Combined electron microscopy and spectroscopy characterization of as-received, acid purified, and oxidized HiPCO single-wall carbon nanotubes

Journal Article · Tue Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Materials Characterization

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATCHAR.2009.07.001· OSTI ID:22066150

Rosario-Castro, Belinda I; Contes, Enid J ^[1]; Lebron-Colon, Marisabel; Meador, Michael A ^[2]; Sanchez-Pomales, Germarie ^[1]

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1. University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 23346, San Juan, 00931-3346 (Puerto Rico)
2. NASA John H. Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44135 (United States)

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are very important materials due to their combination of unique structure, dimension, strength, chemical stability, and electronic properties. Nevertheless, SWCNTs from commercial sources usually contain several impurities, which are usually removed by a purification process that includes reflux in acids and strong oxidation. This strong chemical procedure may alter the nanotube properties and it is thus important to control the extent of functionalization and oxidation during the purification procedure. In this report, we provide a comprehensive study of the structure and physical composition of SWCNTs during each step of the purification process. Techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Infrared spectroscopy were used to track the SWCNTs structure, in terms of length and diameter distribution, and surface chemical modifications during each purification stage.

• OSTI ID: 22066150
• Journal Information: Materials Characterization, Vol. 60, Issue 12; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1044-5803
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CARBON
INFRARED SPECTRA
MODIFICATIONS
NANOTUBES
OXIDATION
PHASE STABILITY
PURIFICATION
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SURFACES
THERMAL GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY