Abstract
Aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays were synthesized by using an iron-based sol-gel catalyst and acetylene as the precursor. These CNTs show high purity, uniform diameters and pore-wall thickness. Low temperature nitrogen adsorption was employed to characterize the structural and surface properties of the as-synthesized sample and that modified with boiling concentrated nitric acid. The adsorption characteristics of the as-synthesized and modified CNTs were thoroughly investigated. High-resolution comparative αs- plot showed that the nitrogen adsorption on CNTs takes place via a multistage mechanism closely related to their structures. It was also found that the acid modification significantly increased the adsorption energy and enhanced the adsorption capacity under low pressures. High-resolution comparative method provided valuable insights about the surface and pore structures of CNTs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 35-42 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Colloid and Interface Science |
| Volume | 277 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2004 |
Funding
This research was supported in part by an appointment to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Postdoctoral Research Associates Program administered jointly by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The authors also acknowledge the ORNL's SHaRE Collaborative Research Center for the use of their electron microscopy facilities.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory | |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory | |
| Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education |
Keywords
- Carbon nanotubes
- Nitrogen adsorption
- Surface modification
- α-Plot