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Composites films of poly (3-octylthiophene)/multi-wall carbon nanotube have been fabricated. Transmission electron microscopy revels multi-wall nanotube structures embedded in an amorphous polymer matrix. After incorporation of the nanotubes an enhancement in the electrical conductivity of up to five orders is observed. Temperature dependent conductivity studies indicate a decrease in the activation energy for the composite films. There is evidence that the composite films are much harder and much more stable than the ‘undoped’ polymer.

A correspondence between Fermi surface parameters determined by semiclassical angular dependent magnetoresistance oscillations (ADMRO) and those by the Shubnikov-de Haas effect in stage-2 SbCl 5 -intercalated graphite is demonstrated. The wavevector underlying most robust ADMRO feature and strongest branch of the Shubnikov-de Haas spectrum is the radius of lower valence band primitive cylinder of the Blinowski-Rigaux model.

Though the presence of nanotubes in a carbon sample may be clearly detected by electron microscopy, yet it has been difficult to determine if the nanotubes in question belong to a Russian doll or scroll type. This work shows how a chemical reaction with ferric chloride or with potassium metal reveals the differences between the two types of intratube shell arrangement. Scroll nanotubes are intercalated by alien molecules which penetrate from the side of the scroll and fill the intershell spaces. The corresponding intershell spaces expansion was directly observed in this work by TEM. Russian doll nanotubes do not enter the reaction and stay intact. The reaction with scroll nanotubes is accompanied with a remarkable tube swelling which is easily observed by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of intercalated nanotubes may also be detected by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.