Dispergation and modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution
- Authors: Qu C.1, Cheng F.2, Su H.1, Zhao Y.3
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Affiliations:
- School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering
- School of Civil Engineering
- Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
- Issue: Vol 90, No 11 (2016)
- Pages: 2230-2236
- Section: Physical Chemistry of Nanoclusters and Nanomaterials
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0036-0244/article/view/168962
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0036024416110066
- ID: 168962
Cite item
Abstract
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are widely applied in development of composite materials. However, their properties are directly influenced by the degree of uniformity of dispersion of MWCNTs in the material’s matrix. In this paper, the dispersing of raw MWCNTs (R-MWCNTs) and decorated MWCNTs (D-MWCNTs) was studied in aqueous solution. The D-MWCNTs were obtained by chemical modification method by treatment of initial MWCNTs with the mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids (3: 1 vol/vol). To achieve a good dispersion of the MWCNTs, a method utilizing ultrasonic processing and surfactant (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP) was employed. MWCNTs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared MWCNTs suspensions were investigated by UV spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, surface tension and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The D-MWCNTs have better dispersibility in aqueous solution; this attributed to the functional groups formed on their surface during chemical modification. The PVP surfactant in a certain concentration of 0.6 g/L has the maximum dispersing effect on MWCNTs in aqueous solution, the optimum concentration ratio of PVP and MWCNTs was 3: 1.
About the authors
Chunlai Qu
School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering
Email: zhangx198105@163.com
China, Handan, 056038
Fang Cheng
School of Civil Engineering
Author for correspondence.
Email: zhangx198105@163.com
China, Handan, 056038
Hui Su
School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering
Email: zhangx198105@163.com
China, Handan, 056038
Yang Zhao
Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Email: zhangx198105@163.com
China, Dongguan, 523083