SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF FOREST-LIKE CARBON NANOTUBES OBTAINED BY CVD AND APPLICATIONS IN THE ELIMINATION OF CONTAMINANTS. IN INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER

摘要

Multiwall carbon nanotubes are attractive materials that find application in many different fields, such us energy storage or water purification [1]. However, it is well known that carbon nanotubes have poor dispersion properties in polar solvents like water [2]. The modification of their surface by introducing different oxygen-like functional groups will increase the dispersive properties of the carbon materials. This has an effect over the adsorption properties of the carbon nanotubes and should be therefore carefully controlled. In this work we prepare forest-like carbon nanotubes grown by CVD, more homogeneus in length and diameter size than commercial carbon nanotubes. The selective functionalization of the nanotubes was carried out by three different treatments of increased severity. The surface characteristics were evaluated by different techniques such as SEM, TPM, XPS, ramman spectroscopy and solubility in water. The adsorption properties of the carbon nanotubes were tested in the adsorption of benzene in wastewater.