abstract

• A soft method for purifying multi-wall carbon nanotubes (N-doped and undoped) is presented. The technique includes a hydrothermal/ultrasonic treatment of the material in conjunction with other subsequent treatments, including the extraction of polyaromatic compounds, dissolution of metal particles, bundle exfoliation, and uniform dispersion. This method avoids harsh oxidation protocols that burn (via thermal treatments) or functionalize (by introducing chemical groups) the nanotubes. We show a careful analysis of each purification step and demonstrate that the technique is extremely efficient when characterizing the materials using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX), scanning tuneling electron microscopy (STEM), x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (DRFTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). © IOP Publishing Ltd.

authors

• Alvizo-Páez E.R.
• Hernández-López J.L.
• Romo-Herrera J.M.
• Ruiz García Jaime
• Terrones H.
• Terrones M.

publication date

• 2008-01-01

published in

• Nanotechnology  Journal

keywords

• Aromatic polymers; Purification; Scanning electron microscopy; Semiconductor doping; Ultrasonics; Polyaromatic compounds; Soft purification; Ultrasonic treatment; Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCN); carbon nanotube; multi walled nanotube; article; diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; dissolution; extraction; infrared spectroscopy; oxidation; priority journal; purification; scanning electron microscopy; scanning tunneling microscopy; thermal analysis; thermogravimetry; X ray analysis; X ray powder diffraction

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1088/0957-4484/19/15/155701

start page

end page

volume

• 19

issue

• 15