Functionalization of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Using Microwave Method

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) probably hold with each other and agglomerated due to van der Waals force. Functionalized process was used to reduce its ability to agglomerate and to increase dispersion in solution. The present work is focused on the microwave irradiation in order to achieve rapid functionalization of MWCNTs compared with other known techniques. The power of microwave radiation was selected by investigating the structural integrity of the samples by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), while BET surface area measurement was used to measure the MWCNT surface area before and after treatment. The dispersion test in the solution was performed to determine the separation capability of untreated MWCNTs and f-MWCNTs.