Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are of interest in many areas of nanotechnology and used in a number of novel applications. However effective dispersion remains a problem and one solution is to functionalize the nanotubes. Any functionalization that is undertaken must preferably not influence other key properties such as strength and electrical conductivity. In this work, multi-walled CNTs are functionalized for comparison, using a range of oxidative techniques, including thermal treatment, acid reflux, and dry UV-ozonolysis. The effects of these treatments on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and their electrical properties were characterized using a range of surface and compositional techniques. The electrical conductivity of MWCNTs was found to increase with functionalization in all cases, and dry UV-ozonolysis was shown to be the treatment technique which best increased conductivity, whilst at the same time maintaining the structural integrity of the nanotubes, even though the level of modification was less than by the other treatment methods.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agrawal S, Raghuveer M, Li H, Ramanath G (2007) Defect-induced electrical conductivity increase in individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Appl Phys Lett 90:193104–193103
Balasubramanian K, Burghard B (2005) Chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes. Small 1:180–192
Banerjee S, Wong SS (2002) Rational sidewall functionalization and purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes by solution-phase ozonolysis. J Phys Chem B 106:12144–12151
Chopra N, Majumder M, Hinds BJ (2005) Bifunctional carbon nanotubes by sidewall protection. Adv Funct Mater 15:858–864
Dresselhaus MS, Dresselhaus G, Saito R, Jorio A (2005) Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanotubes. Phys Rep 409:47–99
Grossiord N, Loos J, Koning CE (2005) Strategies for dispersing carbon nanotubes in highly viscous polymers. J Mater Chem 15:2349–2352
Hamon MA, Jian CH, Hu Y, Chen M, Apparao EI, Rao M, Eklund PC, Haddon PC (1999) Dissolution of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Adv Mater 11:834–840
Hamwi A, Alvergnat H, Bonnamy S, Béguin F (1997) Fluorination of carbon nanotubes. Carbon 35:723–728
Hirsch A (2002) Functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Angew Chem Int Ed 41:1853–1859
Hirsch A, Vostrowsky O (2005) Functionalization of carbon nanotubes. Top Curr Chem 245:193–237
Hiura H, Ebbesen TW, Tanigaki K (1995) Opening and purification of carbon nanotubes in high yields. Adv Mater 7:275–276
Holzinger M, Vostrowsky O, Hirsch A, Hennrich F, Kappes M, Weiss R, Jellen F (2001) Sidewall functionalization of carbon nanotubes. Angew Chem Int Ed 40:4002–4005
Iijima S, Ichihashi T (1993) Single-shell carbon nanotubes of 1-nm diameter. Nature 363:603–605
Lefrant S, Baibarac M, Baltog I, Velula T, Mevellec JY, Chauvet O (2005) Electrochemical and vibrational properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes in hydrochloric acid solutions. Diamond Relat Mater 14:873–880
Li C, Wang D, Liang T, Wang X, Wu J, Hu X, Liang J (2004) Oxidation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by air: benefits for electric double layer capacitors. Powder Technol 142:175–179
Li W, Bai Y, Zhang Y, Sun M, Cheng R, Xu X, Chen Y, Mo Y (2005) Effect of hydroxyl radical on the structure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Synth Met 155:509–515
Lim JK, Yun WS, Yoon M-h, Lee SK, Kim CH, Kim K, Kim SK (2003) Selective thiolation of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Synth Met 139:521–527
Monthioux M, Smith BW, Burteaux B, Claye A, Fischer JE, Luzzi DE (2001) Sensitivity of single-wall carbon nanotubes to chemical processing: an electron microscopy investigation. Carbon 39:1251–1272
Niyogi S, Hamon MA, Hu H, Zhao B, Bhowmik P, Sen R, Itkis ME, Haddon RC (2002) Chemistry of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Acc Chem Res 35:1105–1113
Okpalugo TIT, Papakonstantinou P, Murphy H, McLaughlin J, Brown NMD (2005) High resolution XPS characterization of chemical functionalised MWCNTs and SWCNTs. Carbon 43:153–161
Piccozi S, Santucci S, Lozzi L, Cantalini C, Baratto C, Sbervegelieri G, Armentano I, Kenny JM, Valentini L, Delley B (2004) Ozone adsorption on carbon nanotubes: ab initio calculations. J Vac Sci Technol A 22:1466–1470
Sears A, Batra RC (2006) Buckling of multiwalled carbon nanotubes under axial compression. Phys Rev B Condens Matter Mater Phys 73:085410
Sham M-L, Kim J-K (2006) Surface functionalities of multi-wall carbon nanotubes after UV/ozone and TETA treatments. Carbon 44:768–777
Singjai P, Changsarn S, Thongtem S (2007) Electrical resistivity of bulk multi-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by an infusion chemical vapor deposition method. Mater Sci Eng A 443:42–46
Th M, van Attekum PM, Wertheim GK (1979) Excitonic effects in core-hole screening. Phys Rev Lett 43:1896–1898
Wang C, Zhou G, Liu H, Wu J, Qiu Y, Gu BL, Duan W (2006) Chemical functionalization of carbon nanotubes by carboxyl groups on Stone-Wales defects: a density functional theory study. J Phys Chem B 110:10266–10271
Zhang J, Zou H, Qing Q, Yang Y, Li Q, Liu Z, Guo X, Du Z (2003) Effect of chemical oxidation on the structure of single-walled carbon nanotubes. J Phys Chem B 107:3712–3718
Zhang M, Su L, Mao L (2006) Surfactant functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for layer-by-layer assembling of CNT multi-layer films and fabrication of gold nanoparticle/CNT nanohybrid. Carbon 44:276–283
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lau, C.H., Cervini, R., Clarke, S.R. et al. The effect of functionalization on structure and electrical conductivity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. J Nanopart Res 10 (Suppl 1), 77–88 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-008-9376-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-008-9376-1