Carbon nanotube (CNT) production is rapidly growing, and there is a need for robust analytical methods to quantify CNTs at environmentally relevant concentrations in complex organic matrices.  Because physical and thermal properties vary among different types of CNTs, we studied 14 single- (SWCNTs) and multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs).  Our aim was to apply a classic analytical air pollution method for separating organic and elemental carbon (thermal optical transmittance/reflectance, TOT/R) to environmental and biological matrices and CNTs. An evaluation of the thermal properties of CNTs revealed two classes that could be differentiated using Raman spectroscopy: thermally �weak� and �strong.�  Using the programmed thermal analysis (PTA) method, we optimized thermal temperature programs and instituted a set of rules for defining the separation of organic and elemental carbon to quantify a broad range of CNTs.  The combined Raman/PTA method was demonstrated using two environmentally relevant matrices (cyanobacteria and urban air).

Detection of carbon nanotubes in environmental and biological matrices using programmed thermal analysis

244th National Meeting (2012)

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