I am working on CNTs and i have to measure their absorption or fluorescence spectrum. However, the wall of quartz cuvette coated with CNTs after several measurement. This CNT layer is definetly caused some baseline problem in UV-Vis spectrophotometer. I tried to remove it with ethanol, acetone or ultrasonic bath but it is not helpful procedure for my case. I am not sure to use some acidic solution because i don't want to create any damage on the wall of cuvette. Can someone offer me any nondestructive cleaning process? Thank you.
I do not think acid will damage quartz. Chromic acid is routinely used to clean cuvettes.
If it is pure carbon, I would suggest heating in air above 750C to burn off the nanotubes. Quartz will withstand heating to that temperature. If there are other materials on the nanotubes, especially metals, then they would not be removed this way but perhaps an after-treatment in acid (after cooling of course) would remove them. Acid does not damage quartz but do not use strongly basic solutions.
Carbon is tenacious. I agree with Tuhin, but not sure about heating. Quartz cuvets are optically matched, heating might affect them permanently. Chromic acid can clean contaminated cuvets very well (Caution: carcinogen and oxidant!, follow lab rules). Just keep in mind that Cr can adsorb on the quartz, wash thoroughly.
Another solution (more tedious but safer way) is to use conc. KMnO4 in warm water. Soak for a day, it might deposit a brown layer, and and then rinse well with dilute acidified H2O2 (3%) which magically cleans the brown deposits and cleans the glassware.
I use aqua regia to clean the quartz cuvettes, nothing seems to happen to them.
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