Synthesis and characterization of exfoliated MEH-PPV/clay nanocomposites by in situ polymerization

In this article, we demonstrate the synthesis of a conjugated polymer, poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) in the presence of organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) and the properties of the MEH-PPV/OMMT composites produced herefrom. By controlling the reaction conditions, such as the ratio of monomeric precursors to montmorillonite, exfoliated MEH-PPV/OMMT nanocomposites were synthesized via in situ polymerization. These materials exhibit higher electroluminescent properties and enhanced performance of thermal stability than that of the pure polymer. Additionally, based on the solid-state ¹³C NMR measurement results, the possible origin of the optoelectronic property improvement is discussed from the point of view of segmental mobility.