Single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi-walled carbon nanotubes were suspended, without purification, in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or Triton X-100 surfactants through ultra-sonication. These suspensions, which contained carbon nanotubes (CNT) as well as catalyst material and amorphous carbon, were adjusted to varying ionic strengths with NaCl and CaCl2 to evaluate the effects of ionic strength and cation valence on CNT suspension stability. UV/Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to determine stability in suspension, while a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to determine CNT deposition characteristics on SiO2 surfaces and on SiO2 surfaces coated with the cationic polymer poly(diallyldimethylamonium chloride) (PDDA). QCM studies indicated that there was little to no CNT deposition on the SiO2 surfaces; however, AFM images showed small amounts of amorphous carbon deposited. CNT deposition on the PDDA coated surfaces varied by types of surfactants and ionic concentrations.

Surfactant wrapped carbon nanotube suspension stability and surface deposition

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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