Sains Malaysiana 41(5)(2012): 603–609

Chemically Modified Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) with

Anchored Acidic Groups

(Pengubahsuaian Secara Kimia ke atas Nanotiub Karbon denganMulti-berdinding

Menggabungkan Kumpulan Berasid)

Nuruzatulifah Bt Asari @ Mansor* , M.G. Kutty & S.B. Abd Hamid

Combinatorial Technology and Catalysis Research Centre (COMBICAT), Universiti Malaya

50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Jean-Philippe Tessonnier , Ali Rinaldi , Sylvia Reiche & Robert Schlögl

Fritz Haber Institute of Max Planck Society, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195 Berlin, Germany

Received: 25 April 2011 / Accepted: 18 November 2011

ABSTRACT

Surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was carried out using a gas phase treatment in a Universal Temperature Program (UTP) reactor by flowing SO3 gas onto the CNTs while being heated at different temperatures. The functionalized nanotubes were characterized using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. The amount of oxyen and sulfur containing groups was determined by acid-base titration. The titration results were in good agreement with elemental analysis using x-ray fluorescence. FTIR analysis showed the presence of oxygen and sulfur containing groups, S=O, C-S, C=O and -COOH. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that oxygen and sulfur containing acidic groups covalently attached to the sidewall of the MWCNTs.

Keywords: Carbon nanotubes; characterization; functionalization; sulphur-based surface

ABSTRAK

Fungsionalisasi permukaan nanotiub karbon multi-berdinding (MWCNTs) dilakukan dengan menggunakan rawatan fasa gas dalam reaktor Universal Temperature Program (UTP) dengan mengalirkan gas SO3 ke dalam MWCNT sambil dipanaskan pada suhu yang berbeza. Nanotiub karbon yang difungsikan dianalisis menggunakan pendaflour sinar-X (XRF), spektroskopi inframerah penjelmaan fourier (FT-IR) dan spektroskopi Raman. Jumlah oksigen dan kumpulan yang mengandungi sulfur ditentukan dengan titrasi asid-alkali. Keputusan titrasi berkesesuaian dengan analisis unsur menggunakan XRF. Analisis FTIR menunjukkan adanya oksigen dan kumpulan yang mengandungi sulfur, S=O, C-S, C = O dan-COOH. Spektroskopi Raman mengesahkan bahawa oksigen dan sulfur adalah kumpulan asid yang diikat secara kovalen pada dinding permukaan MWCNTs.

Kata kunci: Ciri; fungsionalisasi; permukaan asas sulfur; nanotiub karbon

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*Corresponding author; email: nuruz@siswa.um.edu.my