Carboxyl‐containing polyarylene ether nitrile/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids and their effects on the PEN composites

In this study, the novel polyarylene ether nitrile containing carboxyl groups (CPEN)/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids were synthesized via the solvent‐thermal route. The SEM and TEM images showed that the surface of functionalized Fe 3 O 4 hybrids (CPEN‐ f ‐Fe 3 O 4 ) became rough and coated with a thin polymer layer successfully. Chemical bonds were formed between the carboxyl groups and Fe 3 O 4 spheres, which were characterized by FTIR and XRD. Series of PEN composite films were prepared through solution‐casting method with different contents of CPEN‐ f ‐Fe 3 O 4 hybrids and raw Fe 3 O 4 spheres. The SEM images showed that the CPEN‐ f ‐Fe 3 O 4 hybrids became much more dispersible and compatible in PEN matrix than that of raw Fe 3 O 4 spheres, which was further confirmed by rheological study. The magnetic analysis showed that the saturation magnetization of composites films increased with the increase of CPEN‐ f ‐Fe 3 O 4 hybrids loading content. The results of thermogravimetric and mechanical study exhibited that the composite films had good thermal stability and mechanical property. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1325–1334, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers