Facile preparation of functionalized MoS₂/polyethylene nanocomposites through in situ polymerization with MoS₂ containing Ziegler–Natta catalyst

A facile method for preparing polyethylene (PE)/octadecylamine-functionalized MoS₂ (ODA-MoS₂) nanocomposites through in situ polymerization with an ODA-MoS₂-MgCl-TiCl₄ catalyst was developed. The catalyst was synthesized simply by the treatment of ODA-MoS₂ with a Grignard reagent, followed by anchoring of a TiCl₄ catalyst. The resulting catalyst exhibited higher activity toward ethylene polymerization than did an ODA-MoS₂-free catalyst. After polymerization, the resultant PE/ODA-MoS₂ nanocomposites reproduced the catalyst morphology, showing a flaked morphology. In addition, the thermal stability and mechanical properties of PE were significantly enhanced by the introduction of ODA-MoS₂ fillers. These properties could result from the good dispersion and strong interfacial adhesion of ODA-MoS₂ fillers and the PE matrix.