity as compared with other PAZ-based composites and exceeds that of neat polymer for ca. 6 orders at low frequency (1 Hz) and room temperature. We believe that this superior characteristic of PAZ/MWCNTs composite is achieved because of strong interfacial interactions between polymer chains and MWCNTs realizing via π-π interaction between the phenyl rings in the polymer chain and MWCNTs. The existence of interfacial interactions was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy technique. The interfacial interactions promote MWCNT bundles disentanglement and their perfect distribution in the polymer matrix justifying by SEM and AFM images. Furthermore, the entangled MWCNTs can penetrate into polymer crystallites, thus decreasing the polymer degree of crystallinity as detected by WAXD technique.

Keywords: Polymer nanocomposites, conjugated polymer, carbon nanoparticles, electrical conductivity.


Biography: Prof. Dr. Sergei Bronnikov graduated as an engineering specialist (Magister) in Polymer Science and Processing, Institute of Technology (Technical University), St. Petersburg, Russia. After graduation, he started his research activity at the Institute of Macromolecular Compounds (IMC), Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia. Now he is a leading research scientist and a head of Laboratory of Polymer Physical Chemistry, Physical Department, IMC. He received his Ph.D. degree in Polymer Physics and Mechanics (IMC, 1984), habilitated in Physical Chemistry (University of Tver, Russia, 1998), and received an academic title of Professor in Polymer Science (IMC, 2002). His is a member of Dissertation Council in Macromolecular Compounds (IMC) and an expert of Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Science Foundation. He had published 110 research communications and his research activity now focuses on polymer-based nanocomposites and photovoltaic blends for organic photovoltaics, particularly in respect to molecular dynamics and electrical conductivity.