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With unique physicochemical properties, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have enabled major achievement in polymer composites as reinforcing fillers. Nevertheless, high conductivity of raw MWCNTs (R‐MWCNTs) limits their wider applications in certain fields, which require outstanding thermal conductivity, mechanical, and insulation properties simultaneously. In this article, silica (SiO2) coated MWCNTs core–shell hybrids (SiO2@MWCNTs) and organically modified montmorillonite (O‐MMT) are employed to modify epoxy (EP) simultaneously. The epoxy‐clay system is cured by using anhydride curing agent. The impact strength and flexural strength of final nanocomposites are greatly improved. Meanwhile, the final composites remain in high electrical insulation. Compared to mixed acid treated MWCNTs (C‐MWCNTs) (0.5 wt%)/EP nanocomposites, the volume resistivity of the O‐MMT(4 wt%)/SiO2@MWCNTs(0.5 wt%)/EP nanocomposites increases more than six orders of magnitude. Synergistic toughening effect occurs when using core–shell SiO2@MWCNTs and MMT bifillers. The electrical insulation is attributed to the suppressed electron transport effect by SiO2 layer on the CNTs surface, and the blocked conductive CNTs network by the buried 2D structural O‐MMT. The SiO2@MWCNTs core–shell hybrids also benefit to decrease the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of CNTs/EP composites. This work provides guidance to using CNTs as reinforcement fillers to toughen the polymers for electric insulating applications.

A reprocessable and chemically degradable thermoset with high Tg was synthesized via the incorporation of dynamic Si–O–Ph bonds.

A bio-based benzoxazine surfactant is synthesized using amino acids as an amine source, and may have potential use in cosmetics and cleaning products.

A series of amide-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs), e.g., 1-R-3-(2-amino-2-oxoethyl)-imidazolium (R = −vinyl, −methyl–butyl) cations combined with Cl–, N­(CN)­2–, or NTf2 – anions, were synthesized and fully characterized as curing agent for diglycidyl-4,5-epoxy-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (TDE-85). Studies of curing behaviors showed that ILs with N­(CN)2 – anions exhibit moderate curing conditions. As to thermosets of TDE-85 cured by these curing agents, their tensile strength (95.1–111.7 MPa) and elongation at break (2.69 to 4.20%) are significantly improved compared with the traditional curing systems of DDS/TDE-85 (DDS, 4,4′-diamino diphenyl sulphone). These thermosets also exhibit good thermal mechanical properties with the glass transition temperature (T g) > 200 °C and thermal degradation temperature (T d) > 300 °C. The possible mechanisms of curing reactions were analyzed by using IR, and results indicated that curing reactions of TDE-85 with amide-functionalized ionic liquids may include three steps, −NH2 groups reacted with oxirane at lower temperatures, and then the anions further participated in the reaction to strengthen the cross-linking networks. This study provides informative guidelines for designing new curing agents.

A diamine‐based benzoxazine monomer (Bz) and a liquid crystalline epoxy monomer (LCE) are synthesized, respectively. Subsequently, a benzoxazine‐epoxy interpenetrating polymer network (PBEI) containing liquid crystalline structures is obtained by sequential curing of the LCE and the Bz in the presence of imidazole. The results show that the preferential curing of LCE plays a key role in the formation mechanism of liquid crystalline phase. Due to the introduction of liquid crystalline structures, the thermal conductivity of PBEI increases with increasing content of LCE. When the content of LCE is 80 wt %, the thermal conductivity reaches 0.32 W m−1 K−1. Additionally, the heat‐resistance of PBEI is superior to liquid crystalline epoxy resin. Among them, PBEI55 containing equal weight of Bz and LCE has better comprehensive performance. Its thermal conductivity, glass transition temperature, and the 5 % weight loss temperature are 0.28 W m−1 K−1, 160 °C, and 339 °C, respectively. By introducing boron nitride (BN) fillers into PBEI55, a composite of PBEI/BN with the highest thermal conductivity of 3.00 W m−1 K−1 is obtained. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1813–1821

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