The applications of functionalized carbon nanotubes are numerous. Modifying the surface of the individual carbon nanotubes by decorating the surface with OH, COOH, NH2, F, or other groups promotes dispersion in a wide variety of solvents and polymers enabling the use of nanotubes in many more applications.
Anybody here has done this in the lab How to increase hydrophobic property of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT)? Since I want to use it as adsorbent for hydrocarbon spill cleanup
Hi,
The following publication presents some procedures used to increase the hydrophobicity of carbon nanotubes, either by coating, lining or the use of radiation. I hope it helps you.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/la9018025
Dear Noor,
you can find useful information in these references:
J. ZHA, N. BATISSE, D. CLAVES, M. DUBOIS*, L. FREZET, A. P. KHARITONOV, L. N. ALEKSEIKO. Superhydrophocity via gas-phase monomers grafting onto carbon nanotubes. Progress in Surface Science, 2016, 91, 57-71.
A. KHARITONOV, J. ZHA, M. DUBOIS. Tunable hydrophylicity/hydrophobicity of fluorinated carbon nanotubes via graft polymerization of gaseous monomers. Journal of Fluorine Chemistry, 2015, 178, 279–285.
Good luck!
If your CNTs have -OH moieties you can perform an easy nucleophilic aromatic substitution, resulting in a high fluorine content. I successfully performed this reaction onto Graphene oxide and silica, exploiting -OH moieties. I'm sure it would work even with CNTs. If your CNTs display no -OH, note that -OH moieties can be introduced onto CNTs sidewalls by a rapid plasma treatment either in air or oxygen.
You can consult these papers for :
1) Oxygen functionalization of CNTs by plasma
2) fluorination to provide the surface with strong hydrophobicity
Good luck!
Article Plasma Functionalization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and...
Article Synthesis of a Fluorinated Graphene Oxide-Silica Nanohybrid:...
do not see practical application ahead, much to expensive, and unmodified CNT are already hydrophobic. Activitated carbon is much cheaper.
Many thanks for your answers.
Andrea Maio · many thanks for your help. that is great. I have NON fictionalized MWCNT .
Roman Boltnev: Many thanks for your help
Dr. Titus You are totally right.
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